prof pat thomson

Vale Habermas, and a link to academic writing. patthomson.net/2026/03/15/wha…

Academic writers often feel uncomfortable. Thats often OK. Here’s why. patthomson.net/2026/03/08/get…

It helps to know the differences between abstract between abstract and introduction if you want to avoid reader déjà vu. patthomson.net/2026/03/02/not…

Riffing as an academic writing strategy. Helps to clarify meaning. patthomson.net/2026/02/21/rif…

This week patter talks about peer review as cruel optimism patthomson.net/2026/02/16/the…

Include a writing retreat in your 2026 plans patthomson.net/2026/02/07/why…

I’m often asked about citations in abstracts. So here’s an answer… patthomson.net/2026/01/30/sho…

It’s important to recognise and celebrate small academic writing successes. Here’s why. patthomson.net/2026/01/22/sma…

@C_Hendrick Absolutely. And using the arts as the means of promoting generic C21 skills strips out disciplinary knowledges values ways of being and working etc. and reduces them to mere process.

The 21st century skills movement has overpromised and underdelivered because it ignores the domain specificity of expertise. Critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration are not transferable generic capacities that can be taught in the abstract. Really glad to see this point being made about generic skills in a new review of curricula in 14 school systems: …5-4cc5-9ecd-8697a47d348f.filesusr.com/ugd/5d3f2a_3b2…

Following on from last week, I’ve got a few pointers about writing about your research positionality patthomson.net/2025/12/07/wri…

This week a little guide to the term “Positioning” patthomson.net/2025/11/30/wha…

This week more key research terms explained, methods and methodology patthomson.net/2025/11/23/met…

@C_Hendrick @NielsHoven Aren’t you an education academic now? So maybe “some” education academics is what you mean to say?

@NielsHoven If the general public knew the kinds of things that are advocated by education academics, they'd be shocked. For example, the claim that teaching vocabulary is racist: theconversation.com/how-black-chil…

The reason that it’s so hard to explain “phonics” is that literally no normal person can imagine reading any other way But no, teachers have been telling kids to guess at words instead of sounding them out for the past 30 years

This week a very short guide to the thesis or research problem statement patthomson.net/2025/11/18/the…

Gotta love autocorrect. Something supervisors often comment on.

This week, something supervisors oftentimes in. Flow and paragraph linking. patthomson.net/2025/11/08/thr…

Good to see the arts being taken more seriously in the curriculum review. Making this meaningful in primary schools will mean more and better pre and inservice education, as well as employing more specialist teachers. my.chartered.college/impact_article…

This week another two very common research terms which mean different things. Aims and objectives. patthomson.net/2025/11/01/res…

Some ideas for how to deal with feeling lost during the PhD. patthomson.net/2025/10/25/bui…