Writing 5 : Summary of Journal 4

To this section i want to talk the journal that i have read about narrative inquiry. Narrative inquiry itself is rooted in the work of Connely and Clandinin (1988) who define narrative inquiry as “the study of how humans make meaning of experience by endlessly telling and retelling stories about themselves that both refigure the past and create purpose in the future. Narrative inquiry encompasses the stories that people tell, as well as the collection, desccription, and interpretation of those stories, producing “narrative of experience” ( Connely & Clandinin, 1990, p.2). in education, narrative inquiry in english education can be powerful pedagogical tool as in addition that narratives have characters who are a part of the events, as well as narrators who construct the story.

In narrative inquiry, students are characters in their narratives, they are a part of the events and experiences about which they write. Students need opprtunities, and encouragement to become “narrators” that examine their perspectives and attittudes in order to make sense of those aspects of their narratives. When engaged in narrative inquiry, guiding students toward a stance of constructed knowing seems logical, if not necessary, and requires a pedagogy that blends their past experience. As prospective teacher engage in narrative inquiry, they may be allowed to return in a sense, to a position of subjective knowing. At the least, they know that their subjective knowledge is powerful tool of learning.

In my opinion, that narrative inquiry is important in english education because it gives challenge in education. Narrative inquiry reflects a vision of teaching and leads to the construction of knowledge, particularly knowledge of self, knowledge of others, and concept knowledge of teaching. So it gives both teachers and students benefit in education.         

Reference:

Knight, S. D. (2009). The power of students”stories: Narrative inquiry in English education. Journal of language and literacy education [ online ], 5(1), 48-58.