1) The document discusses a study on the experiences of part-time doctoral students in developing as writers. 2) It analyzes interviews with 6 part-time EdD students who discussed the temporal and spatial aspects of their writing experiences over time. 3) Preliminary findings highlighted challenges with balancing writing time between work, family, and personal life, as well as emotional reactions like anxiety and loss from dedicating time to writing.

1. Dr Phil Wood
‘yo u e ithe r do stuff in yo ur life , o r yo u can
sit do wn and do yo ur PhD. ’
The Temporalities of Writing Experiences of
Part-Time Doctoral Students
Dr Joan Woodhouse (Univ Leicester)
Accelerated Academy, Prague 24-25

2. • Part-time doctorates (PhD and EdD) very important in
Education departments
• What are the challenges and opportunities in their
development as writers?
• Focus on the experiences and development of part-time
doctoral students as writers
Focus

3. David (EdD) Teacher educator, leader of secondary PGCE. 6
month sabbatical to finish thesis
Paul (EdD) FE lecturer and engineering programme leader
Simon (EdD) Headteacher international school, resigned to finish
thesis
Claire (EdD) FE PGCE tutor, moved to HE as a learning
developer
Joyce (EdD) Teacher educator. 6 month sabbatical to finish
thesis
Sarah (PhD) Started full-time, went part-time teaching and then
to urban transport planning
Participants

4. • Unstructured, narrative interviews using stimulated recall
• Graphs and sketching
• Attempt to understand the spatial and temporal aspects of
experience and development
• Interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA)
• Initial analysis has highlighted four areas of interest
• Experience over time
• Spatial aspects of writing
• Emerging rhythms which enable writing
• Emotional/affective perspectives
Approach

5. • Starting points of narrative
vary – from primary level to
masters/professional
• Cycles of improvement and
regression but idiosyncratic
• Writing for ‘others’
• Feelings of anxiety and
performativity
• Affirmation of work when
assessed, helping to improve
confidence
Experience overtime

6. Spatial aspects of
writing
• Solitary spaces
• Light/windows
• Variation in views to the
outside
• Music!!

7. Emerging rhythms which enable
writing
• Writing as weekend activity
• The week is set-up, and can be
spatially flexible, but not
productive for writing
• Use of rituals entering into
writing time (temporal liminality)
• Shift from polyrhythmic to
monorhythmic – experience of
‘flow’
• Preferred writing time 1-3 days
‘Ig o to the library e ve ry
Saturday, fro m m o rning until
ro und abo ut fo ur, five , so
that’s m y writing day’
(Claire)
If I’m o n the train during the
we e k, Im ig ht e dit a
parag raph, Im ig ht do uble
che ck, so rt o f, ho w thing s are
flo wing … the y’re the so rt o f
thing s Ican do anywhe re . ’
(Sarah)
‘if Iwas at ho m e fo r 3 days,
that wo uld be be tte r than m e
be ing at ho m e o ne day and
the n wo rk the ne xt… m y
brain can’t ho ld to o m uch at
any o ne tim e . ’
(David)

8. Emotional/affective
perspectives‘no w we ’re at this po int, it’s im po ssible re ally. To ste ale no ug h tim e in the
we e k. ’
(Paul)
‘But it’s awkward in the we e k be cause o f vario us thing s, yo u kno w,
o bvio usly g o t a daug hte r which Ihave to take place s. ’
(Paul)
‘Yo u kno w, yo u are ste aling , e sse ntially, fro m yo ur pe rso nallife , yo u’re
ste aling fro m yo ur so ciallife , yo u’re ste aling fro m yo ur re g e ne ratio n pe rio d
afte r wo rk. ’
(Simon)
‘that’s why Italk abo ut it as be ing , so rt o f, auto -psycho the rapy. . ’
(Simon)
‘a num be r o f co lle ag ue s are ve ry g o o d at saying “Go away”… that o ve rt
pe rm issio n to be do ing the writing . ’
(Joyce)

9. Initial Insights
•Participants experience a complex set
of patterns of writing development over
time
•Strong rhythms in writing approaches
– but often feelings of ‘emptiness’. A
performative process rather than one to
enjoy
•Strong emotive reactions to writing
and time – feeling of loss, of difficult
decisions
•Ethics of care?
•Pedagogic considerations
•Opening up the importance of ethics
and time

10. Initial Insights
•Participants experience a complex set
of patterns of writing development over
time
•Strong rhythms in writing approaches
– but often feelings of ‘emptiness’. A
performative process rather than one to
enjoy
•Strong emotive reactions to writing
and time – feeling of loss, of difficult
decisions
•Ethics of care?
•Pedagogic considerations
•Opening up the importance of ethics
and time