The diary, a narrative instrument of research and introspection at the university classroom

- 56- ThE DIARY, a NARRATIVE INSTRUMENT OF RESEARCH AND INTROSPECTION AT THE UNIVERSITY CLASSROOM Dra. Isabel López Górriz University of Seville (Spain) Introduction lilis paper we are introducing here deais with the diary of the university student as a device to do research and introspection. This diary is a narrative have been using for quite a i\umber of years in the study of the resource we subjects we teach. Subjects of research, such as: “Methodologica l bases of Educational Research”, “Qualitative Methods or Approaches of Research in education”, which belong to the curriculum of Pedagogy, and other subjects such as “Methods of Research in Education” and “Methodological Appro aches to do Action-Research”, which belong to the curriculum of Psycho-Pe- dagogy. We also have worked with the Diary as a means for research in some rkshops of Doctórate (PhD) and Master of education for Adult people. Hete we refer to the nature of the diary as a narrative instrument of re search and introspection which collects lots and diverse pieces of information which come up as the development of the topics/subjects we are working with takes place. In this way, in the diary, we give expression to an important piece of information and to a historical evolution of the construction of the topic or subject we are studying. We also record facts, situations, actions, learning aspects, strategies, feelings, emotions, processes, relationships, etc which are being developed as we are studying a subject. We place the diary within a constructivist concept of research in educa tion and teaching, in which the student develops a main and relevant role. He/She is the individual around who the construction of the knowledge takes place and, at the same time, he/she is the subject and the object of research in this process of studying a topic. The diary proves itself to be a precious object of research and introspecti- and it allows its main characters to see their historical and personé visión and development meanwhile they are studying the topics of a subject. It also collects the most important pieces of information which are to be analysed by the small group. It also allows the pupils to take in the different dimensions of the process of education/teaching/learning followed, as well as, the experiences, feelings and emotions which that process has generated within each person. The diary gives us the feedback to assess the subject of study, its methodology and the already acquired learning processes. wo on -57- ThE DIARY as a NARRATIVE INSTRUMENT OF RESEARCH AND INTROSPECTION The diary is an instxument which has been used all along the years (Lourau, 1988) with difFerent purposes/aims. So that, this use has given a variety of sorts of diaries (notebook of binnacle, personal diary, diary of fi eld of study, etc). At the university classroom we, as well, use the diary with difFerent perspectives (López Górriz, 1997). However, here we will centre around three diñiensions which we think are essential for the personal, professional and scientific training of the uni versity student. Let us write about every one of these three dimensions. The diary as a narrative instrument In a diary we, people, narrare facts, circumstances, emotions, feelings, reflections, considerations, actions, etc. All our life experiences are given pression and taken into consideration, and they make sense and get meaning when we put them into writing or when we narrare them. All this gives sense and meaning to our lives. Some authors State and quote as follows: All which happens to us could be considered a text, something which commits our capacity of listening, something which we must pay attention to. It is as if the books, and also the people, the objects, the art works, the nature or the events which happen around us, would be telling us something. And the education implies necessarily our capacity of listening (or reading) that, which the things previously mentioned have to tell us. A person who is not able to listen has cancelled his /her educational and transformational potential”. (Larrosa, 1996: 19). Writing about the facts and circumstances which have happened during a particular day, demands certain conditions: ● Stop for a little while to be aware of our inside self, retiring and meditating in order to listen to ourselves. ● Stop the time for external action, in order to get time to listen to our inward life, to our own life experiences as we feel them at that exact moment. ● When we are listening to our life experiences we let those come out and they get written down on a blank sheet of paper with narrative style, a certain type of discourse which comes up and emerges giving itself its own life and making itself real. It is a result which models our lives and our own beings. ● To give expression to our internal discourse, acquires its own form, makes up itself, remakes us up, remakes the definition of ourselves in a certain way, and moreover, it allows us to take out, and throw our anxieties and distress; so we unwind and relax, we come to a sometex- a certain - 58- hing, a real objea. Thanlcs to all that, a certain moment or a stage of our lives and a tí me in our beings has been given expression ● Writing allows us to get into the deep sense of our being, because as we write we come out with some new ideas, reflections, images, symbols, metáphors which give sense and meaning to our actions and to our existing beings. Writing helps us to rationalize things, to retrospectíve look over our lives and to plan our fiiture. ● Through the diary we develop our Ufe stories as pupils/learner s experiences in this learning process, the difficulties we come across with, the way we sort out those difficulties, the different ways of learning, the resources and strategies we learn and acquire, the way negotíate the group processes, the construaion of the knowledge, the