About Dr Paul-Alan Armstrong
I've worked at the University since 1998 when I started as a lecturer in Human Resource Management (HRM). My areas of speciality are organisational behaviour, equality and diversity, reflective practice, reflexivity, and research methods.
I have a First Class undergraduate degree in sociology with political science, an MSc in research methods (Distinction), an MA in human resource development (Distinction), and a doctorate, where the title of my thesis was 'Songs of Praxis: Reflexive Space for Authentic Teacher Voice Identification, Development and Transformation'.
During my time at the University, I've been Programme Leader for a range of courses and I'm currently Programme Leader for MSc Management (online).
I've represented the Faculty on a range of projects including the 2015-16 Undergraduate Business and Management Periodic Review, where I was the Project Manager. My responsibilities in this project included the redesign of the curriculum, redesigning the teaching and learning approaches with the Principal Lecturer for Learning and Teaching, and coordinating all of the required documentation from a range of internal and external stakeholders. I actively research the use of digital reflection, storytelling, and reflexivity. I've developed a range of creative teaching practices using digital platforms, audio, and video, and this translates into my assessment practices where students are encouraged to design educational toolkits (e.g. vlogs, websites, podcasts, and digital storyboards).
Teaching and supervision
My teaching is based in HRM and Leadership in Sunderland Business School and at present my teaching duties include:
Module leader and teaching:
- Developing the Researching HR Professional
- Exploring Equality and Diversity
- Developing the Reflexive Practitioner.
PhD and DProf supervision:
Director of Studies for:
- Kym Drady 'Are creative techniques transferable from the classroom to the workplace: identifying potential transformational impact and effect? Is creativity between the lines? How do you colour? PhD.
- Abbas Alkidir 'The Evolving Professionalisation of HR'
- Rebecca Dodds 'Research based on maternity leave and barriers for women in the academy'
- Gavin Mason 'Trust in organisations'.
Interests
- Equality in the workplace: especially pregnancy and maternity discrimination and lived experience; invisible disabilities including lived experience of employees with mental health conditions; dress code and sexualisation of women in the workplace; future women leaders.
- Art of reflexivity: including the use of poetics and creative metaphors for exploring professional identities and professional development; transforming CPD; researching professionals; critical reflective practice; digital reflection and reflexivity.
- Teaching of research methods: including how we teach research methods to engage learners in developing a researcher identity.
I'm interested in supervising students in these areas from a qualitative research design perspective.
Research
- ART of Reflexivity: the use of personal cultural texts as visualisations of identities (personal and professional) this includes the use of digital storytelling, reflection and reflexivity.
- Future women leaders: perceptions of the role of aspiring women leaders and the barriers they face in the workplace (women's space).
- Lived experience of women who have experienced maternity and or pregnancy discrimination.
- Lived experience of those who have mental health conditions and the enablers and inhibitors in the workplace.
Further information
- Member of the Learning and Teaching Academy as a Senior Fellow of the HEA and as a VC Teaching Fellow
- Chartered Member of CIPD (Chartered MCIPD)
- Member of Professional Doctorate Programme Studies Board.