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You can now add yourself and your community hashtag to our map. To add yourself, head over to the remixer. Add yourself to the Community Map Here's how

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Behind a paywall, sadly. You should be able to access it through your uni, if enrolled (or look me up on academia.edu)

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Staff in FE are commonly juggling other major demands alongside their college day job. That is a particular reality for anyone involved in research. So how do you juggle competing priorities and make sure you are able to give your research work the attention it needs without it taking too great a toll?

My first challenge to you is: Enjoy it.

If I was to judge the experience of studying for a Masters/EdD/PhD by what I read on social media, rather than my own experience, I'd think it was hard labour. Nobody seems to get any pleasure from it. This negative feed is only part of the conversation, but it's very visible.

I got myself a companion species - a little bowerbird figurine. He had a number of theoretical functions during my PhD, but he came to be more than that. After the first couple of years, I never studied without him at my side. In any research, there's always a metaphor to be crafted, crocheted or purchased from Etsy. Because the Bowerbird was connected to my ethics, he always reminded me of why I was there.

You won't get through this if you don't enjoy it. The good news is that if you're feeling negative you can turn it around.

If you know my work, you know where I'm going with this. It's time to dig deep and find the joy. I think many people will know that I'm part of the JoyFE💛 Collective. Although it didn't quite happen intentionally, JoyFE💛 grew out of my studies via the work of the Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza. His work around intentional ethics shaped my methodology and he believed in joy - or potentia - as an activist energy which sparks into life when humans encounter other humans - and non-humans, incidentally, hence the bowerbird.

Joyful practice channels the dark and fierce energies of anger, sadness, frustration and other pain into joyful practice. It's not just a mindset, it's a way of being in the world with other people. That last bit is important. Joy is collective. It's relational.

I am not denying how busy you are. But I believe we can be intentional about creating quality study time. We go so deep into our subject that it's virtually impossible to reach any meaningful depth if you're multitasking, or studying in five minutes here and there. What you need is quality time on the ball, because if you keep getting interrupted you'll have to start again with your focus - and that's exhausting, it also wastes time. I'm a literal expert - my cognitive wiring is ADHD and when I get into focus it's a proper nirvana. But it's a hard journey there.

What you're after is a slow ontology. In fact, I think the glory of part-time study is that it's properly cooked thinking. And, after all, you're busy right? So why would you want the experience to be shorter and more intense than it needs to be. Decelerate.

Jasmine Ulmer is my go-to person for slow ontology, her writing is compelling and she loves thinking on the move. It's easy to assume that higher level studies are all about the writing but they are not. You should spend equal time on your fieldwork, your reading, your rest time...and definitely your thinking time. Travelling is always good for that. Switch off the podcast, take the earbuds out and let it all maze around. Rest matters. What do you tell the students in your care? To study day and night? I doubt it. You cannot think with a tired brain.

Practical things that I did really worked. Having the bowerbird by my side. Early on, I chose a candle fragrance and a very boring playlist and I had them both with me without fail. Sounds small doesn't it, but I can't tell you how powerful it was to stimulate my senses in different ways.

I'm going to pause now and reflect that everything I've said to you - one way or another - is about how I used my energy. Resting when I needed to. Moving when I needed to. I only turned to social media when I needed to work through something thorny; I didn't engage there much because it would disperse my social energy when what I needed was to spend time around others in trust spaces such as the Bowerbird's Writing Rooms, a JoyFE initiative which is still going, twice a week. Honestly? You could probably do all the writing you need to do in those 90-minute spaces. And we do have people who commit, week after week. What we've learned about the joyful practice of coming together is that the very evening that you feel too tired to go is the evening you most need to go - the energy of others will uplift you.

Collective spaces also help us not waste energy on imposter syndrome. Women, in particular, seem to really take imposter syndrome to heart. Feeling unsure shouldn't make you an imposter. In fact, in a VUCA world - volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous - it makes you wise. Don't give it your energy. Get yourself into a collective space of trust.

Finally, your studies will create ripples in your life and you'll have to deal with that. This experience may cost you too much in terms of time, money or relationships. Having those trusting collective spaces will enable you to think through if it's time to pause. Doing a research project is not the be all and end. It's OK to be vulnerable. It's your life. And it's your research. Enjoy it.

