Autobiographical vignettes: a medium for teachers’ professional learning through self-study and reflection

Abstract

Many teachers use their own work as the basis for research and this can be a complex and confronting task. It demands merging the roles of teacher, researcher and research participant. These roles may not speak with one voice. Some voices are faint, mere echoes; other voices convey a more confident sense of the different roles. This paper draws on a range of autobiographical vignettes that were used to bring together the fractured voices that emerged during an inquiry-focused research project in a primary school. The paper contributes to understandings about the place and practice of using autobiographical writing in teachers’ professional learning and argues that autobiographical vignettes can provide a starting point for enhancing learning by acting as a catalyst for reflection and self-study. Self-knowledge is vital for teachers because it paves the way for shaping and continuing to shape what teachers know about themselves as learners and what they might learn about teaching.

Keywords:

• autobiographical inquiry
• vignettes
• teachers’ learning
• teacher research