teacher s sympathetíc accompaniment, etc. ● Writing gives us a perspective in time when we read and analyse what we have written. Writing allows us to get distant and to see ourselves more at a distance. It looks as if the main character, who but someone else, because this character has to. cast a , our we in faa is us, was not us Ufe on its own. When we reread our own written text we can get much more information, we can analyse it, we can assess it and we can get feedback. We can also see which stage of development we are in today with regard to the past time when we wrote those words, and we can feel that distressfiil and hard situations from the past dreadful as they looked. that sometimes some diaries from some are not as strenuous or as stu- ● It is interesting to see dents show great skiUs for writing in a very nice poetic and narrativo styles. These students are probably futuro that for US the diary can be clearly placed within the narrative, writers. We can say understanding as narrative the following. ‘"'The narrative is a structure ofconstruction of meaning. Human beings think, fi el and give meaning to their experience in accoreUnce with narrative structures. Thesymholicfirmsoftheexperíenceareprocesse dand representedin our memory through chain of temporalsequences... this is outline ofthe meaning According to it the human bein^ make their existente meaningfuL Narrative makes possible the social construction of meaning”. (BoUvar, Domingo y Fernández, 2000:23). an The diary as an instrument of research We stand up for the diary as an instrument of research placed within quaUtatíve and action research methodological approaches such as: narrative. - 59- phenomenologic, autobiographical, ethnographic, symbolic, interacuonism, participative action research in the classroom, cooperative and existential, (Barbier, 1997, 2002), among others. These approaches of the diary are also used in the Institutional Analysis (Hess, 1989) and in certain approaches related to the topic of assessment/evaluation. As a means of research (López Górriz, 1994), the diary has a great potential and fl exibility, because the researcher can use it the way which suits him/ her and in accordance to the object of research, the matter he/she is dealing with and the focus he/she gives to the matter. With regard to the diary used to collect information about Ufe experiences and the Ufe in the classroom, we give a number of guide Unes to do that recollection, but as a last resort, we would prefer a plan which is personal and according to the individual Ufe experience of each student/author in class and according to the pupils sensitivity and what calis more for his/her attention. Some of the outlines students to narrare and observe are the following: ® The teaching methodology in the classroom. ● Teaching and learning strategies. ● Resources and materials used. ● The dynamics of the group in the classroom. ● The dynamics of the small working groups. ● The variety of roles the teacher plays. ● Power management, problems which take place in the group dynamics. o Conflicts which emerge and the way to sort them out. ● The relational dynamics among the students and the relationship of these with the teacher. ● The variety of feelings, emotions and Ufe experiences which appear in the learning process during the school year, together with the tasks, actions and particular circumstances which take place. ● The diverse learning processes and strategies which are being developed, such as cognitive, experiential, social, instrumental, procedural, technological, scientific, researchal, etc. ● The development of the process of building up knowledge. ● Other pieces of information that guests from outside the classroom can bring or information coming from comments and debates, etc. ● The atmosphere in the classroom, the classroom management, the lesson planning, the chronograms, etc. To learn the strategies of external observation and self-observation is of fundamental importance, because the observation is not only a means but a methodological approach for research. On the other hand, to observe and suggest in order the we -60- coUect information, being the students the subject of observation requires lots of discipline and develops the capacity and the skill of being a good observen This discipline is needed to write and reflect thorou^y, accurately, rigorously and objectively what has been observed and experienced. The students also develop their skills of written expression in the variety of styles (narrative, descriptive...) As a means of research the diary not only means a collection or data, but it means, as well, that diese data have to be analysed and objectified. So at the end of the school year the students in groups of 5/6 people read, analyse and discuss their diaries; then they choose a theme and they categorize it. All along the process when doing this work the student gets greatly prised, when he/she fi nds that the time perspective has made him/her read and feels things diíferently from the beginning. StressRil situations from the beginning have been successMy sorted out. The students fi nd out that they are not the only ones feeling a certain way, other colleagues felt the same. So that, what looked singular and intimare has features of objectivity and universality. What is more, their learning life story through their diary has been given expression and meaning. Students have been able to use their diary as a device for communication of their intimacy and social life, as well as, a training resource sur- (Jurado Jiménez, 2006). The diary as an instrument for introspection The diary is also an important means for introspection. It is important fo r US to develop in out lessons, apart fr om a cognitive training and a capacity of research, an existential education. In this way the diary is a precious tool which allows the students to work and develop their skills of self observation and introspection. We assume