How do i~we explain our educational influences in learning to improve our educational
influences as practitioner-researchers within the social and other formations that
dynamically include us?
A few weeks ago I sent round the Abstract to Joan Walton’s recently completed doctoral
thesis on ‘Ways of Knowing: Can I find a way of knowing that satisfies my search for
meaning?’ Yesterday Joan sent on the e-copy of her thesis an you can access this at:
http://people.bath.ac.uk/edsajw/walton.shtml
What particularly excites me about Joan’s thesis, in relation to the above thread of the e-
seminar, is her original standard of judgment:
“Through telling my personal story, I offer an emergent methodology that includes both
narrative inquiry and action research. I generate a living theory which offers ‘spiritual
resilience gained through connection with a loving dynamic energy’ as an original
standard of judgment.”
The development of relational dynamic standards of judgment can also be seen in Jane
Spiro’s (2008) theses on:
How I Have Arrived At A Notion Of Knowledge Transformation, Through Understanding
The Story Of Myself As Creative Writer, Creative Educator, Creative Manager, And
Educational Researcher
at
http://people.bath.ac.uk/edsajw/janespirophd.shtml
and in Je Kan Adler-Collins’ (2007) these on
Developing an inclusional pedagogy of the unique: How do I clarify, live and explain my
educational influences in my learning as I pedagogise my healing nurse curriculum in a
Japanese University?
at
http://people.bath.ac.uk/edsajw/jekan.shtml
At the beginning of the 2007-8 e-seminar Alan focused attention on the idea that our
explanations of our educational influences are being generated within a dynamic inclusion
of space and that our explanations need to show an awareness of this. Alan and his friend
Ted Lumley have made the points about inclusionality:
"At the heart of inclusionality… is a simple shift in the way we frame reality, from
absolutely fixed to relationally dynamic. This shift arises from perceiving space and
boundaries as connective, reflective and co-creative, rather than severing, in their vital
role of producing heterogeneous form and local identity…" (Rayner, 2004)
"...an inspiring pooling-of-consciousness that seems to include and connect all within all
in unifying dynamical communion.... The concreteness of 'local object being'... allows us
to understand the dynamics of the common living-space in which we are all ineluctably
included participants.” (Lumley, 2008, p.3)
Lumley, T. (2008) A Fluid-Dynamical World View. Victoria, British Columbia; Printorium
Bookworks, Inc.
Rayner, A. (2004) Inclusionality: The Science, Art and Spirituality of Place, Space and
Evolution. Retrieved 6 July 2008 from 

http://people.bath.ac.uk/bssadmr/inclusionality/placespaceevolution.html
Pip began an open dialogue in the March 2008 issue of Research Intelligence to focus on
inclusion in relation to indigenous knowledge. Pip highlighted the epistemological
implications for educational research. I responded in the June 2008 issue and Moira and
Je Kan have had responses accepted for the next issue of RI. Do watch out for their
responses to see if you’d like to continue the conversation started by Pip.
I’m thinking particularly of a conversation on the epistemological significance for
educational research of the explanations of educational influence of practitioner-
researchers. The explanatory principles of Joan, Je Kan and Jane include flows of energy
with values. They demonstrate an awareness of Alan’s and Ted’s point that our
explanations of educational influence are generated within the social and other formations
that dynamically include us:
Joan
I generate a living theory which offers ‘spiritual resilience gained through connection with
a loving dynamic energy’ as an original standard of judgment.


Je Kan
An energy-flowing, living standard of inclusionality as a space creator for engaged
listening and informed learning is offered as an original contribution to knowledge.
Jane
It also explores how values can be clarified in the course of their emergence and formed
into living standards of judgment.
My own feeling is that Alan’s and Ted’s ideas on inclusionality, as a relationally dynamic
awareness of space and boundaries, have offered us a language to help in the creation of
a new epistemology for educational research.
The recently completed doctoral research programmes of Jane, Je Kan and Joan, as well
as those of Maggie, Eleanor, Swaroop, Eden and Barry and others whose living theory
doctorates are at http://people.bath.ac.uk/edsajw/living.shtml and on Jean’s web-site at
http://www.jeanmcniff.com/reports.html have contributed to the generation of a
knowledge-base of practitioner-researchers that has been legitimated in the Academy and
has established a new epistemology for educational knowledge. I’m hoping that you will
share your responses to this claim.
Looking forward very much to continuing our conversations at the BERA Practitioner-
Researcher day at Heriot-Watt University on the 6th September.
Love Jack.
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