Critical Friendship in Self-Study

Yıl 2021, Cilt: 9 Sayı: 1, 316 - 334, 30.01.2021

Bulent Alan Hanmyrat Sarıyev , Hatice Ferhan Odabası

Öz

The purpose of this article is to clarify the concept of the critical friend. It is practically used in self-study research, which is a kind of qualitative study. Self-study as a systematic inquiry helps teachers and teacher candidates to explore and analyze their practices. Self-study as a qualitative research methodology is largely recognized in western countries yet considered relatively new in Turkey. In this article, the history of self-study research methodology is briefly introduced and how it differs from other qualitative research methods is explained. Then, the concept and importance of critical friendship, which is one of the key characteristics of self-study methodology because of its collaborative nature, is explicated. Critical friends are reliable colleagues who systematically provide data to the researcher and at the same time are those who help increase the validity and reliability of the research. Since it is hard for the researchers to reframe their experiences and verify assumptions objectively, critical friends provide pivotal support by asking challenging questions and presenting constructive criticism. For this reason, choosing a critical friend considerably affects the whole research. This article attempts to specify attributes and qualities of a critical friend and answer the question “What kind of a critical friend is needed in a self-study?”

Anahtar Kelimeler

Self-study methodology, critical friend, qualitative research

Kaynakça

• Alan, B. (2016). Öğretmen eğitiminde nitel bir araştırma yöntemi olarak bireysel araştırma. Eğitimde Nitel Araştırmalar Dergisi, 4(1), 7-25.
• Barnes, D. (1998). Foreword: Looking forward: The concluding remarks at the Castle Conference. In Hamilton, L. M. (Ed.), Reconceptualizing teaching practice: Self-study in teacher education, (pp:ix-xiv). London: Falmer Press.
• Brandenburg, R. (2008). Powerful pedagogy. Self-study of a teacher educator’s practice. Australia: Springer.
• Cardetti, F. A., & Orgnero, M. C. (2013). Improving teaching practice through interdisciplinary dialog. Studying Teacher Education, 9(3), 251-266.
• Coia, L., & Taylor, M. (2008). Co/autoethnography: Exploring our teaching selves collaboratively. In Tidwell, D.L., Heston, M.L., & Fitzgerald, L.M. (Eds.), Research methods for the self-study of practice (pp. 3-16). Australia: Springer.
• Costa, A. L., & Kallick, B. (1993). Through the lens of a critical friend. Educational Leadership, 51, 49-49.
• Dewey, J. (1933). How we think: A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the educative process. Boston: DC Heath.
• East, K., Fitzgerald, L.M., & Heston, M.L. (2009). Talking teaching and learning: Using dialogue in self-study. In Tidwell, D.L., Heston, M.L., & Fitzgerald, L.M. (Eds.), Research methods for the self-study of practice (pp. 55-72). Australia: Springer.
• Feldman, A. (2003). Validity and quality in self-study. Educational Researcher, 32(3), 26-28.
• Fuentealba, R., & Russell, T. (2016). Critical friends using self-study methods to challenge practicum assumptions and practices. In Garbet, D. & Owens, A (Eds.), Enacting self-study as methodology for professional inquiry, (pp. 227-233). Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices (S-STEP).
• Gibbs, P. T. (2004). Trusting in the university: The contribution of temporality and trust to a praxis of higher learning. New York: Springer Science & Business Media.
• Gibbs, P., & Angelides, P. (2008). Understanding friendship between critical friends. Improving Schools, 11(3), 213-225.
• Graig, C.J. (2009). Trustworthiness in self-study research. In Lassonde, J.A., Galman, S. & Kosnik, C.
• (Eds.), Self-study research methodologies for teacher educators, (pp. 21-34). Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
• Haigh, N. (2005). Everyday conversation as a context for professional learning and Development. International Journal for Academic Development, 10(1), 3-16.