that we, people, get educated and mould as we interact with other people. For us the classroom is a place where teachers and pupils meet and have different sorts of experiences. These experiences parallel to the learning process of the subject. On the other hand, students, while studying a subject develop certain feelings, emotions and experiences. They learn things, they get more open-minded, they learn from facts which evoice ideas, they get inspired to do something, they face up to certain attitudes and behaviour, they consider changing some of those attitudes, etc. It is essential to be a good listener. It is also important to use the diary as a develop the skills of self observation, so that students can take in the essential aspects of their Uves which have emerged from them. We . understand that: come out resource to -61 - “When listening one is ready to hear what he/she does not know, what hehhe does not wanty what he/she does not need. One is ready to lose fa ot and let himselflie doum or be draum by what he/she comes across with. He/She is ready to tum into an unknown direction. The other thing is something I can not reduce to my size. But the other thing is something from what I can leam and get experience, something which changes me with regard to himself\ (Larrosay 1996:21). When the students fi rst arrive in the classroom to study the subject, they have to be ready to run an adventure because they do not know where the constmctivist research and sharing process of study of the subject is going to take them. They have to learn how to monitor a number of resources which they, most times, are unfamiliar with. Now they have to acquire and develop those resources. The students have to be ready to experience or suíFer rupture and conflict, as well as, to have times when they become confused and disorientated. But they also experience hope and success when they fi nd out that they can sort out problems successíully. To run this transformational adventure means to be ready to risk and experiment. So that, experience something means that something has happened to usy something reaches/touches tes; something takes us over and transforms US. When we say 'do"an experience that does not mean that we are ma/zing it happen. “To do"here means: to suffer, to accepty to let US be questioned and asked for clarification. We can be changed by . those experiences from one day to the next or through a longerperiod of time". (Heidegger en Larrosay 1996:20). We think that along this training process the students go through learning situations which creare rupture in them and make them face up to unknown circumstances which they never faced up to before. To do a diary which allows them to empty themselves, to express their ideas, to narrare their experiences, to tell their confliets, their emotions, hopes, new ideas and future plans is necessary and essential for their training. The diary is necessary to record their breakage, as well as their comprehension,. understanding and restructuring. Self-observation, recollection of Ufe experiences and feelings and expulsión of certain aspeets, allow students to feel much better. To leave a record of certain situations, to make them clear, to analyse them with a perspective of time helps students to give meaning to those situations. Students can relate the experiences they went through to a learning methodological approach which made them suf fer at times. But other times they found out the big potential of transformation which the diverse ways of learning brought to them. They can also realize that they have undergone a real character transformation or metamorphosis. -62- The diaiy as an instniment for introspection and analysis allows students to record/recáll and fi nd out diese Ufe experiences and changes. CONTEXTUALIZATION OF THE USE OF THE DIARY AT THE UNIVERSITY CLASSROOM We use the diary as a means to study certain subjects from the curriculum have already mentioned at the be- : Methodological Bases of Educational of Pedagogy and Psycho-pedagogy. As ginning of this paper diese subjects Research, QuaUtative Methods or Approaches of Research in Education which belong to the curriculum of Pedagogy, and Methods of Research in Educati- and Methodological Approaches to Action-Research which belong to the curriculum of Psycho-Pedagogy. We plan our university teaching ffom a complex and consrruccivist perspective (Porlán, 1993), as well as, from a researching point of view (López Górriz, Jurado Jiménez y Aparcero Martínez, 2006). Hiis teaching takes place in the university classroom which is like a lab where people generate their experiences and their transformation. Briefly we will State the conceptual bases which will help people understand better the meaning of the diary. We give rhe students the role of indi viduáis being able to build up their learning processes through research. In order the individuáis to build up meaningful processes of learning, we think, that they have to start fr om what they already know about the subject or the topic they are <i«.ling with. (i.e. what they understand when we use expressions such as “concept of Science, scientific knowledge, research approach, etc.”). From that previous knowledge we can get to work the thematic nucleus of the subject with the help of some specific papers. That focus tequires a dynamic teachefs role. Apart fr om explaining the basic and necessary concepts, the teacher gets together with the students to help them build up the definition of those concepts. They also have the help of specific papers/articles. So the students must master reading strategies such as: extract the main ideas and concepts, do summaries, compare, conrrast, relate similar concepts, organize the discoutse, etc. AU this will help the students to make to study. Normally when the students we are on a list of the main topics they are going arrive in our class, mainly the ones from the fi rst year, they are not used to this :y of