This post is by Dr Dely Elliot, Senior Lecturer at the University of Glasgow and member of the Hidden Curriculum in Doctoral Education blog team.
The School of Education, at the University of Glasgow, is located in an enviable position. We are very fortunate to have the lovely Kelvingrove Park – which the 22-mile long River Kelvin passes through – on our doorstep, enabling a lot of possibilities for our students and staff. And so, the monthly ‘Walk & Talk’ was conceived a few years ago. You can imagine us looking out of the window, hoping for a dry day whenever our ‘Walk & Talk’ day has arrived.
So, why do I want to tell you about walking in the park? It’s because this activity itself carries a few good examples of the hidden curriculum.
‘Walk & Talk’ – or a walk in the park is one of the staple activities that we (the Social and Postgraduate Researcher Community Building Team from our School) organise for our staff and doctoral researchers. Before the pandemic erupted, we used to do a half-hour midday walk in the park every first working day of the month. An email reminder inviting everyone is sent out to staff members and PGRs the day before and after a few months, this led to a small but regular ‘core’ group of ‘Walkers and Talkers’; but new folks, guests and friends are welcome at any time.
Why are we convinced that Walk & Talk is good for everyone, particularly for scholars, both academics and doctoral researchers alike? Apart from the anecdotal stories of how academic work can be overwhelming, every now and then, we hear evidence-based, large-scale research of the intense pressure embedded in scholars’ work, with a proportionately large percentage of doctoral researchers’ experiencing depression.
Although a walk in the park is typically seen as a leisurely physical activity, it can discreetly offer a number of complementary benefits, which a number of doctoral researchers may have not yet considered.
First, the physical activity of going out and appreciating the beauty of nature, including flowering plants, trees, grass and river – which offers a different view depending on the season – is a feast for the eye and soothing to the soul (or one’s psychological wellness), so to speak. That alone can offer some relief to an exhausted mind, with all the cognitive, emotional, and physical investment they put into their work.
Research supports that physical activity releases endorphins (or the ‘feel-good chemicals) in the brain enabling the person to lift one’s mood or dispel negative thoughts and instead enhance one’s outlook. Needless to say, getting some fresh air is good for one’s health, too – on both the physical and psychological levels. One may say that doctoral researchers and academics will benefit from an extra half an hour walk especially since they generally spend day in and day out sitting in front of their computer.
Second, regardless of their position – from doctoral researcher, through to Research Associate, Fellow, Lecturer, Senior Lecturer and to Reader and even Professor, we are all human beings who long for social connections. It is even more important for our doctoral researchers whose work is habitually characterised by ‘solitary confinement’. This need to connect with other human beings, in a way, can be satisfied by ‘Walk & Talk’ – it’s not all about walking, after all.
Although these Walkers and Talkers are from the same School, it is often the case that they hardly know each other. Even if they do, there is arguably always more to learn about the other person. In this respect, short but regular walks can assist in either building or strengthening these acquaintances, at times even leading to friendships.
Third, when doctoral researchers walk with staff members, somehow the opportunity for ‘dialogic learning’ and/or supporting others can also easily arise – often reciprocally beneficial. For example, a casual chat between a staff member and a doctoral researcher on a specific research method may lead to receiving a recommendation for a very good book on the subject, or advice on how to get hold of a resource from which the recommender previously benefited. In finding out more about other scholars’ (either staff members’ or fellow doctoral researchers’) areas of interest and activities they are currently involved in, this might even open a door of opportunity for the doctoral researchers’ involvement themselves.
In the same way, staff members may also find these encounters helpful. As a case in point, a staff member who happened to be organising an event, was able to encourage a few interested doctoral volunteers to join in even after just a brief chat. Word of mouth can lead to seminars being more widely disseminated to other interested scholars who may have missed the advertisement. These are mere examples; there remain numerous possibilities. Either way, the ‘walk’ and the casual ‘talk’ can pave the way for them to either offer or receive support, advice, and/or suggestions – on both academic and non-academic matters.
Taken together, we hope you agree that the combination of physical exercise, pursuing or maintaining social connections as well as broadening one’s learning opportunities through participation in activities such as Walk & Talk make it an attractive option for all scholars – doctoral researchers and staff members alike.
On a more personal level, it can also be regarded as a means of looking after oneself and one’s psychological wellbeing. With all the various challenges that doctoral research brings, being proactive in maintaining psychological wellbeing cannot and should not be underestimated.
Following the universal lockdown, we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. In this respect, we look forward to the day when we can once again reap all the visible (as well as the promising, albeit hidden) benefits of participating in such activities as ‘Walk & Talk’!
The hidden curriculum in doctoral education 