The Round Table: University, knowledge and apprenticeship

Abstract

This article is an experiment in academic writing: I shall give a research report in free narrative. The narrative vehicle is an (imaginary) radio programme in which three  presenters, and their customary guests, discuss topics on a weekly basis.  I shall try to keep a balance between  the needs of narration on the one hand, and the requirements of a research report on the other. The language will be plainer, and the structure will be more conversational. The topic of the report is a study (originally done as part of the qualitative methods course at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona) of students' perceptions of academic knowledge and academic learning. The data were three semi-structured interviews, whose transcripts have been adapted so as better to serve the requirements of the narration.