In danger of ‘going native’?
Juggling the roles of participant and observer
when researching North-South study visits
Helen Griffiths, University of Exeter, UK.
[email protected]
AAG conference April 14th – 19th 2010
Washington DC
Global Partnerships as Sites for Mutual Learning:
teachers’ professional development through study visit courses
• Three year ESRC-funded project based at the Graduate
School of Education, University of Exeter.
• October 2009- September 2012
• Investigating two global partnerships between the UK –
Gambia and UK – India
• Teachers’ learning and professional development
through North-South study visit courses
• Intercultural research team
• Project website: http://education.exeter.ac.uk/gpml
Dr Helen Griffiths, University of Exeter
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Gambia Study Visit Course
• Tide~ Global Learning, UK – NEA, Gambia
• Nine month study visit course with week
long visit to The Gambia.
• Experienced primary teachers and
educators- diverse group
• Mutual learning and working in
partnership
• Joint fieldwork/ conference between UK
and Gambian teachers
Dr Helen Griffiths, University of Exeter
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Mutual Learning
This North-South partnership is very unique. It is not a matter
of one part giving and the other receiving. It 's a give-give,
receive-receive mutual exchange between organisations,
individuals and agencies, and in a sense is a model for sustainable
development and bridging North-South...
All partners contribute equally as nations, organisations,
individuals. We have learnt a lot at an educational level, an
environmental level, even a cultural diversity level. It is very
important and we would nurture it at any cost.
Ndey Bakurin, NEA
Dr Helen Griffiths, University of Exeter
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UK-Gambian
colleagues
sharing ideas
during joint
conference
Learning from formal experiences:
beach replenishment scheme
Learning from informal
experiences: cooking Benachin
UK-UK group
learning: follow up
session on using
photographs in the
classroom
My role as participant observer
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Dual roles of participant observer on Tide~ course
Examine what teachers learn from the study visit
course about global and development issues.
In-depth research with five participants : series of
interviews
Theoretical perspectives underpinning research:
postcolonial theory, intercultural learning and
displacement spaces
My own learning journey, mirroring that of
participants
Dr Helen Griffiths, University of Exeter
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Juggling the roles of participant & observer
• Participant observation: an oxymoron?
• Insider vs. outsider
• Helen as ‘researcher’ vs. Helen as ‘participant’hard to separate/ blurry
• Authenticity: what can I offer the group?
• ‘Going native’? recognition and awareness of multipositioned (and repositioned) identity (Fuller,
1999).
Dr Helen Griffiths, University of Exeter
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Benefits and challenges
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Informal and formal experiences/ learning
Building up trust
Participant Observation vs. Interviews
What people say they do vs. what they do in
practice (Cloke et al., 2004)
Tiring: emotionally, physically and mentally!
Switching off
Holding back- intervention vs. participation
Confidentiality
Dr Helen Griffiths, University of Exeter
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Power relations
• Between me as ‘researcher’ and UK group
• Between me as UK ‘participant’ and Gambian
colleagues
• Participant with ‘special privileges’
• Academic as ‘expert’
• White persons’ privilege
Dr Helen Griffiths, University of Exeter
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Positionality and reflexivity
• Include where I’m coming from: previous baggage
• ‘Danger of a single story’, YouTube video by
Chimamanda Adichie
• Reflection- as a researcher and as a participant on
the Tide~ course
• Research diary/Learning journal
• Meta reflection
Dr Helen Griffiths, University of Exeter
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Some lessons to take forward
• The more I participate, the more I can get out of the
experience in terms of research and personal
learning.
• Being open to uncomfortable experiences, having
world views challenges/ troubled.
• Judging vs. Challenging opinions
Dr Helen Griffiths, University of Exeter
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