In her book , Bushra Sharar (the pen name for Dr. Bushra Connors) delivers a rigorous critical realist analysis of the modern university landscape. The work is a vital intervention for scholars seeking to move beyond the "malaise" of educational research that is often trapped between purely empirical data and subjective interpretations. Core Argument and Methodology
: By focusing on ontology (the nature of reality), the book clarifies complex issues in research, offering a path for educators to view learning not just as a set of outcomes, but as an emergent process shaped by social, cultural, and material structures. Critical Reception Emergent Pedagogy in England: A Critical Realis...
Emergent Pedagogy in England: A Critical Realist Study of Structure-Agency Interactions in Higher Education In her book , Bushra Sharar (the pen name for Dr
The book uses the meta-theory of critical realism to explore how lecturers navigate their daily work within three contrasting higher education institutions in Core Argument and Methodology : By focusing on
England. Sharar employs Margaret Archer’s morphogenetic approach to examine the "structure-agency" dynamic, identifying how institutional, national, and global forces shape—but do not entirely dictate—pedagogical practice. Key Insights
: Despite the drive toward marketization and "performativity regimes" in higher education , lecturers utilize significant internal resources and personal agency to facilitate deep learning for their students.
: Sharar argues that pedagogic approaches are most distorted when they treat education as a commodity. This shift often prevents students from reformulating knowledge for themselves within their own disciplinary experiences.