Reflexivity

IPA acknowledges the subjective role of the researcher within the context of a reflexive stance (Smith et al., 2009). A reflective dairy was kept, into which areas of bias and influence were expressed, therefore enabling the researcher to become a reflective researcher (J. Willis, 2007). The researcher engaged this reflexivity

throughout the research process to ensure she was aware of any personal bias from her experience which might influence the study. The researcher’s lens as a deputy head of department had the potential to considerably shape her engagement with the data. The researcher’s experience of orientation and induction processes helped frame and filter her responses to the information produced, and inevitably impacted upon her focus on specific aspects of findings.

Initially, one of the researcher’s preconceptions was the potential impact of role differentials between herself and some of the participants. The researcher had anticipated that some participants might have found it difficult to talk openly about their beliefs, values and experiences. This might have threatened the truthfulness of the study. The researcher understands the important role she played in this

research, in that she was an integral part of the interview process. She acknowledges that her contribution and presence could have influenced the perceptions that the new lecturers expressed. The researcher was therefore conscious in carefully selecting words within the interviews, and to reflect after each interview in order to inform the approach to the next one; for example, after Janet’s interview when she discussed how she had been given a programme to lead when she first started with no experience of working in HE. During the research study, particularly when striving for data collection and analysis, the reflective diary was useful, particularly as the researcher built time into the interview schedule to reflect on the interview, becoming a reflective researcher (Willis, 2012).

had a negative impact on the participants. Each participant had started this new career with great sacrifice and motivation to succeed in their role, but the support they sought from experienced colleagues was often met with ambivalence and unrealistic expectations of them. The researcher felt disappointed that many of these ‘expert lecturers’ and administrators had no concept how their reactions or lack of interventions affected the participants. Thus, the researcher found herself being empathetic to the participants and quickly aligned with them, particularly as she could still remember how it had felt when she had started in a new role and the staff had not been very forthcoming with knowledge and information she needed for her own learning. To that end, the researcher found herself asking the interview questions with caution, often not engaging in as much follow-up questioning as she wanted to, as she was so concerned about ensuring that participants had the space they needed to fully express themselves. However, given the researcher’s

awareness of her hesitance and reluctance to impose too much of her own research agenda or history upon the participants, she acknowledges this as a limitation of the study. The researcher also realises that she gave these eight participants an

opportunity to share their stories without restriction or restraint; this made the researcher very appreciative that they felt they could be honest and open with her. Another point of reflection for the researcher was around her role as researcher. The researcher was primarily a deputy head of department, mostly dealing with

operational issues and supporting staff, but also providing motivational training to clinicians. She initially found it difficult to remove her manager’s/lecturer’s hat and replace it with a researcher’s hat. The researcher did this throughout the interviews by utilising her experience of delivering motivational interviewing to clinicians using basic micro-counselling skills, such as reflection of content and feeling,

paraphrasing, and summarising. These skills were used, not to facilitate a

therapeutic relationship, but to foster trust and relay the researcher’s understanding that she had taken in what participants had said. The researcher views the use of these skills as a strength, because they allowed her opportunities to check with participants and ensure that she had accurately heard both the content and the underlying emotion; but if she was mistaken, there was then an opportunity for clarification or correction that only served to enhance validity.

In writing a personal reflective diary, the researcher expressed previous and current knowledge of practice (Butler-Kisber, 2010) and of being a new lecturer. Although it had been over 10 years since she had started as a lecturer, it still provided her with

significant memories. By conveying this experience through writing, it enabled the researcher to determine previous knowledge and highlight potential biases

(Whittaker & Williamson, 2011). During the design phase of the study, recruitment of the sample was also deliberated upon in relation to reflexivity in terms of not

introducing bias (Wood & Ross-Kerr, 2011). An example of an extract from the researcher’s reflective diary is included below:

Reflective diary: 05/02/17

Although there was limited research investigating new nurse educators’ induction to HE, from undertaking the literature review my understanding of this topic area increased. Undoubtedly my preconceptions were changed, however, I was mindful not to return to the literature during the analysis process. In ensuring openness and that my interpretations were from the data. I repeatedly found myself listening to the audio-recordings, re reading the transcripts and allowing time between the different transcript. I attempted to approach every new transcript as if the first, however, I found myself making connections. New understanding and experiences emerged. Following reflection on the time it took to analyse data using IPA from the pilot study, I still found myself unprepared how time-consuming the process would be. I was concerned in not losing the level of depth of experiences, when moving from exploration commenting to emergent themes.