12 Top Tips

1. Enjoy it

2. Get a companion species

3. Don't Compare

4. Get the Forest app

5. 12 mins daily meditation

6. Get a reference list going

7. Read one thing a week

8. Choose a fragrance

9. Consistent playlist

10. Rest

11. Collective Trust Space

12. Read Tulyshan and Burey on Imposter Syndrome

The views expressed in Think Further publications do not necessarily reflect those of AoC or NCFE.

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Spinning many plates? Find balance in small joys - Dr Lou Mycroft

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Staff in FE are commonly juggling other major demands alongside their college day job. That is a particular reality for anyone involved in research. So how do you juggle competing priorities and make sure you are able to give your research work the attention it needs without it taking too great a...

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AoC are funding a post-conference publication and you are all invited!

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AoC are funding a post-conference publication and you are all invited!

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This is a platform which presents findings from academic research in a more journalistic format.

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Jem Bendell encourages us to think about societal collapse in ways that are 'profound and startlingly original', with the potential to birth whole new social movements, says Tom Doig.

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The Conversation: In-depth analysis, research, news and ideas from leading academics and researchers.

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Curated by professional editors, The Conversation offers informed commentary and debate on the issues affecting our world. Plus a Plain English guide to the latest developments and discoveries from the university and research sector.

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For those of you who benefit from a more structured approach to writing, Coastal Writing based in the North East, offer writing retreats which are underpinned by theories which regard 'writing as behaviour'.

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Coastal writing retreats in North East England. Structured writing retreats for academics, bloggers, creative writers. Small groups with a trained facilitator to support writing progress. One-day retreats available in South Shields and Sunderland. Easy access from Tyneside, Teesside, Durham and Northumberland.

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There are fairly regular calls for blogs on special topics which may appeal to your research area. Keeping in the loop via the BERA Special Interest Groups (SIGS) can also be really useful. Conveners for the Independent Researchers Forum (Joyce Chen) and the Post-Compuslory and Lifelong Learning SIG (Kayte Haselgrove) are both at the conference today if you want more information! :)

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Most readers will now most probably have heard of ChatGPT. For some this word may fill us with hope and anticipation. Others may tremble. Before we describe the potential applications of ChatGPT...

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Most readers will now most probably have heard of ChatGPT. For some this word may fill us with hope and anticipation. Others may tremble. Before we describe the potential applications of ChatGPT...

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Peer reviewed. Watch out for a 'call for papers' (for publications and conferences).

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Peer reviewed. Watch out for a 'call for papers' (for publications and conferences).

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This is the journal attached to the Association for Research in Post-Compulsory Education (ARPCE). There is usually a special issue attached to their conference (held bi-annually), which is a very welcoming space for researchers from all parts of the post-compulsory sector

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Research in Post-Compulsory Education: Vol 23, No 3

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Not peer reviewed (though subject to editing). You approach them.

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Not peer reviewed (though subject to editing). You approach them.

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FE Research Podcast Instagram site (eg Laura Keyes' publication)

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FE Research Podcast Instagram site (eg Laura Keyes' publication)

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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jo & Alistair (Jo pilots this account 😃) (@feresearchpodcast)

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LSRN website being revamped for publications 😊

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LSRN website being revamped for publications 😊

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FUSION Magazine UK (@fusion.mag.uk) • Instagram photos and videos

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634 Followers, 579 Following, 84 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from FUSION Magazine UK (@fusion.mag.uk)

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Joined up thinking from education to employment, further education, skills and apprenticeship news. Thought leadership by FE community experts, FE News.

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LSRN are hosting a writing retreat later in the year

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LSRN are hosting a writing retreat later in the year

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The Bowerbird's Writing Rooms (hosted by #JoyFE💛)

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The Bowerbird's Writing Rooms (hosted by #JoyFE💛)

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Subject Specialist Journals e.g. The English Association

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Subject Specialist Journals e.g. The English Association

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Online learning has seen a rapid growth in recent years with some studies saying eLearning has grown 900% since 2000.... View Article

Welcome to the launch of the new AmplifyFE Community Space! This Wakelet blog collates all the resources from the event... View Article

The shift towards online and hybrid events in response to the pandemic has encouraged many to get more familiar with... View Article

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Online learning has seen a rapid growth in recent years with some studies saying eLearning has grown 900% since 2000.... View Article Welcome to the launch of the new AmplifyFE Community Space! This Wakelet blog collates all the resources from the event...

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Peer reviewed and intentionally welcoming. They might put out a call or you approach them.

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Peer reviewed and intentionally welcoming. They might put out a call or you approach them.

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On this page, you will find the Association of Colleges latest blogs.

