The Narrative Approach to Research Professional Identity : Relational, Temporal, and Dialogical Perspectives

Abstract

In this chapter, we present the narrative approach as applied in the field of professional learning. The specific aim is to present the methodological opportunities and concerns it raises in research on professional identity within the sociocultural frames of work environments. We utilise examples from empirical studies that have employed a range of narrative methods to collect and analyse datasets. The datasets include individuals’ written and spoken narratives, encompassing the told experiences of their identities, and the meanings underlying these. We illustrate how a particular strength of narrative research lies in its ability to portray temporal pathways through the phenomena under investigation, and the relational and dialogical aspects pertaining to them. We also discuss the main challenges in the approach, and how it may be possible to conduct credible and significant research despite the challenges. We conclude with a discussion on future avenues of narrative research in the field of professional learning.