July 2…Humility and Educational Research
Humility is a word that has
been thrown around a lot during our time together. What does it mean to you in
the context of educational research and, more specifically how might it relate
to your field of study/discipline.
Humility urges two primary responsibilities in maintaining its presence as a key role in the context of educational research: first to oneself as an perpetual practitioner and ever-growing professional and one to the teaching and learning of all individuals who make up each component within learning community.
ReplyDeleteIn my specific field of study and discipline, humility holds a seat in that in learning differences historically divides between the needs and the need nots of teaching and learning accommodations. Humility requires that one level the playing field in a way opposite than is colloquially and frequently discussed - to level the field in this context emphasizes the pupil be regarded with equal importance to the educator and “experts” in order for all members of the school culture to expand our knowledge, exploration, and understanding of what constitutes learning differences and how these may prove relevant to benefit and grow our knowledge as practitioners and learners to the broader contexts of knowledge acquisition and application.
One of my favorite aphorisms goes like this: “It takes considerable knowledge to realize the extent of our own ignorance.” With each new revelation, I am reminded of how much I still don’t know. I think people on the outside looking in view the situation differently. I think they see each revelation as creating distance and divide. I never want this to be the case.
ReplyDeleteAs I’ve seen people progress in their schooling, I’ve watched the people on the peripheral of those individuals start to shift in their thinking. As people earns more degrees, they must have more answers, right? And to some extent I don’t think that’s an unfair assumption because deeper insight should be acquired. But lifting a person up or thinking they are somehow elevated is risky. I think it’s important for the person who has the extended knowledge to remind others of his or her limitations.
In desiring to work with teachers, a big part of my effectiveness will be contingent on my ability to remain grounded in the classroom experience. In more simpler terms, I need to stay in classrooms and discuss concerns with teachers face to face. I have to be “in the trenches” so to speak if I ever hope to empower the frontlines. Cheesy metaphor with which Becker would take issue, but I do think that teachers at times feel attacked by the very people who seek to support them. In my own terns, then, humility has everything to do with shared experiences and supportive relationships. Humility will require investment and introspection in equal parts.
Humility and educational research….hmmm. Here is my take: it is understanding that we cannot know it all, that what we learn may need to be unlearned, that we may get it wrong, and that our passion can become ostentation.
ReplyDeleteFirst, we must embrace the journey of discovery for both sides of the process. We cycle between comprehension and ignorance as one begets the other. We do not know what we do not know, and must have the humility to embrace those moments to guide us towards a better understanding.
It is also possible that we will need to examine our understandings for misunderstandings - to take the time to look for blind spots. This means that while being tenacious, there is also a need to be cautious - to look outside ourselves to listen AND hear other perspectives.
We may also get it wrong. Humility asks that we not shy away from fallibility, but to be honest and transparent. Determination may create the blinders that leads to misunderstandings. Therefore, embracing humility allows the educational researcher to recognize limits, and to be both realistic and candid about the questions and the findings.
Finally, and again this is just my opinion, we must recognize that while we care deeply and passionately about our research, and/or have the time to search and research deeply, others may not. It is easy to become that pompous connoisseur whose voice is louder because of arrogance rather than from a genuine reflection on situation and audience.
I've recently been in a situation where, at an informal gathering of arts teachers who were just decompressing, there was me offering Queer Theory, CRT articles, and arguing for them to become empowered through research. There was literally a cricket and some tumbleweed blowing by between me and their glazed expressions. I was bludgeoning them with newly gained knowledge...probably making them less interested in learning more. I still wince thinking about it.
This discussion is helpful, and I look forward to reading other interpretations.
I think the EDUS 702 and 703 sequence of courses in philosophy has afforded me to take a humility stance into social and educational research, and it is for a good reason. There were some questions I had regarding math curriculum and related teaching practices that puzzled me for a long time that I took them with me into my pursuit of PhD studies, and I found no direct answers to these questions but a humble way to re-look at these problems from various perspectives. This makes me rethink that for certain problems I encountered as a teacher persisted without solution because I was looking for solutions within limited viewpoints. Humility did not give me the answers I was looking for, but it added a dimension of viewpoints where I can begin to examine problems from outside or above. In this regard, humility is a necessary precondition in social and educational research that in the attempt to address or solve problems, one shall have the flexibility and ability to look at problem and their implications from various angles.
