In preparation for my first tutorial, I mapped out my research idea as follows, with notes and questions to discuss with my tutor.

• I want to explore mood in the classroom
• Emotions can impact attention and absorption of information as well as motivation to participate
• I could ask students to self-assess their mood while I observe
• Followed by immediate regroup/feedback
• Can I do it in someone else’s seminar?
• Could it be live participant feedback via Padlet?
• Can I take the weekly learnings and iterate?
• Find a method to take the temperature at the beginning of class
• Research Question: Is it possible to adapt taught sessions to the overriding mood of the class?
• Firstly define ‘mood’?
• Co-create a self-assessment pathway for students through the action research
• Research method: participatory ethnography where I am part of the experience and we reflect as a group
• What are students bringing to the session?
• How is the reality of the session different to their expectations?

One other PGCert student and I were in the tutorial. We discussed our ideas and our tutor helped us to define the scope of our projects and the type of research methodology that would be most appropriate.

My tutor suggested that as this is a small-scale research project, I could attempt to co-design a tool with students for students to communicate emotion but that we might not get a chance to test it. They could suggest how they would feel most comfortable communicating emotions, for example through emojis. She suggested that this is a form of participatory research and that I should try to break the hierarchy between me and the students. My fellow PGCert student in the tutorial suggested I could tell the students about my journey as a student, which could maybe put us on the same level. My tutor suggested that given the small-scale that this could be a research group at first, but that the students could potentially implement the tool in Block 2. I planned to recruit 5-8 students from the cohort by introducing the topic in my next seminar session with them.