Polyphony in the Classroom: Reporting Narrative Action Research Reflexively

Source: Educational Action Research, Volume 18, Issue 2 (June 2010), p. 137-149.

In this article, the authors will present a reflexive way of producing a narrative analysis on teaching and learning that involves all participants of the pedagogical process.

The authors’ theoretical contribution rests on the concept 'lived pedagogy', adapted from Max van Manen's term 'lived experience'.
Like van Manen, the authors start by asking the key question of phenomenological-hermeneutical research: what is the nature of the phenomenon as meaningfully experienced?

For the authors, the phenomenon is the pedagogical relationship; the interaction between the people involved in the pedagogical process.
Thus, the authors will present how lived pedagogy is researched through the narratives told by the teacher-researcher, the students, and their parents.
Furthermore, the authors will present how the analysis and interpretation is made with reference to three voices; my voice (teacher), your voice (pupils) and their voice (parents).