Reclaiming the scientific spirit: common ground for educational researchers.
Journal of Thought › Vol. 40 Nbr. 4, December 2005
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Reclaiming the scientific spirit: common ground for educational researchers.
I don't believe in marriage.... Let me be clear about that. I think at worst it's a hostile, political act--a way for small-minded men to keep women in the house and out of the way, wrapped up in the guise of tradition and conservative religious nonsense. At best, it's a happy delusion. It's two people who really love each other and have no idea how truly miserable they're about to make each other. But when two people know that--and they decide with eyes wide open to face each other and get married anyway, then I don't think it's conservative or delusional. I think it's radical, courageous, and very romantic.... (Taymor, 2002)
A Critical Union This soliloquy from the movie Frida was given as a toast upon the marriage of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, and I believe it offers a powerful revelation to us as educational researchers now faced with the challenge of reconciling tensions regarding the scientific nature of our work. For qualitative, quantitative, and arts-based researchers to enter into a common discourse with eyes wide open--all the while knowing how divergent our basic epistemological assumptions are--is both radical and courageous. Yet, how can we be otherwise? Considering the current political climate where so much of the quality of the daily life of students and teachers is being based upon a narrowly defined concept of "scientifically proven," how can we not join in such a union? As researchers, we stand at a critical point and time, in which we need to make a commitment to each other, to schools, and to the scientific spirit that joins us. A marriage of sorts is required between researchers who see the world very differently. In order to achieve this, I believe we must create a common ground in which the multiple forms of inquiry can come together--eyes wide open--and collectively "strive to be articulate" (Dewey, 1944a, p. 66). Reclaiming the Scientific Spirit In recent years, educators have debated the nature and legitimacy of educationa...See the full content of this document
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