Week 1 of my Laidlaw Research Summer is complete!
It's been exciting getting to know my fellow group members, and seeing how our different skillsets work together. Our research focuses on education, specifically on how trust is built between schools and families/students which is a topic I hadn't really considered. After finishing my first-year at Oxford, I've realised how easy it is to get caught up in the Oxford 'bubble' and not explore the surrounding Oxfordshire areas so this week has been a great way to widen my perspective.
At the start, our research plans felt very vague but with the support of our Impact Advisor, we've managed to make good progress in our research brief, from reviewing the existing literature to developing a more concrete research question. Working collaboratively has been exciting, and I have learnt the importance of being flexible and open to ideas when working in a group. Being able to communicate with each other and meet regularly has allowed us to make steady progress.
At first I found it a little difficult to properly get started as I felt that there was so much I didn't know, especially from a non-research background but actually being able to explore our research area has been really interesting. This week has reminded me of why I wanted to be a Laidlaw scholar - being able to conduct meaningful and ethical research in areas that are often overlooked. Already, I feel that I have learnt so much, from strengthening my knowledge in Excel to trying out completely new software such as NVivo to conduct qualitative analysis. This week I have definitely taken on a 'learner' role, especially learning from others in my group and I'm looking forward to Week 2!
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Ijeoma, this is a wonderful reflection and a strong reminder that research is as much about personal development as it is about producing findings.
I was particularly struck by your observation about the 'Oxford bubble'. One of the great strengths of this project is that it asks us to look beyond familiar environments and engage with the lived realities of communities whose experiences are not always visible within academic spaces. Your willingness to broaden your perspective will be an important asset as the research progresses.
It's also encouraging to see how openly you have embraced the learning process. Many researchers, regardless of experience level, begin projects feeling overwhelmed by how much they don't know. The ability to acknowledge uncertainty, ask questions, and learn from others is not a weakness—it is one of the foundations of good research. The curiosity and humility that come across in your reflection will serve you well throughout the programme.
I was pleased to read your recognition of the team's collaborative strengths. Your comments about flexibility, communication, and openness to different ideas reflect exactly the kind of working practices that are needed for a successful interdisciplinary project. Research questions of this nature are rarely solved by one perspective alone, particularly when exploring complex issues surrounding educational inequality, trust, belonging, and family–school relationships.
As the project develops, I would encourage you to continue connecting the skills you are building—whether through Excel, NVivo, literature reviews, or stakeholder engagement — to the central questions set out in the brief. The ultimate goal is not simply to understand how schools engage families, but to explore how under-resourced students and families experience trust, inclusion, recognition, and partnership, and how schools and trusts can strengthen those relationships through more relational and inclusive practices.
I was especially pleased by your final reflection on conducting 'meaningful and ethical research in areas that are often overlooked'. That aspiration sits at the heart of this project. The challenge now will be to ensure that the voices and experiences of families remain central to your thinking as you move from exploring the literature towards gathering and interpreting evidence.
You have made an excellent start. Your willingness to take on the role of learner, contribute to the team, and embrace new methods demonstrates exactly the kind of growth the programme is designed to support. I look forward to seeing how your confidence develops over the coming weeks as the project begins to take shape.