Abstract/Summary

This paper reflects on the use of CAE to conduct a systematic cross-institutional study exploring EAP pedagogies in the creative disciplines. Autoethnography, as an established method of making sense of personal experiences (Ellis et al., 2011), offered the opportunity to place our own experience, practice and working contexts at the centre of the research, providing rich data for our study. The collaborative nature of CAE allowed us to engage in dialogic reflection, and to ‘analyse and interpret (our) data collectively in order to gain a meaningful understanding of (the) sociocultural phenomena’ (Chang et al., 2012, p. 24). This paper outlines the five-stage process of systematic data generation and analysis undertaken through the themes of the journey as scholars, practitioners and individuals, concluding with the benefits of the method as well as potential limitations. We found that CAE can be an inclusive method appropriate for use in scholarship contexts exploring pedagogical practices. It allows practitioners to explore their practice through collaborative and dialogic reflection, thus giving the outcomes a wider relevance beyond the individual. We conclude by considering possible applications of the method in alternative contexts.