Visualizing Belonging: Reflections on Photo Elicitation in a Phenomenological Study of Belonging

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  In Roundtable Session: Leading with Ethical Commitments in Research Design

Abstract

This methodological reflection explores how photo-elicitation methods enhanced participants’ disclosure in a phenomenological study of belonging among early career teachers. In this study, each participant presented a photo that illustrated their sense of belonging during their transition into the teaching profession. Photo elicitation offered a disarming approach to the participants’ descriptions of their deeply personal experiences with belonging. The participants’ photos offered vivid insights into their experiences with belonging and unearthed new dimensions of meaning regarding the material, spatial, and social aspects of belonging. This methodological reflection considers ethical implications and possible recommendations for researchers interested in applying photo-elicitation methods to phenomenology of practice.

Author

• Kathryn Polley, University of Georgia