In deciding to apply art-based research as a method for my research and investigation, I first wanted to find a definition that clearly stated what the method entailed. One, because the information that I had on the topic made it seem so limitless that there was no set criteria and that it could be whatever you wanted it to be, which really didn’t appeal to me. And two, because I needed some sort of a direction, vague as it may have been, that I could begin to focus my research towards. I found the exact definition I was looking for in Handbook of the Arts in Qualitative Research: Perspectives, Methodologies, Examples, and Issues by J. G. Knowles and A. L. Cole (2008). In this text, there is a chapter authored by Shaun McNiff in which he defines art-based research as, “the systematic use of the artistic process, the actual making of artistic expressions in all of the different forms of the arts, as a primary way of understanding and examining experience by both researchers and the people that they involve in their studies” (p.29). I felt that this definition gave me enough of a direction of what I wanted to accomplish with research. I would use an aesthetic process to create artistic learning based on a set of given information that is meant to improve my teaching practices.
I also felt that an integral part of my research would be keeping a narrative journal that essentially explains my thinking process, the images that are created, and the knowledge that was created. I was very influenced by an article by T. Moen (2006) about the narrative research approach. In the article, Moen explains that narrative research helps create a frame of reference that can be referred to throughout the process of the research (p.57). This frame of reference allows for each aspect of the research to be validated in relation to the research as a whole Instead of breaking down a complex issue into separate unrelated segments (p.59).
Knowles, J. G., & Cole, A. L. (2008). Handbook of the Arts in Qualitative Research: Perspectives, Methodologies, Examples, and Issues. Thousand Oaks, California. Sage Publications, Inc.
Moen, T. (2006). Reflections on the narrative research approach. International Journal of Qualitative Methodology, 5(4), 1-11.
Kyle,
ReplyDeleteI would be most interested in your narrative journal that "explains my thinking process, the images (photos?) created, and the knowledge that was created." How do you document knowledge that was created? Is it yours or the student's? I have a similar study with young children. They create artwork based on a unit of study and they explain or give words to it - does this constitute data of knowledge? How would that be determined? I feel that research lends itself to semantics. What is data, knowledge, creativity..
I am so glad you are using arts-based research as your method. Remembering you from previous classes, this seems like a perfect fit! Like every other time I read someone's blog, I have to go to the internet to try to learn a little more about the information I read. I stumbled on this paper that may be related to the approach you are thinking about, although this one is about using literature instead if art.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR1-4/kaufman.html
Kyle - where are you at with your research question(s)? Might be helpful to post it/them when you describe your research so your classmates can give you feedback about how and whether the methods are aligning to your question.
ReplyDeleteAlso - I think this is something you should read soon or as a very early part of your ind. study:
http://itec.macam.ac.il/portal/ArticlePage.aspx?id=2166.