On November 12th, at 4:00 p.m., there will be a session of ISEP Webinars, organized by Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto (ISEP).

This seminar, presented by Pamela Burnard, has as its theme “Eruptive Research:  Changing landscapes on research in teaching and learning”.  

To access the seminar, please click here.

Abstract

Ursula K. Le Guin was a groundbreaking author renowned for her contributions to speculative fiction, particularly science fiction and fantasy. Her works, such as the series “Earthsea, The left Hand of Darkness” (1969), and “The Word for World is Forest” (1972), challenged conventional narratives and explored complex themes like gender, the politics of colonialism and capitalism, and what it means to be human in a world that is increasingly inhumane. Le Guin said things like:

“Resistance and change often begin in art, and very often in our art, the art of words.” (2014).

“A writer is a person who cares what words mean, what they say, how they say it. Writers know words are their way towards truth and freedom, and so they use them with care, with thought, with fear, with delight.” (2024).

“It’s always easier not to think for oneself. Find a nice safe hierarchy and settle in. Don’t make changes, don’t risk disapproval, don’t upset your syndics. It’s always easiest to let yourself be governed.” (1974).

“While Le Guin speaks explicitly of the work of writers, we are all drawn to her words because of the truths we think she speaks in relation to our work as educational researchers and teacher researchers, and our belief in the transformative power of eruptive research and its ability to challenge and change the status quo in classrooms, curricula and communities.”.

During this talk I will invite the audience/participants to remember the last time they experienced Le Guinian style ‘eruption’ in (y)our research, (y)our teaching, (y)our work when you were a volcano. When was the last time you experienced a shift so profound that the pedagogical, disciplinary ground upon which you have lived, learnt and loved was shaken to its core and changed irrevocably? What did it feel like to rise out of the ashes? This talk will be interactive. It will also introduce a very recently published edited book called “Eruptive Research: Changing landscapes on research in teaching and learning”. I will also invite discussion about the power of daring to do, write, read and re-read research eruptively.

Short bio

Pamela Burnard is Professor of Arts, Creativities and Educations at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, UK. She has published 25 books and over 120 articles which advance the theory and practice of pluralising and assessing creativities across education and industry sectors including early years, primary, secondary, further and higher/further education, through to creative and cultural industries. Current funded projects include “Choices, Chances and Transitions around Creative Further and Higher Education” (funded by The Nuffield Trust). Some of her most recent books include: “Eruptive Research: Changing Landscapes on Research in Teaching and Learning” (Brill-i-Sense, 2025); “Inclusion and Healing in Schools and Beyond” (Oxford University Press, 2023); and “The Routledge Companion to Creativities” (Routledge, 2023); “Sculpting New Creativities in Primary Education” (Routledge, 2022) and “Why Science and Arts Creativities Matter” (Brill-i-Sense, 2020). These and all other books and articles provide empirical evidence of why and how diverse creativities manifest uniquely across cultural practices, creative industries and educational sectors.  She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching, and Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Creativity and Innovation. She is also Professor-in-Residence and Governor at the University of Cambridge Primary School and serves on the Board for the DaVinci Life Skills and Biophilia Education Institution, the Global Institute of Creative Thinking (GIoCT) and the Centre for Excellent Education focused on Creative Use of Technologies, Norway.