“I’m not mature enough for this!” Why do teachers shrink in the face of research, and does it matter?

By Scott Buckler AND HARRIETT MOORE

Feeling like an imposter

If you have watched ‘The Parent Trap’ (Meyers, 1998), one of the most memorable quotes is ‘I’m not mature enough for this’ as Elizabeth James packs to leave for England. How often do we feel this way when thinking about research?

The reasons are varied. While blog post 2 discussed potential barriers to research, the feeling of being an imposter can be stifling. Indeed, ‘imposter phenomenon’ (or imposter syndrome as it is more often known) was introduced by Clance and Imes (1978) and originally focused on women’s self-doubt and the fear of success. It is now widely recognised among women and men and can occur for a variety of reasons, such as controlling and protective parenting styles (Sonnak and Towell, 2001), or self-preservation strategies (McElwee and Yurak, 2007).

Such irrational feelings of incompetence can lead to lost opportunities in engaging with research, or even taking those first tentative steps on the research journey. So, what can be done about this?

In over twenty years of research supervision, these are some statements that are frequently cited, along with suggested strategies to negate these.

“I don’t know if it’s proper research.”

In response to this statement, as discussed in blog post 1, research is merely the collection and analysis of information to explore, explain, and enhance the profession. Why should it be necessarily complex? Admittedly some research does appear complex, or it may have taken years to complete by a host of researchers, yet this is in the minority and no doubt received sizeable funding. Yet in the main, research is stimulated by something that intrigues you. Indeed, I would always advocate researching something that has a level of intrinsic motivation as this will bring a greater level of commitment than researching an area where you are directed by another person.

Reviewing anyone’s research will demonstrate what interested them at the time and how this has changed. I would suggest looking through profiles to see what has engaged researchers over their careers, while being mindful that research interests will change.

Whether small-scale or large-scale research, and whether the research was conducted over a short- to a long period of time, all research is necessary as it helps to widen academic debate, in turn furthering understanding. Most research will not make headline news and the best we can hope for is that our research may ripple and expand over time, perhaps engaging others in discussion or collaboration. Consequently, irrespective of what other people say, whatever you choose to research is research as it is something that has intrigued you.

“I don’t have the experience.”

Everyone must start from somewhere. Even the most highly esteemed professor probably felt the same as you when starting their research journey. In the same way such professors needed to conceptually understand how epistemology and ontology relate or identifying whether to opt for a one-way between-groups ANOVA or a Kruskal-Wallis statistical test. Indeed, each time you engage with research you become more informed as a researcher.

The likelihood is that you have engaged with a research methods module while studying, however until you engage with research, most of the content will either appear confused or meaningless. As such, I would strongly recommend an introductory book in research methods, one that explains a variety of concepts while also providing pragmatic advice and guidance, while also signposting to additional reading for greater depth on a range of topics.

“I feel like an imposter” or “What if I fail to find anything?”

Both of statements relate to each other. As noted in the introduction, feeling like an imposter is a relatively common trait. Consequently, understanding what is meant by competence and failure is one approach that can be adopted.

What does it mean to be a competent researcher? As discussed previously, everyone starts from somewhere, therefore if starting out on the research journey, start small. From experience, often I need to help researchers narrow their focus to a specific area (as discussed in blog post 2). In keeping research narrowly focused, this in turn helps to provide a structured framework from which to develop.

One fear is that the research will not demonstrate anything. Yet, how often are research articles concluded where it is advocated for more research in the area to be conducted? Additionally, understanding aspects such as accepting a null hypothesis (which means that there is no relationship between two variables) demonstrates that research may not find anything significant.

As such, there is no such thing as failure in research: each time you engage with research, you understand research in greater depth.

Conclusion

Although the feeling of being an imposter when it comes to research can be prevalent, there are certain strategies that can be adopted:

1)      Understand that all research is ‘proper research’ even if it does not have the gravitas as a fully-funded research grant and a team of researchers engaged with it.

2)      Ensure that your research focus engages you.

3)      Narrow your research focus to ensure it is manageable.

4)      Obtain a good introductory textbook on research methods that explains research clearly and provides pragmatic guidance.

5)      Appreciate that each time you engage with research, your understanding will become enhanced.

References

Clance, P.R. & Imes, S. (1978). The impostor phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 15, 241–247.

McElwee, R.O. & Yurak, T.J. (2007). Feeling versus acting like an impostor: Real feelings of fraudulence or self-presentation? Individual Differences Research, 5, 201–220.

Meyers, N. (1998). The Parent Trap [Film]. Walt Disney Pictures/ Buena Vista Pictures Disitribution.

Sonnak, C. & Towell, T. (2001). The impostor phenomenon in British university students: Relationships between self-esteem, mental health, parental rearing style and socioeconomic status. Personality and Individual Differences, 31, 863–874

Book Details
Essentials of Research Methods in Education
Scott Buckler, Harriet Moore
May 2023
IBSN: 9781529618181

About the Authors