Knowing, being and becoming, exploring the lived experience of learning law

Wood, Rachel

Abstract

This presentation will explore the experience of conducting and findings arising from a a narrative inquiry into LLB students’ experience of learning law conducted as a doctoral study for a Doctorate in Education.

The inquiry explored related aspects of students’ lived experiences;

• ‘Ways of beginning’, the motivations for studying law and in particular the interplay between disciplinary and professional practice inspiration
• ‘Ways of knowing’ what it meant to students to engage with law as a discipline, focusing on their formation of epistemic perspectives.
• ‘Ways of being’, how ways students experienced intrapersonal and interpersonal development alongside cognitive growth.
• ‘Ways of becoming’, the impact students’ experiences of knowing and being had upon their perspectives of their possible future selves (Nurius and Markus, 1986), in particular their future professional trajectories.

The session will examine the intersection between the theoretical underpinning exploring theories of personal epistemology and self-authorship (Baxter Magolda, 1992, 2004), and the use of a qualitative, narrative, methodology (Clandinin and Connelly, 2000; Riessmann, 2008) to explore the lived experience of the student participants.

Key findings will be outlined in the context of practical impact of the inquiry upon curriculum development for a new LLB programme for 2023. In particular the inquiry has informed the design of a framework integrating academic development within a holistic focus on personal and professional growth. An important aspect of the new programme is space for students to consider their formation of professional identity, through interrogation of what it means to be a ‘Student Lawyer’.

• Presentation Conference Type: Presentation / Talk
• Conference Name: Association of Law Teachers Annual Conference
• Start Date: Apr 17, 2023
• End Date: Apr 18, 2023
• Deposit Date: Apr 20, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 20, 2023
• Keywords: Lived experience, learning law. law, law education
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/10663704