Humanistic Research in Self-Study: A History of Transformation*

Abstract

A complex exploration of many influences goes into understanding the role of humanistic research methods in self-study. To begin, two historical developments must be considered. Early examples of self-study appeared in the transformation of humanistic practices as they entered into mainstream education over much of the last century. Overlapping this transformation, the expansion of qualitative research methods, initiated in the 1980s, brought along its own humanistic concerns. Together, they formed an awareness of the self's importance in the research process. With this foundation, the self-study of teacher education practices came onto the scene in the 1990s bringing with it other influences including the recognised value of reflective teaching and the impetus felt by many classroom teachers of all stripes to study their own teaching practices as a source of empowerment. This chapter sorts through these multiple influences towards the creation of a coherent picture of how humanistic research and the self-study of teaching and teacher education practices are interconnected. One thread interwoven throughout this chapter is the need for teacher educators to be honest with themselves. The essential humanistic self-study question is: Is my teaching consistent with what I expect of the teachers I am educating?