Reflections from a tarnished mirror: an application of Alvesson and Sköldberg's 'reflexive interpretation' to a study of curriculum design in higher education

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Bates, Agnieszka ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5138-5623 (2014) Reflections from a tarnished mirror: an application of Alvesson and Sköldberg's 'reflexive interpretation' to a study of curriculum design in higher education. International Journal of Research and Method in Education, 37 (3). pp. 227-241. ISSN 1743-727X

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Abstract

It is now widely understood that reflexivity constitutes a vital element of good qualitative research. However, reflexive accounts often draw on a single theoretical framework, thus privileging and legitimizing a particular interpretation of empirical data. This paper focuses on Alvesson and Sköldberg's ‘reflexive interpretation’, which arises from the interplay between the perspectives of grounded theory, hermeneutics, critical theory and postmodernism. The positioning of the researcher in such a multi-paradigmatic relationship to the empirical data offers the potential for deeper meaning. By applying Alvesson and Sköldberg's approach to a case study of curriculum design, I explore issues of teaching reflection to postgraduate students. Problematizing the case study data at the level of hermeneutics provides insights into the temporality, complexity and symbolic meaning disclosed through the interpretive act. Whilst critical theory locates the findings within the political-ideological context, the postmodern perspective questions my power and authority as a teacher-researcher of reflection.

Item Type: Article
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Education and Lifelong Learning
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Research in Higher Education and Society
Depositing User: LivePure Connector
Date Deposited: 05 Jan 2021 00:56
Last Modified: 22 Jun 2023 00:25
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/78036
DOI: 10.1080/1743727X.2013.822858

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