Abstract The central theme of this paper is about providing opportunities for the participants to discuss sensitive issues in a safe environment with the researcher and group, actively listening and making meaning from their creative efforts. It introduces a creative research method used to provide a medium for adults to discuss a sensitive issue. The participants took part in focus groups and also created craft-based models as a means to share their thoughts and feelings. Creating and describing the model provided a safe distance and took pressure off the creators, it also led to rich, deep data as participants were able to share thoughts and emotions without reticence. The sensitive issue used as an example in this paper was mental health as it affected teaching and learning. The whole process of making the model and the subsequent discussion was recorded. The conversation during the creative process and the reaction of the group to the model were also considered as data and the researcher drew all this together into a narrative which encapsulated the process. Meaning making in such a constructed way can be subject to bias but a reflexive approach and being an outsider researcher for all focus groups reduced these limitations. This approach to data handling added depth and made the creative process accessible whilst unpicking metaphors and making explicit links to relevant theory. Analysis of the narratives provided themes related to the thoughts and feelings of the participants about how mental health impacts on teaching and learning. The teacher trainees all considered the stigma still associated with this sensitive topic and commented on the barrier to learning that this could present. The group all acknowledged a lack of awareness and training to deal with this particular barrier and sought awareness raising that was targeted to teacher trainees and the needs of adult learners.

中文翻译：

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模型制作作为研究方法

摘要本文的中心主题是为参与者提供与研究人员和小组在安全的环境中讨论敏感问题的机会，积极倾听并从他们的创造性努力中获取意义。它介绍了一种创新的研究方法，该方法用于为成年人提供讨论敏感问题的媒介。参与者参加了焦点小组讨论，还创建了基于手工艺的模型，以分享他们的想法和感受。创建和描述模型提供了一个安全的距离，减轻了创建者的压力，并且由于参与者能够保持沉默而分享想法和情感，因此还产生了丰富而深入的数据。在本文中作为示例的敏感问题是心理健康，因为它影响了教学。记录了模型制作的整个过程以及随后的讨论。创作过程中的对话以及小组对模型的反应也被视为数据，研究人员将所有这些内容汇总成一个叙述，以封装该过程。以这种结构化的方式进行的意思表达可能会受到偏见，但反思性的方法和对所有焦点小组的局外人研究减少了这些限制。这种数据处理方法增加了深度，使创作过程更容易访问，同时避免了隐喻的出现，并明确链接到相关理论。对叙述的分析提供了与参与者关于心理健康如何影响教与学的思想和感受有关的主题。所有受训的教师都认为污名仍然与这个敏感的话题有关，并评论了可能存在的学习障碍。该小组所有人都承认缺乏应对这一特殊障碍的意识和培训，并寻求针对教师培训生和成年学习者需求的意识提高。