Abstract
Narratives form a valuable part of teacher education, both during training and whilst in service (Mitton-Kukner, Nelson, & Desrochers, 2010), and allow practitioners to develop a greater understanding of both the teacher and the student experience (Connelly & Clandinin, 1994). It is widely accepted therefore that narratives enable teachers to expand their own understanding and should form an important part of continued professional development (Jalango, Isenberg, & Gerbracht, 1995). Consequently, the use of stories and narratives in teacher education has increased in recent years (Carter, 1993). Narratives can also enhance the student experience, in contrast to teacher training; however, there has been a reluctance to incorporate narratives into standard teaching practice, with the exception of specific subject areas, for example, English Literature, History or issues, such as Ethics or Culture (Florio-Ruane, 2001; Tappan & Brown, 1989). Both the process of writing and reading narratives can be beneficial and may be adapted to a range of subjects, such as science, in order to involve and motivate students (Stinner, 1995). Further demonstrating the flexibility of this approach, stories can be employed within both formal education and informal teaching (Savage, 2001), and although commonly associated with younger students, stories are just as valuable to older students (Rossiter, 2002).
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© 2015 Gayle Brewer
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Brewer, G. (2015). Introduction to Narratives. In: Brewer, G., Hogarth, R. (eds) Creative Education, Teaching and Learning. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137402141_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137402141_11
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