ReplyDeleteI was speaking with a Master’s level graduate student recently who shared an experience with me that I had often heard about in discussions and workshops on responsible conduct of research, but had never witnessed in my own experience. Her friend, a fellow graduate student, had recently suffered bullying and exclusion at the hands of a small group of students that had fabricated data for a PI-led research project that was also part of a class assignment. She had evidence of the fabrication which she presented to the offending students in efforts to convince them to report their misconduct to the professor, or to at least present the work as is, with the original data intact. Instead, the group resorted to name-calling, threats, and even childish antics like giggling anytime she tried to contribute to in-class discussions.
ReplyDeleteAfter dealing with this for a month, the student approached the professor about the problem. When she did so, the professor assured her that both the behavior and the poor research conduct would be addressed. It wasn’t. In fact, the group of students were serving as research assistants to the professor/PI, and the abuse actually worsened. I had to wonder what would compel these students to feel the need to fabricate data for a class assignment and to act in retaliation when confronted with their misconduct. Perhaps most disturbing was the decision of the PI to sweep the situation under the rug. What made a research project so important that it was worth the abuse of this young lady?
I wonder if there isn’t a trend in research, and in academia, to overly associate one’s sense of self-importance with the project they are conducting, the work that they do. There is something about “intellectual” work that stokes the flames of ego to such an extent that the initial purpose of inquiry (what it is meant to accomplish and who it is meant to serve) can be lost. Maybe it’s simply human nature, part of our obsession with purpose and meaning (whether conscious or not) that compels us to bind up our ego with our work. Regardless, it strikes me as a sure-fire way to conduct research the wrong way. Humility, on the other hand, seems to be a perfect prerequisite for inquiry. How else are we to allow for mistakes, to persist in the face of the challenges of inquiry, to welcome the unexpected, and incorporate all of these into our experience as inquirers?
Humility in the context of educational research to me means that I that as a doctoral student, educator and researcher I keep an open mind and acknowledge my weaknesses and strengths. It is a willingness to listen to different opinions and consider different perspectives and theories. It is also accepting that I get out of my comfort zone and take risks.
ReplyDeleteHaving humility requires that we allow ourselves to fail and continue to move forward. It means exploring new concepts and many times adopting new ways of thinking. It is also being opened to criticism and being vulnerable.
It is also not giving up, when not finding the expected results or not finding the answers to some questions.
As a college teacher, I consider that it is essential to stay humble and recognize my students’ perspectives. I also appreciate their contributions. As a doctoral student in art education, I like the idea of starting from scratch and recognizing that I do not know everything and that I’m exploring new mediums, new techniques and a new world surrounded by art and people who are passionate about it and ready to create a better, idealist world.
- Vivian
Posted by Jacqueline
ReplyDeleteI am very concerned with social justice for marginalized students in urban areas. Prior to graduate studies, I was concerned about the public school options for my children. Research led me to choose different options for their education. Having been concerned with disparate educational opportunities, I have tried to keep abreast of issues prior to choosing the area for my academic focus. Discipline disparity was the focus of my master’s thesis and continues to be a large focus of my PhD work. By focusing on this and related studies, I feel I have garnered quite a bit of knowledge. What I have found is that I can not fail to expand my focus. Humility requires that I not become entrench in what I believe the problem might be without expanding areas of exploration. Humility requires that I not paint the picture with broad brush strokes. Humility requires that I consider that some with good intentions are intricately woven into a system that often mutes the influence of the good with the blare of the outcry for justice, even that of my own silent inner cry. Though I want to throw up the fist and blast forward in the name of justice, humility causes me to slow my roll. Humility is not always easy, but the slower lane of the humble road allows the voice of others to be heard and more time for thoughtful contemplation.