Who Are the Experts in the Room?

• In Event: Research as Whole Truth-Telling: Polyvocality and Collaboration as Necessary Disruptors in Educational Research

Abstract

I hold multiple positionalities in the field of education. Some positions, like being a white, straight woman; a doctoral fellow and researcher; a mentor; and a teacher allow me immense privilege and all but guarantee me a "place at the table" in which I am sure that my voice will be heard and respected. Other facets of my identity, like being the daughter of Iranian immigrants; being a student; and also, being a working parent can lead to the opposite effect, with my voice often being drowned out by those with more hierarchical power. My unique set of traits and experiences allowed me to see the research from many lenses, and think back to times when I have felt empowered and others where I have felt as if my voice was insignificant and unheard. So often in K-12 educational settings, we are forced into a pyramidal organization structure-- starting with students at the bottom, then teachers, administrators, district leadership, state level leaders and finally federal educational leaders, with similar structures existing in the higher education realm. This hierarchical model is inherently antidemocratic, as the will of the great majority is frequently overruled by the voices of those higher up. It is not uncommon, for example, for students in a teacher education program to bemoan the irony of learning about differentiation through a one-size-fits-all curriculum; just as it is not uncommon to hear of public-school districts outsourcing their professional development, when in fact, the experts for the students in their district are already in the room. As one participant remarked, "the teachers have that expertise […] the skill base is right there; [we don't need to] pull somebody in from another state, but actually look right in your district and say, 'hey, you're really good at this, would you mind sharing your skill set with others?'"
In pyramidal hierarchies, members are often told what should be done and what needs to be done, but are rarely given the opportunity to question back “according to whom? And why?” as a result, educational systems remain systems of domination and colonialism in which social patterns are reproduced but not challenged. However, when members of the educational community feel enfranchised, valued, and that their voice is significant and matters, the foundation has been laid for transformative action. The result is often a flattening of the pyramidal hierarchy in favor of a more democratic, circular model in which all parties have representation. These spaces allow for a decolonizing of education by removing the idea of what should be and replacing it with a more honest look at needs, taken straight from the voices of those affected. Both the YCS Speak Up research project and the NEXT Scholars Community give rise to such models by celebrating the power of being heard and by designing a community around polyvocality- in which the voices of many have large influence.

Authors

• Sara Muchmore, Eastern Michigan University
  Presenting Author

• Sharon Hopkins, Eastern Michigan University
  Presenting Author