Experiential criticism: a methodology for researching experience in education

ABSTRACT

This work presents experiential criticism as a methodology for researching experience in education. The approach draws on elements of pragmatism, phenomenology, ethnography, and educational criticism and connoisseurship and was developed through a study of the adventure education experience. It is comprised of three modes of inquiry: (1) observation of others in experience, (2) conversation about experience, and (3) participation in experience. The use of all three modes positions the researcher to arrive at an empirically corroborated understanding of the experience. This methodology contributes to the body of methods necessary to centre experience in educational research.

KEYWORDS:

• Educational criticism and connoisseurship
• phenomenology
• ethnography
• educational experience
• mobile interviewing
• meanings

Acknowledgements

I wish to acknowledge and thank Dr Bruce Uhrmacher for his support in advancing these ideas. I also wish to thank the reviewers of this article for their helpful comments.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.