When Filling the Research Gap Is Personal: Autoethnography and New Majority Students

Abstract

Given pandemic restrictions on learning and research, autoethnography has recently garnered renewed attention as a potential alternative. Drawing on our experiences as instructor and student, we make the case that autoethnography is not only relevant to pandemic-era teaching but could also offer an effective pedagogical tool to critically engage the lived experiences of an increasingly diverse student population in higher education that includes first-generation students and those of other minoritized backgrounds. We specifically outline the kinds of implications autoethnography can have on students at a personal level, in their understanding of research, and in terms of their overall well-being. Additionally, we discuss challenges with the method, provide examples of autoethnographic excerpts, and incorporate examples of learning exercises.