Qualitative research: focus on new paradigms (part ii: constructivism) Issues in Research Methodology II Professor Sabine Mendes Moura sabine.mendes@gmail.com

Paradigms and methodological approaches Paradigms (sets of beliefs) Methodological approaches (the how-tos and research designs)

From traditional to contemporary qualitative research paradigms (taylor & medina, 2013)

New approaches for new paradigms (constructivism) In general: the interpretivist/constructivist paradigm grew out of the philosophy of Edmund Husserl's phenomenology and Wilhelm Dilthey's and other German philosophers' study of interpretive understanding called hermeneutics (Mertens, 2005). Interpretivist/constructivist approaches to research have the intention of understanding "the world of human experience" (Cohen & Manion, 1994, p.36), suggesting that "reality is socially constructed" (Mertens, 2005, p.12) – http://www.iier.org.au/iier16/mackenzie.html In language: it became widespread with the (re)discovery of Vygotsky, Bakhtin (forming research lines of their own) and, more recently, Luria and Leontiev (activity theory). In teaching –learning research, Piaget’s influence is also important.

New approaches for new paradigms (constructivism) The interpretivist/constructivist researcher tends to rely upon the "participants' views of the situation being studied" (Creswell, 2003, p.8) and recognizes the impact on the research of their own background and experiences. Constructivists do not generally begin with a theory (as with post-positivists) rather they "generate or inductively develop a theory or pattern of meanings" (Creswell, 2003, p.9) throughout the research process. The constructivist researcher is most likely to rely on qualitative data collection methods and analysis or a combination of both qualitative and quantitative methods (mixed methods). Quantitative data may be utilized in a way, which supports or expands upon qualitative data and effectively deepens the description.

New approaches for new paradigms (constructivism) Classroom approach and research method all in one!

New approaches for new paradigms (constructivism)

New approaches for new paradigms (constructivism) – HUMBERTO MATURANA "When one puts objectivity in parenthesis, all views, all verses in the multiverse are equally valid. Understanding this, you lose the passion for changing the other. One of the results is that you look apathetic to people. Now, those who do not live with objectivity in parentheses have a passion for changing the other. So they have this passion and you do not. For example, at the university where I work, people may say, ‘Humberto is not really interested in anything,’ because I don’t have the passion in the same sense that the person that has objectivity without parentheses. And I think that this is the main difficulty. To other people you may seem too tolerant. However, if the others also put objectivity in parentheses , you discover that disagreements can only be solved by entering a domain of co-inspiration, in which things are done together because the participants want to do them. With objectivity in parentheses, it is easy to do things together because one is not denying the other in the process of doing them." Humberto Maturana - Interview 1985.

New approaches for new paradigms (constructivism) – HUMBERTO MATURANA Biologist, Cybernetician, Scientist Invented his theory of autopoiesis following in the pathways of Bateson, Wittgenstein and many others. He has spent his career elaborating this theory within a biological research programme in his laboratory in Santiago and continues generating experimental evidence for the thesis that reality is a consensual communal construction while appearing to be ‘objectively’ existing. The notion of ‘objectivity’ is replaced by that of ‘constructivism’. Does not reference anyone other than himself [Maturana’s theory of ‘self-reference’].   Radical construtivism http://www.oikos.org/maten.htm

New approaches for new paradigms (constructivism) - http://www

New approaches for new paradigms (constructivism) – MARQUES RIBEIRO, 2012

New approaches for new paradigms (constructivism)

New approaches for new paradigms (constructivism)