Abstract
In a research career that exceeds 40 years there have been continuous changes in my research methodology on a number of dimensions. The most salient differences involved changes in the theoretical framework that began with logical positivism and gradually changed to embrace sociological and cultural frameworks such as hermeneutic phenomenology, reflexivity, culture, and ethics. A necessity to include multiple voices to obtain participants’ perspectives catalyzed ontological issues, including how to deal with difference and embrace polysemia. As well as researching patterns of coherence I adapted methodologies to build understanding based on research on contradictions, which defined events. Thus event-oriented inquiry sought to understand social life through intensive research on spikes in coherence trajectories. Authentic inquiry drew attention to priorities given to theory and improvement of practice on the one hand and multilectical relationships that considered authenticity holistically – recursively considering goals associated with changing ontologies while learning from others, teaching others about personal standpoints and practices, and ensuring that institutions and all individuals benefit from participating in research. I conclude with cautions about the transcendent nature of social inquiry and a reminder of obligations researchers have to participate ethically in research dialogues, listen to learn, and enact right speech to foster social justice for all.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Arendt, H. (1958). The human condition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Atkin, J. M., & Black, P. J. (2003). Inside science education reform: A history of curricular and policy change. New York: Teachers College Press.
Baer, R. A., & Sauer, S. (2009). Mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy: A commentary on Harrington and Pickles. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy: An International Quarterly, 23, 324–332.
Bakhtin, M. M. (1986). Speech genres & other late essays (V. W. McGee, Trans., C. Emerson & M. Holquist Eds.). Austin: University of Texas Press.
Bayne, G. (2012). Capturing essential understandings of the urban science learning environment. Learning Environments Research, 15, 231–250.
Bourdieu, P. (1992). The practice of reflexive sociology (The Paris workshop). In P. Bourdieu & L. J. D. Wacquant (Eds.), An invitation to reflexive sociology (pp. 216–260). Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Brophy, J. (1987). Syntheses of research on strategies for motivating students to learn. Educational Leadership, 45(2), 40–48.
Brown, A. L. (1992). Design experiments: Theoretical and methodological challenges in creating complex interventions in classroom settings. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 2, 141–178.
Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 822–848.
Brown, K. W., Ryan, R. M., & Creswell, J. D. (2007). Mindfulness: Theoretical foundations and evidence for its salutary effects. Psychological Inquiry, 18(4), 211–237.
Collins, R. (2004). Interaction ritual chains. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Davidson, R. J. with Begley, S. (2012). The emotional life of your brain. London: Hodder & Stoughton.
Davidson, R. J., Kabat-Zinn, J., Schumacher, J., Rosenkranz, M., Muller, D., Santorelli, S. F., Urbanowski, F., Harrington, A., Bonus, K., & Sheridan, J. F. (2003). Alterations in brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation. Psychosomatic Medicine, 65, 564–570.
Eisenhart, M. (2008). Generalized notions from qualitative inquiry. In K. Ercikan & W.-M. Roth (Eds.), Generalizing from educational research (pp. 51–66). New York: Routledge.
Erickson, F. (1986). Qualitative research on teaching. In M. C. Wittrock (Ed.), Handbook of research on teaching (3rd ed., pp. 119–161). New York: Macmillan.
Geertz, C. (1973). The interpretation of cultures. New York: Basic Books.
Goffman, E. (1983). The interaction order: American Sociological Association, 1982 Presidential Address. American Sociological Review, 48, 1–17.
Guba, E. G., & Lincoln, Y. (1989). Fourth generation evaluation. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Hayes, K., Steinberg, S., & Tobin, K. (Eds.). (2010). Key works in critical pedagogy: Joe Kincheloe. Dordrecht: Sense Publishers.
Heidegger, M. (1996). Being and time. Albany: State University of New York Press.
Hurd, P. D. (1997). Inventing science education for the new millennium. New York: Teachers College Press.
Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (1999). Making cooperative learning work. Theory into Practice, 38(2), 67–73.
Kincheloe, J. L. (2008). Knowledge and critical pedagogy: An introduction. Dordrecht: Springer.
