Interrogating paradigmatic and narrative analyses against a backdrop of teacher professionalism

Abstract

In response to Denzin and Lincoln’s claim that using a variety of interpretive analyses enables a better understanding of the world, I examine two different analyses of the same data set. Using a survey of preservice elementary education students (n = 208) asked to describe their perceptions of teacher professionalism, I contrast the application of Polkinghorne’s paradigmatic and narrative analyses. Using the crises of representation, legitimization and praxis, I interrogate both sets of results making an argument for the value of multiple and varied analyses.

Keywords:

• narrative
• analyses
• professionalism
• paradigmatic

Notes

1. Italics cited by a bracketed number refer to a specific survey response with the number identifying the survey from which the response was transcribed.

2. Synchronic data lack the historical and developmental dimension. They are framed as categorical answers to questions put by an interviewer (Mishler 1986) and provide information about the present situation or belief of an informant (Polkinghorne 1995, 12).

3. To maintain a high degree of transparency, I again use italics (and survey numbers) to identify where the words in my narrative story come from. I represent my voice with the standard font.