working. So they have to be introduced and trained. The fi rst half of the syllabus of a subject is more conceptual and the students must learn how to build their thematic nucleus. Teachers help them with explanations, guidance and accompaniment. This part is basic and necessary to do the second part. When the students start they feel lost and disorientated. Later on they acquire and learn the logics of a constructive cognitive way of building up their knowledge. wa -63- During the second half of the school year the students follow processes of constmction of knowledge with research approaches. The students in small groups of 5/6 people plan, design, develop, and present a topic to be researched. That is to say that the students decide the topic they are going to deal with. And this topic should be studied with a methodological research approach. During that second part of the school year we alternare theoretical lecturing with lessons where teachers guide the students with their practical work. At the same time the analysis of the diaries is taking place. Along this process the students have to leam how to develop the theoretical basics of the theme to be researched. They have to plan the main point of research with its aims, hypothesis, variables, sample, instruments, resources, analysis and report of research. The plan is carried out in group, so the members have to learn about aspects such as: group management, sharing of tasks, responsibilities, learns. how to sort out the conflicts, dialogues, listening, malee plans, etc. In general students have to learn how to build up knowledge with a research, cooperative and group focus. The students have to make a qualitative analysis of their diaries in small groups. From that analysis they come out with the points they are going to categorize. Finally they are sharing and presenting in the classroom their plans and essays together with the analysis of their diaries. During this second part of their work the students go through complicated times. They not only have to know well the means to build up knowledge, but they also have to plan and develop a proper oudine for research, they have to learn about group management, they have to go out of the classroom and into the social world to fi nd the sample, they have to leave aside their shyness when speaking to their colleagues in class, they have to put together and share the information from their diaries, they have to analyse that information, etc. Even though we, teachers, accompany our students in this process, they go through moments of suffering and conflict. However, they feel and see more dynamic and much more real the materialization of their plan and time goes quicker now than in the fi rst part. Within this framework the students will have to develop their diary fr om the beginning of the school year to the end. Then they will do its analysis together in a small group. Later on they will share their work with the class. Finally they will do an assessment of the methodology and the process followed in all the tasks related to the subject. To draw up the diary the students must follow the steps previously mentioned and on it there will there will be different aspects which are happening -64- have happened in the classroom. It will collect from the most external facts to the most internal life experiences. Ihe diary has lots of dimensions: research, narrative, introspective, evaluative, educational, existential, guidance etc. Here put special emphasis on the fi rst three dimensions; however, we believe and think that this instrument, the diary, is much more complex and complete. The students work out their diary according to their skills of observation their sensitivity, their capacity to capture and reflect their observations, their idiosyncrasy, their experiences, their present moment, the circumstances around them, etc. When the diaries are read, not everybody gives the same importance to the facts or events narrated on them. Sometimes the facts which at fi rst sight look unimportant, later on, they are the most questionable facts. On the other hand, the diary turns to be a confidant where authors /students throw all their worries and upsets, even though these can go fiirther from the life of the classroom. Incidents, accidents, personal and familiar worries are put in their writings. From this we draw out that the diary goes fiirther than the classroom studies and it is a friend which gets together with the students at that very moment of their lives: All this leads us to the following ethic matter: where is the limit between what is prívate and what is public/social or half public? At this point we leave the students to decide what information they are going to share and what information they want to keep as prívate. Some pupils who are not so happy with the diary at the beginning advice other colleagues to get involved in it because their experience after having gone through the process has been very positive. Samples of certain aspects collected/taken from some diaries Here we exemplify with some paragraphs from the students’ diaries. To make it short and simple we will use the diary of a student fi rom her fi rst university year which corresponds to this actual school year. It has been taken at random. My experience fi rom the first day in class. Introduction of the topics of the subject. 7r was my second day at the University ofPedagogy. I was less nervous than the fi rst day, but I was as enthusiastic and eager to get to know the teachers and the colleagues as the fi rst day. At about lia Mrs. with dark said to be the teacher ofMethodological Bases fi or our group IP. I wondered what Mrs. was like until the time carne and Isabel broke the ice with her introduction. Some minutes later the group of students started to get relax and smiled and laughed with Isabel who asked for a one by one introduction (...) There was a brief introduction ofthe subjecP' {¿>izry of a student, October). or we