Reflecting on the application of duoethnography for learning: Tension, engagement, transformation and shared understandings

In this article, we reflect upon the use of duoethnography as a mechanism to explore and understand teaching practice, and as a tool for use within classroom contexts. Duoethnography is a research methodology used in the form of paired dialogue to prompt reflexivity, critical reflection and inquiry to generate data on a shared cultural context about which the two participants may have different views and experiences (Norris & Sawyer, 2012) Initiated by the Centre for Learning and Teaching at Leeds Beckett University, we used duoethnography in a project to generate insights from our four Visiting Professors, through the exploration of tensions and agreements in their conversations. In paired conversations, we explored their narrative ideas about the core nature of teaching in higher education. The Visiting Professors used their duoethnographic conversations to focus on three key themes – student agency, belonging and challenge, which are at the forefront of current higher education policy and pedagogic, scholarly debate. We discuss these in relation to existing evidence and the future of course design. Our work makes a significant contribution to the scant scholarship on Visiting Professors in higher education with broader implications for academic development and practice also outlined.