Accidental Ethnography: Reflective Educational Praxis Research

• In Event: Poster Session 4
  In Poster Session: Research, Evaluation, Assessment, and Accountability in Schools: Featuring the Analytic Explorations of Graduate Student Scholars

Abstract

The many methods used in educational research speak to the multifaceted nature of the field. However, most methods focus on the same process, the design of future research and its implementation. A methodology that provides a means of in-depth explorations of past learning experiences beyond personal reflection opens access to practitioners in powerful ways. This presentation argues for the need for, and possibilities of, Accidental Ethnography, (AccE) a practitioner–based, reflective, interpretive research process. AccE is the systematic analysis of past experiences in the field, utilizing extant data “accidentally” gathered. Thus, AccE data is not collected as part of a predesigned study, yet it offers powerful insights into valuable educational phenomenon, in which the practitioner/researcher experienced and worked.

Authors

• Joseph Levitan, McGill University

• Davin Jules Carr-Chellman, University of Idaho

• Ali Carr-Chellman, University of Idaho