• Hamilton, M. L., & Pinnegar, S. (1998). Preface. In Hamilton, L. M. (Ed.), Reconceptualizing teaching practice: Self-study in teacher education, (p: viii). London: Falmer Press.
• Hawley, T. S., & Hostetler, A. L. (2017). Self-study as an emergent methodology in career and technical education, adult education and technology: An invitation to inquiry. International Journal of Adult Vocational Education and Technology (IJAVET), 8(2), 82-92.
• Kember, D., Ha, T. S., Lam, B. H., Lee, A., NG, S., Yan, L., & Yum, J. C. (1997). The diverse role of the critical friend in supporting educational action research projects. Educational Action Research, 5(3), 463-481.
• Kosnik, C., Beck, C., Freese, A. R., & Samaras, A. P. (Eds.). (2006). Making a difference in teacher education through self-study: Studies of personal, professional and program renewal (Vol. 2). Dordrecht: Springer.
• LaBoskey, V. K. (2004). The methodology of self-study and its theoretical underpinnings. In International handbook of self-study of teaching and teacher education practices (pp. 817-869). Dordrecht: Springer.
• Loughran, J., & Northfield, J. (1998). A framework for the development of self-study practice. In Hamilton, L. M. (Ed.), Reconceptualizing teaching practice: Self-study in teacher education, (pp:7-18). London: Falmer Press.
• Loughran, J., & Northfield, J. (1996). Opening the classroom door: Teacher, researcher, learner. London: Routledge.
• Loughran, J., & Northfield, J. (1998). A framework for the development of self-study practice. In Hamilton, L. M. (Ed.), Reconceptualizing teaching practice: Self-study in teacher education, (pp:7-16). London: Falmer Press.
• Loughran, J. J. (2004). A history and context of self-study of teaching and teacher education practices. In International handbook of self-study of teaching and teacher education practices (pp. 7-39). Dordrecht: Springer.
• Mena, J., & Russell, T. (2017). Collaboration, multiple methods, trustworthiness: Issues arising from the 2014 international conference on self-study of teacher education practices. Studying Teacher Education, 13(1), 105-122.
• Mishler, E. (1990). Validation in inquiry-guided research: The role of exemplars in narrative studies. Harvard Educational Review, 60(4), 415-442.
• Pinnegar, S., & Hamilton, M. L. (2009). The self, the other, and practice in self-study of teaching and teacher education practices research. In Self-study of practice as a genre of qualitative research, (pp. 11-37). Springer, Dordrecht.
• Samaras, A. P., & Freese, A. R. (2006). Self-study of teaching practices primer (Vol. 12). New York: Peter Lang Primer.
• Samaras, A.P., & Freese, A. R. (2009). Looking back and looking forward. An historical overview of self-study school. In Lassonde A. C., Galman, S. & Kosnik, C (Eds.), Self-study research methodologies for teacher educators, (pp. 3-20). Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
• Samaras, A. P. (2011). Self-study teacher research: Improving your practice through collaborative inquiry. Los Angeles: Sage.
• Schuck, S., & Russell, T. (2005). Self-study, critical friendship, and the complexities of teacher education. Studying Teacher Education, 1(2), 107-121.
• Schön, D. A. (1987). Educating the reflective practitioner: Toward a new design for teaching and
• learning in the profession. San Francisco. CA: Jossey-Bass.
• Swaffield, S. (2002, January). Contextualising the work of the critical friend. In 15th International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement (ICSEI), Copenhagen (pp. 3-6).
• Swaffield, S. (2004). Critical friends: Supporting leadership, improving learning. Improving Schools, 7(3), 267-278.
• Swaffield, S. (2007). Light touch critical friendship. Improving Schools, 10(3), 205-219.
• Vanassche, E., & Kelchtermans, G. (2015). The state of the art in self-study of teacher education practices: A systematic literature review. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 47(4), 508-528.
• Watling, R., Hopkins, D., Harris, A., & Beresford, J. (1998). Between the devil and the deep blue sea? Implications for school and LEA. In Luise Stoll & Kate Myers (Eds.), No Quick fixes: Perspectives on Schools in Difficulty (47-63). London: Falmer Press.