Longitudinal place-based research: exploring spatialised student experiences through walking interviews
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Research into university campuses and students’ use of space has rarely used place-based or longitudinal methods. To address this, student experiences were gathered via a novel combination of walking interviews, participant photography and mapping, from 2019 to 2022. The study adopted an online methodology during 2020/21 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This approach resulted in new spatial findings on how individuals and social groups use campus, the influence of the institutional structure and changes over time. This article reflects on the practice of participatory walking interview methods. Practicalities on how to carry out walking interviews, handle the participant-researcher dynamic and insider status, and respond to changes throughout a longitudinal study are shared. This article contributes to a spatial turn within educational and psychological research and shows the potential of place-based methods to explore people, social structures and place, in a moment and over time.
Authors: Gemma Jackson, Nazanin Shiraj, Peter Branney, Russell Delderfield
Institutions: University of Bradford, Cabinet Office, Cabinet Office
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4416766959