Using Narrative Inquiry and Learning Stories in a Slow, Desire-Based Methodology

• In Event: Narrative Methodologies in Our Current Classrooms

Abstract

This paper reports methodological detail from a study exploring the experiences of women working in Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Michigan. Guided by the philosophical underpinnings of critical qualitative inquiry, I used narrative inquiry to provide a rich understanding of the lived experiences of those working in the field. This paper details the process of conducting individual and collective analyses of eight participant narratives, including using the early childhood assessment practice of writing learning stories to guide individual narrative letter construction.
Keywords: early childhood education, critical qualitative inquiry, narrative inquiry, learning stories

Author

• Katie Sloan, Oakland University