NGRF - UK National Guidance Research Forum

Hi. The proposed forum seems a very good, and timely, idea.

1. A survey does indeed seem a good way of scoping the territory; would it also include reference to ways in which practitioners might be applying aspects of different theories, or the egneral level of awareness of tehoretical perspectives?
2. (Really an observation)There seems to be a tendency in what I guess is relatively small research community for certain ideas or approaches to catch on and become "fashionable". The current enthusiasm for narrative approaches are a good example of this tendency; however, I wonder if it tends to exclude attention to other, established, approaches, i.e. we don't see them, because we're not looking for them (and equally, if we do see them, we choose not to see the benefits of them). Hence, for example, the frequent criticism of the likes of Egan, or what is described as "trait-and-factor", etc. Again, a survey might offer the potential to address this and create a fuller picture.
3. Would some "voluntary" research be possible, i.e. willing practitioners test out some competing approaches and report back - action-research/ practitioner led research, etc. Or (from my work perspective) canvassing students on their responses to - and hopefully attempts to incorporate - the theoretical approaches that they encounter in class.

Don't kow how helpful any of these ideas are? But deinitely keen to get involved!