Kincheloe, J. L., & Tobin, K. (2009). The much exaggerated death of positivism. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 4, 513–528. doi:10.1007/s11422-009-9178-5.
Lake, J. H. (1974). The influence of wait-time on the verbal dimension of student inquiry behavior. Doctoral dissertation, Rutgers University, 1973. Dissertation Abstracts International, 34, 6476–A.
Lévinas, E. (1999). Alterity & transcendence (M. B. Smith, Trans.). New York: Columbia University Press.
Philippot, P., Chapelle, G., & Blairy, S. (2002). Respiratory feedback in the generation of emotion. Cognition & Emotion, 16, 605–627.
Ritchie, S. M., Tobin, K., & Hook, K. S. (1997). Viability of mental models in learning chemistry. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 34, 223–238.
Roth, W.-M. (2007). Theorizing passivity. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 2, 1–8.
Rowe, M. B. (1969). Science, silence, and sanctions. Science and Children, 6(6), 11–13.
Rowe, M. B. (1974). Reflections on wait-time: Some methodological questions. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 11, 263–279.
Schutz, A. (1967). The phenomenology of the social world (G. Walsh & F. Lehnert, Trans.). Chicago: Northwestern University Press.
Sewell, W. H., Jr. (2005). Logics of history: Social theory and social transformation. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Shady, A. (2014). Negotiating cultural differences in urban science education: an overview of teacher’s first-hand experience reflection of cogen journey. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 9, 31–51. doi:10.1007/s11422-013-9486-7.
Tobin, K. (1987). The role of wait time in higher cognitive level learning. Review of Educational Research, 57, 69–95.
Tobin, K. (2000). Becoming an urban science educator. Research in Science Education, 30, 89–106.
Tobin, K. (2006). Qualitative research in classrooms: Pushing the boundaries of theory and methodology. In K. Tobin & J. L. Kincheloe (Eds.), Doing educational research: A handbook (pp. 15–59). Rotterdam: Sense Publishing.
Tobin, K. (2012). Sociocultural perspectives on science education. In B. J. Fraser, K. Tobin, & C. J. McRobbie (Eds.), The international handbook of research in science education (2nd ed., pp. 3–17). Dordrecht: Springer.
Tobin, K., & Gallagher, J. J. (1987). What happens in high school science classrooms? Journal of Curriculum Studies, 19, 549–560.
Tobin, K., & Llena, R. (2011). Producing and maintaining culturally adaptive teaching and learning of science in urban schools. In C. Murphy & K. Scantlebury (Eds.), Coteaching in international contexts: Research and practice (pp. 79–104). Dordrecht: Springer.
Tobin, K., & Ritchie, S. M. (2011). Multi-method, multi-theoretical, multi-level research in the learning sciences. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 20(3), 117–129.
Tobin, K., & Roth, W.-M. (2006). Teaching to learn: A view from the field. Rotterdam: Sense Publishing.
Tobin, K., Seiler, G., & Walls, E. (1999). Reproduction of social class in the teaching and learning of science in urban high schools. Research in Science Education, 29, 171–187.
Tobin, K., Roth, W.-M., & Zimmermann, A. (2001). Learning to teach in urban schools. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 38, 941–964.
Tobin, K., Elmesky, R., & Seiler, G. (Eds.). (2005). Improving urban science education: New roles for teachers, students and researchers. New York: Rowman & Littlefield.
Varelas, V. (Ed.). (2012). Identity construction and science education research: Learning, teaching, and being in multiple contexts (pp. 141–156). Dordrecht: Sense Publishers.
Vargas, J. S. (1972). Writing worthwhile behavioral objectives. New York: Harper & Row.
von Glasersfeld, E. (2007). Key works in radical constructivism (M. Larochelle, Ed.). Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
Vygotsky, L. (1962). Thought and language. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Tobin, K. (2014). Using Collaborative Inquiry to Better Understand Teaching and Learning. In: Bencze, J., Alsop, S. (eds) Activist Science and Technology Education. Cultural Studies of Science Education, vol 9. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4360-1_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4360-1_8
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-4359-5
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-4360-1
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawEducation (R0)