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Impact supports the teaching community by connecting research findings to classroom practice. Each peer-reviewed issue, themed around a critical topic for practitioners, features a specialist guest editor and a range of research articles, case studies and expert perspectives from teachers, schools leaders and academics.

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Impact is the award-winning termly journal of the Chartered College of Teaching. It connects research findings to teaching practice.

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inTuition issue 43: Spring 2021

Welcome from Martin Reid: Learning from experience

It's fair to say that this year, like last, hasn't been quite as we had planned, or hoped, so far. The imposition of another national lockdown on 4 January brought in another age of online learning for those in further education. This time, though, we were more prepared than when the first lockdown was imposed in March 2020. Educators and learners have learned important lessons about what works well and what doesn't, and were able to switch back into remote mode fairly seamlessly.

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inTuition Journal | Society for Education and Training

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Welcome from Martin Reid: Learning from experience It's fair to say that this year, like last, hasn't been quite as we had planned, or hoped, so far. The imposition of another national lockdown on 4 January brought in another age of online learning for those in further education.

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PRISM Journal (Section-edited by Christina)

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PRISM Journal (Section-edited by Christina)

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For anyone interested in writing for PRISM, Christina is happy to talk about the process of submitting a paper :)

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PRISM: Casting New Light on Learning, Theory and Practice

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PRISM, a peer-reviewed, open-access, journal that seeks to foster innovative approaches to the advancement of critical perspectives spanning all domains of learning and teaching.

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'Curriculum' is one of the journals published by the British Educational Research Association. There is a current call for papers which welcomes research conducted by practitioner-researchers - deadline 12.06.23

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The British Curriculum Forum aims to bring together all those with an interest in collaborative curriculum, research and development. Through events, awards and grants, the BCF supports...

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Call for papers. New perspectives on curriculum: Rethinking collaborative enquiry and teachers' professional learning

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The British Curriculum Forum aims to bring together all those with an interest in collaborative curriculum, research and development. Through events, awards and grants, the BCF supports...

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The Collaborative Action Research Network (CARN) aims to "encourage and support action research projects (personal, local, national and international), accessible accounts of action research projects, and contributions to the theory and methodology of action research." As part of our strategy for achieving this aim, we are introducing this new publication in order to:

acknowledge and celebrate the work of practitioner action researchers

provide a supportive space for sharing and learning together about action research

provide an entry-point to publication, which may support people in their journey to more academic journal publication

provide rich authentic accounts of practitioner action research

This is an invitation to anyone involved in action research to share their accounts with readers in full digital format. CARN Praxis welcomes accounts of action research conducted by practitioners. We encourage and support those new to publication to utilise all forms of multimedia expression and dissemination. The international audience for CARN Praxis is interested in approaches to action research and methods, across a wide range of settings and locations.
Who might publish in CARN Praxis?
CARN Praxis welcomes accounts of action research conducted by practitioners. It is an opportunity for those action researchers who may be new to presenting or publishing their accounts of action research and would welcome working collaboratively with an editorial team to share their insights into the action research process.

We anticipate it will appeal to action researchers from all settings (including education, healthcare, social work and community development).

We aim to provide support for practitioners who are not primarily employed in academic roles.

For some, this may be an initial step towards publication in a peer-reviewed journal. However, for others, this will be the platform of choice on which to share good quality accounts of practice-based action research. By "writing" for this network you will have the opportunity to refine your ideas and disseminate to the field.
Who might read CARN Praxis?
The audience for CARN Praxis comprises those interested in understanding how practitioners might use action research approaches to improve their practices. The practitioner audience will value honest, real-world accounts of action research activities that were more and less successful; and which will help practitioners learn about relatable action research approaches and activities that might be adaptable to different settings around the world.
What makes CARN Praxis different to other forms of publication?

Articles normally shorter than in many other journals (normally up to 4000 words)

Multimedia submissions welcomed

Open, supportive and peer-to-peer review and editorial process (read more here), aimed at supporting and enabling publication.

Focuses on critical, self-reflections and the sharing of learning through action research (rather than extensive literature reviews or methodological arguments)

You can find information about how to submit your own work for publication here, and recent publications on this page.

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A new concept in publishing, designed as a collaborative and supportive space for newcomers to share their accounts of undertaking Action Research The Collaborative Action Research Network (CARN) aims to "encourage and support action research projects (personal, local, national and international), accessible accounts of action research projects, and contributions to the theory and methodology of...

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View JoyFE's Linktree. Listen to their music on YouTube, Spotify here.