Toward Honest Conversations: The Power of Narrative-Based Interviewing for Ed.D. Students

• In Event: 61.065 - Creating New Knowledge and Identities

Abstract

This paper is collaboratively written by two professors and two Ed.D. graduates on the value of memoir and narrative-based interviewing strategies for Ed.D. scholar-practitioners. We address the relevance and applicability of memoir and narrative-based interviewing for the two doctoral students’ research interests in improving recruitment and retention pathways for P-12 teachers of color. Findings discuss the professors’ teaching and how these research approaches provided a critical shift in the graduates’ identities as they addressed equity and justice issues around teacher pathway programs. Data include syllabi, student assignments, reflective journals, and examples from the two doctoral students’ dissertations. Implications highlight the value of such alternative methodologies for promoting personal relevancy and a strong scholarly voice.

Authors

• Barbara A. Henderson, San Francisco State University

• Daniel Meier, San Francisco State University

• Ana Maria Gutierrez, San Francisco State University

• Patricia Marie Sullivan, Baby Steps Preschool