The Learner’s Perspective Study Methodology: a legacy for future researchers

Abstract

David Clarke’s research has shifted the focus of classroom research in mathematics education from study of cultural patterns to study of patterns of participation and the learning that can result in highly complex social environments. His Complementary Accounts Methodology which informed the Learner’s Perspective Study design included multi-source data collection generated through the latest technological advances at that time. That research design enriched the author’s doctoral research which was situated within the Learner’s Perspective Study. One intention of this paper is to highlight ways in which Clarke’s methodology added to the richness of the study Williams undertook, in particular, the flexibility of Clarke’s methodology in enabling adaptation to support a theoretical framework that included but extended beyond social theories of learning. In doing so, this paper draws attention to an aspect of Clarke’s methodological legacy, the potential for his Complementary Accounts Methodology to contribute to support of researchers employing diverse theoretical frameworks.