Teaching embodied dissemination: enabling doctoral students to have authentic impact on their field

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi38.1485

Keywords:

doctoral students, embodied research, research dissemination

Abstract

Teaching embodied dissemination techniques to doctoral researchers is an essential part of a contemporary doctoral degree. Embodied dissemination recognises and engages the involvement of the physical body in the sharing of research work. Trainee researchers need to be able to identify the users of their work and how they might be reached. Yet more could be done to provide students with experience of and instruction in such approaches. This paper explores potential embodied dissemination methods and how we, as teachers in this space, might encourage students to connect with such approaches. To achieve this, three research-active teachers provide a reflective case study each considering the embodied dissemination techniques they adopt and, perhaps most importantly, how and why they came to use them. It is hoped that, by providing these examples alongside suggestions on how to get started, other teachers might consider how they could adopt such methods into their own repertoire and in so doing lead by example.

Author Biographies

Rowena Senior, University of Hertfordshire

Rowena Senior is a Reader in Higher Education at the University of Hertfordshire, UK. Rowena leads the postgraduate research programmes within the School of Education including the Professional Doctorate in Education, PhD, and Masters by Research. Her research interests lie in doctoral study, academic leadership, well-being, and creative methods.

Kate Carruthers Thomas, Birmingham City University

Kate Carruthers Thomas is currently a Senior Research Fellow at Birmingham City University, UK where she conducts transdisciplinary research in gender and critical higher education studies, drawing primarily on educational, sociological, and geographical theories and methods. She also works in the field of creative research methodologies, notably innovative research dissemination in the form of illustration, poetry, and podcasting. She is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for the new Journal of Creative Methods. 

Suzanne Albary, University of Southampton

Suzanne Albary is a Senior Teaching Fellow in the Centre of Higher Education Practice at the University of Southampton. Previously, she has led undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in teaching practice, and business studies. Suzanne’s work focuses on curriculum re-design to enhance the student and staff experience, and she supports colleagues in advancing their own practice, particularly in developing innovative assessment and feedback initiatives.

Sam Illingworth, Edinburgh Napier University

Sam Illingworth is a Professor in the Department of Learning and Teaching Enhancement at Edinburgh Napier University, where his research interests involve using creative pedagogies to address staff and student belonging in higher education. You can find out more about his work via his website https://www.samillingworth.com/.

References

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Published

11-12-2025

How to Cite

Senior, R., Carruthers Thomas, K., Albary, S., & Illingworth, S. (2025). Teaching embodied dissemination: enabling doctoral students to have authentic impact on their field. Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (38). https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi38.1485

Issue

No. 38 (2025)

Section

Case Studies

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