Narrative Inquiry Research Group

Aims:

The key aim of this Special Interest Group would be to create and support strategic opportunities to enhance the momentum and advocacy around narrative inquiry research, and the consolidation of narrative inquiry research groups around Australia.

Rationale:

Narrative Inquiry is a growing field of research, designed to document lived experience. Within education, it has its own rich intellectual tradition with key contributions made by Barone (2001), Bullough (2001), Lyons and LaBroskey (2002), and Clandinin and Connelly (1995, 2000). These researchers draw on narrative’s significant strengths where:

‘stories can provide a means by which those truths which cannot be otherwise told are discovered. Further, the fictionalisation of educational experience offers researchers the opportunity to import fragments of data from various real events in order to speak to a heart of social consciousness – thus providing the protection of anonymity to the research participants without stripping away the rawness of real happenings’ (Clough, 2002, p. 8).

Narrative inquiry is a growing field of research that focuses on thinking narratively about human experience. In stark contrast to other genre of research, narrative inquirers do not visit schools “to conduct commando raids” but “to live and work with teachers” (Eisner, 1988). Through living and telling and re-living and re-telling, their stories of experience, teachers express their personal practical knowledge to themselves, to others, and to researchers. The stories that individual tell illuminate their personal thoughts and actions.

Greater connection between narrative researchers within Australia is needed to strengthen the advocacy for narrative inquiry research. The establishment of a narrative SIG would provide a community for narrative inquiry research to be shared, offering academics and educators the opportunity to network within this inquiry space. It would also provide opportunities for networking to view and raise the profile of narrative inquiry research within Australia.

Research Interests:

High priorities are;

• Provide an arena for discussion and debate surrounding narrative inquiry.


• Raise the profile of research in, of, and for narrative inquiry in universities, schools and educational settings.


• Support members to publish their narrative inquiry research and provide a network that enables collaboration in research and publishing between members.


• Provide a supportive environment for individual members to present their research and seek feedback from other members.


• Enable networking, informal information sharing and discussion about members’ projects using narrative inquiry.


• Facilitate and support joint publications by members, as joint papers, journal special issues or book.

Proposed Activities:

Proposed activities included;

• Facilitate a network of narrative inquiry researchers that meet annually and formally at AARE, but also meet in more informal ways throughout the year to discuss narrative research.
• Support collaboration in research and publishing between members.
• Organise workshops and/or research forums to develop long term goals for narrative research and capacity building amongst members.
• Encourage and host visiting scholars opportunities.
• Provide a supportive environment for individual members to present their research and seek feedback from other members.

Convenor:

Susanne Garvis
School of Music
University of Queensland
St Lucia, QLD 4072

Email: s.garvis@uq.edu.au

AARE members who have agreed to join the SIG:

1. Erin Flanagan
2. Margaret Baguley
3. Catherine Doherty
4. Mary Rafter
5. Jessica O’Bryan
6. Rachael Dwyer
7. Elke Emerald
8. Greer Johnson
9. Lisa Hunter
10. Neville Smith
11. Susanne Garvis
12. Margaret Barrett