Chapter 15: Narrative Research

1. Chapter 15: Narrative Research Objectives • Briefly state the definition and purpose of narrative research and describe the narrative research process. • Describe narrative research techniques, including restorying; oral history; examination of photographs, memory boxes, and other artifacts; storytelling; letter writing; and autobiographical and biographical writing.

2. Narrative Research • Narrative research is the study of how different humans experience the world around them. • Narrative researchers collect data about people’s lives and collaboratively construct a narrative about the experiences and meanings they contribute to the experiences. • Narrative research has often been conducted in numerous disciplines (e.g., history, anthropology).

3. Narrative Research • Narrative research in education has been influenced by several factors. • The increased emphasis in teacher reflection and action research • The increased emphasis on teacher knowledge • The increased emphasis on empowering teachers

4. Narrative Research • Narrative analysis (Current focus) • Researcher collects descriptions of events through interviews and observations and synthesizes them into narratives or stories. • Story is the outcome of the study. • Analysis of narrative • Researcher collects stories as data and seeks to understand underlying themes from the stories.

5. Narrative Research Process • The narrative research process is highly personal and requires care and sensitivity. • The narrative researcher must be careful with ethical guidelines as narrative research requires a very close relationship between the researcher and the participant.

6. Narrative Research Process • The relationship between the narrative researcher and the participant needs to be mutually constructed and should include an equality of voice. • Equality of voice is required so that the participant feels empowered to tell the story. • The narrative researcher must determine if she has adequate time and the necessary personal characteristics to conduct this form of research.

7. Narrative Research Process Consider the experiences of a first- year teacher in a failing urban school district as an example to think through aspects of the narrative research process.

8. Narrative Research Process • Narrative research process • Identify purpose of the research study and a phenomenon to explore. • In our example the purpose is to explore the experiences and tell the story of a first year teacher in a failing urban school district.

9. Narrative Research Process • Narrative research process • Identify an individual who can help you learn about the phenomenon. • In our example the individual we select would be a first year teacher in an urban district. We would attend carefully to the participants’ characteristics and our own characteristics to select an informant who could best collaborate on this story.

10. Narrative Research Process • Narrative research process • Develop initial narrative research questions. • e.g., What have been the participant’s experiences in starting this teaching position. • e.g., What has surprised the participant? • Consider the researcher’s role. • We would seek IRB approval and would obtain all permissions.

11. Narrative Research Process • Develop data collection methods, paying particular attention to interviewing, and collect the data. • We would conduct interviews and would like to observe our participant’s classroom. We would also likely examine other classroom artifacts.

12. Narrative Research Process • Collaborate with the research participant to construct the narrative and to validate the accuracy of the story. • We would work with our participant in restorying and assure the written account is accurate. • Write the narrative account.

13. Types of Narrative Research • Creswell (1995) suggests that the numerous types of narrative research can be categorized based upon several characteristics. • Who authored the account • Scope of the narrative • Who provides the story • Theoretical/conceptual framework • Whether the elements are included in one narrative

14. Types of Narrative Research • Examples of types of narrative research forms • Autobiographies • Life writing • Personal narratives • Life histories • Narrative interviews

15. Characteristics of Narrative Research • A focus on the experiences of individuals. • A concern with the chronology of individuals’ experiences. • A focus on the construction of life stories based on data collected through interviews. • Restorying as a teachnique for constructing the narrative account.

16. Characteristics of Narrative Research • Inclusion of context and place in the story. • A collaborative approach that involves the researcher and the participants in the negotiation of the final text. • A narrative constructed around the question, “And then what happened?”.

17. Narrative Research Techniques • Narrative research uses multiple data sources. • Data in narrative research include field notes on shared research experiences. • Data in narrative research include journal entries and letter writing. • Data in narrative research include documents and artifacts (e.g., lesson plans). • Narrative research requires triangulation of data sources.

18. Narrative Data Collection Techniques • Restorying steps • Researcher conducts the interview and transcribes the audiotape • Researcher transcribes the data based upon key elements that are identified in the story • Researcher organizes the story into a chronological sequence with attention to setting, characters, actions, problems, and resolutions. • The researcher invites the participant to collaborate on the final narrative.

19. Narrative Data Collection Techniques • Oral history • Participants share oral histories. • Structured or open-ended interview • May ask participant to create timeline (chronicle) • May ask participant to journal • Photographs, memory boxes and other artifacts • Participants share artifacts (e.g., newpapers, etc).

20. Narrative Data Collection Techniques • Storytelling • Participants tell frequent stories that are used as data. • Letter writing • Dialogue between the participant and the researcher is documented. • Can be e-mail • Autobiographical and biographical writing • Participants construct or collaboratively construct the writing.

21. Writing The Narrative • Final step in narrative research • Conducted collaboratively with the participant • Equality of voice continues to be critical element of a narrative during the writing phase