ABSTRACT
The chapters in the previous sections of this book all develop varying conceptions of learning contexts drawing on a range of different theoretical frameworks. What becomes clear is that there is a very rich array of theoretical thinking across these chapters upon which we can draw when developing new research endeavours. In this chapter, I will consider these conceptions of learning context and some of the implications for research in terms of the research methods, practices and ethics that may be drawn from the theoretical thinking that has been developed. I will also consider some models of research and their implications for researchers and research participants and the learning contexts of which they form a part. Finally, I will suggest some strategies for engaging research participants in research processes which may prove productive in terms of exploring the hard-to-reach aspects of learners’ lives. The chapter is exploratory rather than definitive and a spur to more in-depth discussion of the work of research practices in producing learning contexts as much as reflecting on them.
