Skip to main content Skip to navigation

Bearing witness to marginalised groups; a retrospective study to ascertain the pedagogic benefits of research-led teaching

Emma Parfitt

Emma Parfitt

This project is an exciting opportunity to assess Warwick undergraduates through a research-led teaching experience. Undergraduates, who would otherwise not have the financial freedom, will be offered an opportunity to participate in a research project, receiving training and practical experience to improve their employability. The students’ progress will be supported and assessed by the research assistant throughout the study.

The research study involves interviewing previous participants of the Belgrade Theatre’s ‘bearing witness’ programme which aimed to encourage participation in the arts. The interviews will assess participants’ subsequent engagement with the arts and further education. The aim of the study is to promote innovative teaching methods to staff, involving research-led teaching methods, in order to enhance the student experience. This will be achieved by using the information to inform the creation of a research-led teaching module and to compile teaching and learning resources detailing the challenges and experiences faced by the team.

This project has been designed by Emma Parfitt, a storytelling researcher in the Sociology Department. Emma is interested in storytelling & socially learnt behaviour. For example, whether fairy tales convey, in the words of Jack Zipes, part of ‘a human struggle to form and maintain a civilizing process.’

This IATL strategic grant was supported by Cath Lambert, Sociology.