Project changes.

The project had to be altered due to time constraints. I originally planned to complete two full cycles of the action research process, however, this was not possible. An unexpected additional Year 1 class increased my teaching schedule, reducing time to work on my studies. I had to reconsider what was realistically achievable. This helped me to understand that action research is ongoing, not something that has to be completed within one academic cycle. Below is the intended critical path plan (Fig. 1) vs. what I actually achieved (Fig.2)

What worked and what didn’t?

The focus group was successful in generating thoughtful and constructive feedback, but participation was limited to Year 2 students. I was unable to recruit Year 1 students, I think due to a lack of an established relationship early in the academic year (November). Final Year students were too busy to contribute. This highlights limitation in my research design. In the future, this research may be more effective if done within a taught workshop or conducted later in the year, when stronger relationships with students have been established.

What inspired me and what can I celebrate.

What brought me the most joy was the students’ genuine desire to be involved. Students regularly checked in with me about the progress of the new handout and wanted to help improve resources for future cohorts. I was initially worried that engagement might be difficult as students need to focus on their own studies. This experience has challenged my previous beliefs. I can celebrate the strong working relationships I have built with my students and their willingness to collaborate as partners to enhance the BA Fashion Contour course.

Overcoming barriers.

The main barriers were time and workload, but I also need to mention my own need for perfectionism. I could not achieve everything I had planned to do as part of my ARP, which led to a loss of motivation and procrastination. I had to sit with the discomfort, and reframe the project as part of an ongoing action research cycle. Allowing myself to let the original plan adapt was difficult, but it allowed me to recognise that this work may be unfinished, but then when is research ever really finished? It should be an ongoing process that grows with the more experience and research undertaken.

Have I experimented enough and gained any skills?

I have gained confidence in reading academic journals, and really enjoyed this part of the process. I have improved in analysing qualitative data. I also improved my Adobe Illustrator skills through the redesign of the handouts. I developed better communication with students and learned how to work in more non-hierarchical ways, viewing students through the lends of collaborators and reducing power imbalances where possible.

Ideas for the future.

This project has cemented that handouts are only one part of a much wider support structure. With growing course numbers and students increasingly joining us with limited technical experience, there is a need to rethink supporting resources more holistically. Relying on overstretched staff for extensive one-to-one support is not sustainable in busy workshop environments. This has prompted further questions about how we can design inclusive, scalable resources that support student independence while maintaining equity and quality of learning.

Image bibliography

Fig. 1. Gellard, J (2025) original critical path plan [Screen shot of PDF]

Fig. 2. Gellard, J (2025) true critical path plan [Screen shot of PDF]

Fig. 3. Gellard, J (2025) Participant 3 feedback [Screen shot of PDF]

Fig. 4. Gellard, J (2025) Data analysis of focus group [Screen shot of PDF]