Studying Ourselves Studying Relationships: Challenges Encountered in a Collaborative Self-Study About Teaching Relational Practices

• In Event: Poster Session 5
  In Poster Session: Showcasing the Diverse Facets of Self-Study Research (Organized by James A. Muchmore)

Abstract

This study investigates the methodological challenges associated with studying one’s practice as a teacher educator in terms of relationship building with student-teachers. The two teacher educator authors have been collaboratively engaged in the study of their practice as relationship-builders over the past three years. Their efforts have focused on making explicit and available for discussion the relational practices they use so that student teachers may become more aware of, and purposeful about, their own relationship building with school students. One outcome of these earlier studies was the considerable challenge associated with investigating relationships while concurrently engaged in that relationship. The current study adds to the development of knowledge about self-study methodology through interrogating the complexities associated with researching personal practice.

Authors

• Lynn A. Thomas, Université de Sherbrooke

• Amanda K. Berry, Leiden University