Unlike positivist studies, which are assessed by familiar standards of validity and reliability, the rigor of qualitative inquiry is determined more subjectively, beginning with the researcher herself through a process of reflexivity. In the absence of precise designs and formulas to guide their practice, qualitative researchers, Watt explains, must be willing to self-scrutinize.
Reflexivity, as defined by Glesne (2006), "involves critical reflection on how researcher, research participants, setting, and phenomenon of interest interact and influence each other" (p. 6). Reflexivity statements "provide a kind of map to the decisions you make so that the reader can better understand (and question) the interpretations you make" (p. 127).
As a student, Watt understood reflexivity on a theoretical level but wasn't sure what it looked like in practice.
This is the third time in as many years that I have read Watt's article, and with each new reading, I gain new insights. Not surprisingly, this time around, my insights were colored by the fact that I am now immersed in my own dissertation project.
What did surprise me was just how intimately connected the practice of reflexivity is to improving trustworthiness in research, a topic I will try to address at the end of this post.
A refined sense of the reflexive process
First, putting aside textbook definitions, my understanding of reflexivity has grown more refined, especially as it relates to the act of writing and developing identity. I was really struck by the influence of a (somewhat) regular writing regime on Watt's own personal development as much as her research process. This is the kind of exploratory and personal journal writing that Laurel Richardson advocates in "Writing: A Method of Inquiry," which Watt refers to several times.
In her research journal, Watt summarized her readings from the literature, reflected on events in the field, recorded participant data, and made notes about her methodology. "Through using writing as a method of inquiry I was able to make links between how I carried out my study, reflective journal entries, and the literature on qualitative methodology" (p. 98). In other words, she developed the deliberative stance as advocated by Piantanida and Garman (2009) and came to recognize the "centrality of writing as a way of coming to know" (Ch. 9, “Experiential Text as a Content for Theorizing,” para 12).
More importantly, through writing, the deliberative stance becomes internalized: "Reflective writing allowed me to meaningfully construct my own sense of what it means to become a qualitative researcher" (Watt, p. 83).
On becoming an expert
Writing is one way to negotiate moments of conflict and disequilibrium. Like discussion and other forms of peer mediation, reflective writing creates a feedback loop -- a conversation with oneself -- for improving practice and developing expertise.
Yet, as Watt points out, it is during moments of crisis and tension that novice researchers typically slow down or shut down their writing entirely.
For instance, when faced with the task of data analysis, Watt was at a "complete loss" (p. 95), and so she made lots of charts and diagrams. She explains, "I was so focused on the need to do something with the data that I did not consider journaling as a means to think things through, on both a personal and a research level. That was a mistake. In retrospect, this was perhaps the time I needed it most" (p. 96).
The mistake is common in my field, education. Like novice qualitative researchers, new teachers experience a profound sense of disequilibrium. Overwhelmed and isolated, they put reflection on the back burner.
But reflexivity is the antidote to repeating mistakes, and building upon a foundation of subjective experience is a hallmark of expertise. Watt cites Eisner's (1991) concept of educational "connoisseurship," in which seasoned practitioners leverage their subjectivities in productive ways. Piantanida and Garman also cite Eisner's work in their Chapter 5 discussion of deliberation as a means of attaining phronesis, "a valuing of wisdom that can guide action within the complexities of unfolding experience."
Whether it's "critical subjectivity," "connoiseurship," or "phronesis," these ideas are very useful to me because they are nuanced versions of what I would simply call "developing expertise," and teachers developing expertise about technology is the topic of my dissertation. For purposes of my study, I have found the CHAT concept known as "expansive learning" (Engestrom) to be helpful, but I like how Eisner's term goes directly at the teacher-learner, teacher-researcher experience. I may need to borrow or develop a more precise term other than "expertise" (something else to reflect upon later).
At any rate, I have noted before in this blog the parallel developmental trajectories of novice qualitative researchers and teachers-as-learners insofar as stance, disposition, and expertise are concerned. And after re-reading Watt, I have a renewed sense of how reflexivity mediates this process.
The Multiple Realities perspective
I have also referred previously in this blog to the Multiple Realities perspective, a central notion in my theoretical frameworks. I was excited to make a connection between Watt's article and Labbo and Reinking's (1999) seminal theoretical piece, "Negotiating the Multiple Realities of Technology in Literacy Research and Instruction."
Although Labbo and Reinking do not specifically use the term "reflexivity," they put forth the Multiple Realities perspective as a way for New Literacies researchers to monitor and leverage subjectivities in a way that strengthens research-to-practice connections:
For example, when a question related to instructional practice begins with the phrase "What does the research say about...?" we believe it should be followed by an explicit consideration of which reality or set of realities is being considered. Doing so means that the answer will inherently be more complex than citing a string of studies and drawing conclusions from them. It also suggests that it may be important to identify the realities to which a potential answer does not apply or why a question is not a relevant or particularly good one within certain realities. (p. 488)The Multiple Realities perspective, then, is a framework for guiding reflexive thinking within New Literacies research projects. I had never thought about it in this way until now! Maybe I need to be more intentional about referencing it in the methods section of my Chapter 3.
Implications for use of digital tools
Finally, a note about digital technologies and the role they serve in supporting reflexive practice: Watt's descriptions of her struggles to corral and make sense of the data, the codes, and the categories highlighted the value (for me) of digital tools generally, and CAQDAS in particular. This last insight will only become more compelling with the passage of time (Watt's article is now six years old) and my own increasing awareness of how to use digital tools for qualitative inquiry.
Trustworthiness
The common thread that connects each of the above ideas is how they promote trustworthiness in qualitative research. The discipline of regular, reflexive writing -- "chronicling one's thinking" -- helps the researcher mediate the meaning of her experiences and continually develop her expertise.
As Watt explains, "Revisiting my study has strengthened my confidence in my ability to negotiate the complex process of qualitative inquiry, and I now see myself as a researcher. The multiple layers of reflection drawn upon in writing and revising this paper have made me more cognizant of how far I have come, and have taken me further along the path to becoming a qualitative researcher" (p. 98).
Reflexivity develops an internal authority of self-knowledge (identity) and self-efficacy, alternate "measures," if you will, of excellence and trustworthiness in research. Reflexivity develops an authentically authoritative voice that delivers the research findings and interpretations in a way that resonates with readers.
References
Glesne, C. (2005). Becoming qualitative researchers: An introduction (3rd ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Labbo, L. D., & Reinking, D. (1999). Negotiating the multiple realities of technology in literacy research and instruction. Reading Research Quarterly, 34(4), 478–492. doi:10.1598/RRQ.34.4.5
Piantanida, M., & Garman, N. B. (2009). The qualitative dissertation: A guide for students and faculty (2nd ed., Kindle version.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Watt, D. (2007). On becoming a qualitative researcher: The value of reflexivity. The Qualitative Report, 12(1), 82–101.
