Philosophical perspective
An elephant orpahange in Kenya
I love to travel and lived in Asia for 6 years where I taught English. I have also traveled extensively internationally for both work and pleasure. Perhaps it is that exposure to different cultures and ideas that make me think I am a pragmatist at heart. Creswell (2009) points out the importance of researchers understanding their worldviews or perspectives since this often guides the activity of the researcher both consciously and subconsciously. It is too early to determine a strategy of inquiry or specific research methods because at this stage I am still trying to develop my research question(s). I do find it ironic, however, that I am interested in blended learning since that would seem, by its very nature, to require a pragmatic approach to program and course design. (Summer 2009)
Having spent the fall reading though materials designed to help us understand our world views, I am happy and relieved to report that I can confirm the information above. The Interpretivist paradigm encompasses American pragmatism and really resonated with me. With regards to an objective/subjective continuum, Interpretivism is more on the subjective side but still accounts for that which can be 'quantified'. This intuitively makes sense for me since education and educators realize that with regards to the social sciences there is no one 'reality'. If we consider a status quo/ change continuum, Interpretivists are located more on the status quo end. They seek to understand the world but do not espouse a change agenda. (Winter 2010)
Now that I am further along in my studies I can report that the Community of Inquiry framework that I am interested in using in my dissertation work comes out of the Interpretivist/Pragmatic world view. Specifically it is the work of John Dewey which informs the combination of individual and social impacts on learning. (Summer 2010)
Having spent the fall reading though materials designed to help us understand our world views, I am happy and relieved to report that I can confirm the information above. The Interpretivist paradigm encompasses American pragmatism and really resonated with me. With regards to an objective/subjective continuum, Interpretivism is more on the subjective side but still accounts for that which can be 'quantified'. This intuitively makes sense for me since education and educators realize that with regards to the social sciences there is no one 'reality'. If we consider a status quo/ change continuum, Interpretivists are located more on the status quo end. They seek to understand the world but do not espouse a change agenda. (Winter 2010)
Now that I am further along in my studies I can report that the Community of Inquiry framework that I am interested in using in my dissertation work comes out of the Interpretivist/Pragmatic world view. Specifically it is the work of John Dewey which informs the combination of individual and social impacts on learning. (Summer 2010)
