Rewriting narratives of self: Reflections from an action research study

Abstract

This article presents a reflexive story. It traces the learning and perspective transformation of an action researcher through a particular project and explores the influence of researcher autobiography on the processes and outcomes of the research. The article supports the view that the development of insight into a situation is a somewhat haphazard process. Indeed, insights seem more likely to emerge out of the enactment of successful strategies, immersion in the ‘data’ collected over some considerable time and in casual conversation, than in a logical sequence of planning, enactment, observation and reflection on ‘deficiencies’. Implications for practitioners who are both teachers and action researchers are discussed. © 1999, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.