Becoming ‘Good’ through Self-Study

We are honored to include in this issue ‘Of What Do We Testify? A Meditation on Becoming “Good” and on the Nature of “Self” in Self-Study,’ by Robert V. Bullough, Jr. Bullough has been an important influence on many of us in the self-study of teacher education practices community. Before the emergence of self-study, Bullough took considerable interest in studying his practice and making public his insights into how to effectively prepare prospective teachers (e.g., Bullough & Gitlin, 1995). Later, Bullough and Pinnegar (2001) published ‘Guidelines for Quality in Autobiographical Forms of Self-Study Research.’ This article was significant in two respects: as a highly cited methodological guide and for the mainstream recognition of self-study through its publication in Educational Researcher. In ‘Of What Do We Testify?’ Bullough reflects on the moral claims embedded in self-study by asking ‘Does self-study research help its practitioners become “good,” to become better people?’ He returns to questions regarding the self in self-study through the lens of pragmatism: ‘Of what do we testify?’ Or, in more contemporary language, ‘Who am I? What do I stand for? What am I good for?’ By linking self with study, Bullough proposes that self-study ‘seems to proclaim the importance of the person and the quality of that person’s life to the quality of the practice. Hence, this meditation on self-study and on goodness.’ He does argue, however, exploring and understanding the self leads to ‘greater goodness and well-being.’ The arguments are complex and the literature cited is far-ranging in this thoughtful meditation on our approach to living and practicing teacher education. The other articles in this issue can also be considered in relation to becoming ‘good’ through self-study. Hopefulness in the face of challenges is a quality Bullough admires in the work of the self-study community: ‘at its center is a lively respect for the difficulty and value of the work.’ This hopefulness is evident in ‘“It’s Messy and It’s Frustrating at Times, but It’s Worth It.” Facilitating the Professional Development of Teachers Implementing an Innovation’ by Stephanie Beni, an emerging scholar and university instructor. In this self-study, Beni reports on her effort to teach twelve teachers how to incorporate a Meaningful Physical Education approach in their work. In the process of making the learning experience meaningful for her participants and collecting data for her self-study, Beni also discovered the importance of understanding her own identity and experience, aligning her values with her practices, and navigating the unexpected. While she acknowledges there is still much to learn and do, the sense of wonder Beni brings to the frustrations, tensions and messiness of teaching makes her hopeful as an educator and scholar. A similar sense of wonder and hope is evident in ‘What is the (Real) Agenda of a Critical Pedagogue? Self-Studying the Application of Freire in Moral-Political High School Education’ by Orit Schwarz-Franco and her critical friend, Oren Ergas. Schwarz-Franco studies her work as the initiator and instructor of ‘Moral Preparation for the Army’ in an STUDYING TEACHER EDUCATION 2021, VOL. 17, NO. 3, 253–255 https://doi.org/10.1080/17425964.2021.1997242