"I Recognised That I Needed To Look Searchingly at My Own Teaching": Storywork as a Self-Study Method for Educational Research for Social Change

Abstract

Storywork is an indigenous research practice of making meaning through stories. This article offers an account of storywork as a self-study method for educational research. It brings into dialogue the distinctive personal stories of two South African primary school teachers, S’phiwe Madondo and Ntokozo Mkhize, who engaged in self-study research with the support of their supervisor, Kathleen Pithouse-Morgan. S’phiwe’s and Ntokozo’s storywork centred on stories of remembered childhood and adolescent experiences. The article presents S’phiwe’s personal story piece, “An Outdoor School,” which is accompanied by S’phiwe’s reflection on his learning from the piece. Next, is Ntokozo’s piece, “Lifetime Treasures,” and her reflection. Then, S’phiwe’s and Ntokozo’s voices converge in a dialogue piece to demonstrate their mutually respectful, reciprocal learning in relation to the process of composing, reflecting on, and sharing personal stories. Writing and reflecting searchingly on these stories highlighted the pedagogic significance of finding out about children’s and adolescents’ cultural encounters and viewpoints, and incorporating these into learning and teaching. Additionally, engaging in storywork opened up possibilities for taking a simultaneously appreciative and critical stance on stories of the past, with the educative intention of contributing to educational and social change.