My project is grounded in Participatory Action Research (PAR) and Inclusive Participatory Action Research (IPAR), approaches rooted in co-operative inquiry where research is undertaken “with people, not on them” (Heron, 1996). This approach challenges hierarchical knowledge production and fosters epistemic reciprocity, positioning students and graduates as co-researchers rather than subjects. It aligns with my teaching philosophy, which centres communities of practice, compassionate pedagogy, and shared knowledge-making in curriculum design.
The research continues existing work supporting students and graduates to co-create learning experiences. Graduates collaborated in session design and delivery, bringing lived experience into dialogue with Year 1 students. Their reflections on uncertainty, experimentation, and mistakes made creative development feel more accessible and relatable, especially for students encountering these ideas for the first time.
Two sessions formed the focus of the intervention. See comparative table of both sessions attached.
Session 1: Design Narratives – Finding Voice
Held in a lecture theatre at the start of the unit, this session was co-designed with a recent graduate through open discussion and a shared planning document, balancing structure with their insight into first-year needs. Three Year 3 students each presented three slides on the beginnings of their projects, foregrounding process over polished outcomes.
Afterward, the graduate led a conversational activity, moving among students to discuss their work informally. Interactive tools such as Mentimeter created a playful, low-pressure atmosphere, encouraging engagement and multilingual participation that fostered belonging and collective contribution.
Session 2: Sharing working methods
Midway through the unit, two graduates led a practice-based session where students handled textile samples, asked questions, and shared projects in small groups. The graduates modelled dialogue around work-in-progress, reinforcing storytelling and lived experience as valid knowledge.
This session highlighted object-based learning and social interaction as key methods. As Kovach (2021) notes, storytelling can function as both method and meaning, foregrounding what matters most in learners’ journeys. Here, graduates and students connected across year groups through shared experiences of process, uncertainty, and specialism.
One graduate asked, “Would it be helpful if we asked them one-on-one how they feel about presenting their work? Would those conversations be relevant data?” This reflects awareness of informal dialogue as meaningful research data within participatory frameworks.
Tutor Role and Observation
Across the two sessions, my role shifted from co-facilitator to observer. In the first, I presented alongside the graduate; in the second, I stepped back, remaining present but not leading. This shift empowered graduates as facilitators and encouraged first-year students to speak more freely. It prompted reflection on how tutors can support and make space within compassionate pedagogy, reducing barriers without dominating peer-led learning.
Space, Movement, and Inclusion
Spatial context shaped participation. The lecture theatre encouraged passive engagement despite interactive tools, while the flexible studio in Session 2 supported active involvement. However, parts of the room created pockets of exclusion. One graduate countered this by moving between groups, modelling inclusive facilitation. When I joined discussions, students sometimes fell silent, revealing how tutor presence can reintroduce hierarchy.
Material objects helped reduce language barriers and deepen understanding where specialist terminology might exclude. Observing students handle and discuss work showed how embodied, social learning fosters confidence and shared meaning.
Overall, the project shows how co-design, peer learning, storytelling, and space can redistribute voice and agency. Working with students and graduates as partners cultivated belonging, dialogue, and equitable participation in studio learning.