Mount St. Joseph University employees collaborate on self-study research and present their work at the 2026 Castle Conference in the United Kingdom
Current members of the Rabbit Hole Learning Community (LC) recently had the amazing opportunity to give a presentation-- in a castle dating from the 15th century– at a respected international conference in August. How did this come about?
One Learning Community (LC) at Mount St. Joseph University is the Rabbit Hole. The Rabbit Hole creates a supportive and generative space with personal accountability to the collaborative group to ensure members’ progress on their self-selected projects. Rabbit Hole members continue their individual research and scholarship in a cross-disciplinary group that upholds the principles of critical friendship.
The Rabbit Hole LC started in 2021 and is composed of faculty members who voluntarily work together on scholarly inquiry. The current LC is comprised of: Michaelann Kelley (Chair of the Department of Creative Arts and Associate Professor of Art and Design), Richard Simon (Associate Professor of Sociology), Mike Sontag (Dean for the School of Arts & Sciences and Associate Professor of Philosophy), Chris Davidson (Assistant Professor of Philosophy), and Ruth Monnier (Head of Research & Instructional Services). This past year, the LC worked together on a research paper that was compiled into a book.
Self-study research involves teacher educators examining, questioning, and learning about their teaching and students’ learning by critically examining what is being done, how it is being done, and why it is being done. Self-study or self-study of teacher education practices (S-STEP) turns everyday work and professional practices into sites of inquiry and research. A good beginning resource available from the MSJ Library’s Catalog is: Beginning Self-Study Research: A Practical Guide by Brandon Butler, Kristen Gregory, Mark Diacopoulos, and Angela Branyon.
Since 1996, self-study scholars have met every two years at the Queen’s University International Study Centre at Herstmonceux Castle, U.K. for a methodological conference focused on S-STEP. This year’s conference brought together scholars and educators from South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, Iceland, the United States, and more. During evening discussions of S-STEP methodology at the on-site pub, Conference Chair Alan Ovens shared that he was “Impressed by the intellectual curiosity of this international event.”
As a multi-year LC, the Rabbit Hole has learned much about each other’s scholarship endeavors through critiquing each other’s work. In 2025-2026, members together reflected on how their experiences within the Rabbit Hole have influenced their pedagogical practices. These reflections are captured within their Castle Conference presentation titled, “Emerging from the Rabbit Hole – Looking Backwards while Reflecting Inward,” which Michaelann, Chris, and Ruth shared on behalf of the Rabbit Hole at the 2026 Castle Conference. Session attendees noted: “This was great,” “you got us talking,” and “unusual collaboration leads to rich results.” Additionally, luminary Tom Russell and Rabbit Hole presentation attendee noted “This conference is a unique way to explore and improve teacher education.”
Learn more about the conference at https://www.castleconference.com/.
The Rabbit Hole would not be possible without the continuous support from the MSJ Faculty Development Committee, Provost Steve Almquist, Vice Provost Christa Currie, and Director of Library Services Scott Lloyd.
Photographs’ Captions:
Photo - Photo 1 Castle; Photo caption – Ruth Monnier, Chris Davidson, and Michaelann Kelley presenting for the Rabbit Hole at Castle 2026
Photo - Photo 2 Castle; Photo caption - Michaelann Kelley presenting her other work at Castle 2026 with Gayle Curtis and Cheryl Craig. Photograph order from left to right: Cheryl Craig, Gayle Curtis, Michaelann Kelley.
Photo - Photo 3 Castle; Photo caption - Chris Davidson speaking with another attendee at Castle 2026
Photo - Photo 4 Castle; Photo caption – Ruth Monnier presenting her other work at Castle 2026 with Mark Diacopoulos