Dear Swaroop, Jack, Marie and All,
Swaroop - I read your email with delight! I feel excited when I get
communication like the email you copied into your posting. There is
something wonderful in its authenticity, being unasked for, not a quality
assurance exercise, a genuine opening of dialogue. Sometimes we read
validation testimonials in self study which have been elicited as part of a
power wielding education relationship. If students are required to respond
to questions like How has many tutoring helped you? How many would venture
to speak their mind if they knew their tutor to be controlling and intent on
furthering their own research paradigm? I am not for a moment saying all
tutors are like this. I am saying I have seen this situation arise.
Marie - I am happy for you that the way of undertaking living educational
theory as a form of self study action research excites and satisfies you. I
agree it has strengths and I also want engagement on this list in sustained
critique balancing its strengths and weaknesses.
This JISC list is advertised as a BERA practitioner researcher list, not a
living educational theory discussion list so we should not only expect but
actively encourage an engagement with knowledge emanating from other forms
of practitioner research, without exclusions.
I enjoy your postings, Marie, and look forward to your critiquing your
research approach. This is not saying 'criticise' but it is inviting you to
explain how you find it useful and not.
I can recall being intrigued and I hope Jack won't take offence as I am not
intending to be offensive - a distinguished member of the SSTEP SIG at AERA
taking me on one side when I was extolling the virtues of the living
educational theory approach and saying "There is much more to self study
action research than Jack's ideas so broaden your experience..."
That is exactly what I have been setting out to do - if you read my thesis
submitted for a PhD at the University of Bath, examined under the wrong
criteria and never re-examined as promised by the Appeals Committee in 2004
you would see fullsome endorsement of living educational theory as my
approach to educational research. Since that time I have taken to heart the
advice I was given by examiners to engage critically with the notion of
living educational theory. As you know I no longer find starting from the
deficit basis i.e. a problem appropriate within my own practice as a
consultant educational research mentor.
I am looking forward to dialogue about other approaches to self study on
this BERA list. In the meantime, Swaroop, thank you so much for furthering
the point I made here earlier.
Warm regards to all,
Sarah
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