In our voices: A collaborative reflection on teaching and being taught

Abstract

Much of the literature on teaching qualitative research consists of instructional philosophies or descriptions of classroom activities. Little has been written about the actual experience of a qualitative research course, especially from the students’ perspective. Writing about a course without the voices of those being taught would be like critiquing a meal only by speaking with those who cooked it: we might know what was intended but not what was experienced. Thus, this collaborative paper, written from the perspectives of both instructor and students, offers a unique multilensed view of a course on qualitative social work research. Doctoral students from diverse backgrounds describe their struggles, frustrations, and moments of illumination as they engaged with this new paradigm of knowledge. Because no teaching module will affect all students in the same way, their reflections also explore the role of culture and individual history in shaping response to qualitative methods. Theories of adult learning are suggested as a way to assist the process of adjustment to what are, for many, unsettling new concepts. Students’ experiences are then compared with the existing literature. The paper concludes with applications of qualitative research for social justice and human rights.