Some preliminary ideas on narrative inquiry in educational studies and educational reform are presented. Illustrations from Bay Street School (drawn from a 9-year research project on personal knowledge and narrative) are included. Since whatever may be said about narrative as method follows from its character as phenomenon, the aspects of…

Critiques the "Toughlove" story using perspectives suggested by dramatism and Walter R. Fischer's "narrative paradigm." Finds that the story had a compelling rhetorical impact on a parental support group. Indicates that stories can be created that affirm parents' self-worth and help them deal with their crises without leading…

This study examines the accomplishments of four women who served as deans of women, a once-crucial but now defunct role, in U.S. coeducational institutions in the South. Their contributions are assessed by examining five areas: institutions, impediments, initiatives, infrastructure, and intimacy. Surveying the careers of Sarah Gibson Blanding,…

Presents a historical and philosophical overview of ideas about permanence versus change in the self over time. Discusses the personal-narrative approach to the problem of identity continuity, describes a typology of strategies whereby adolescents interviewed in Canada made sense of self-continuity and change, and discusses significant differences…

Examines the socialization of anxiety based on analyses of narrative interactions between an agoraphobic woman, her husband, son, and daughter, who has been diagnosed with separation anxiety. Notes that although children of agoraphobic parents are at risk for developing anxiety, little is known about the socialization process and anxiety may be…

Salish elder Ellen White shares her thoughts, remembrances, life experiences, and traditional teachings. She discusses traditional modes of teaching children; the importance of story telling, experiential learning, metaphors, and spirituality in traditional education; and the personal characteristics of elders. The interviewer reflects on her…

A two-year study of teachers' attitudes about professional voice involved discussions among groups of colleagues about professional issues, addressing three areas of concern about dialogue: teacher interest, administrative support from the teacher's perspective, and constraints. The paper examines the importance of personal narratives to encourage…

Examined thematic differences in family stories told by parents according to parent and child gender, noting differences according to parent gender-type and matches between story themes and personal values related to child behavior. No significant main effects or interactions for affiliation themes existed. Interaction existed between parent…

Suggests that narrative discourse helped a management team resolve conflict, influence corporate decisions, and unify the group. Argues managers' preference for collectively constructed narrative reasoning reflected their beliefs that narrative conveyed contextual complexities and helped interpret other types of evidence. Shows how through…

In this article, the author provides an overview of the roles and attributes of emancipatory adult educators. He presents a review of the literature that discusses the inherent characteristics of storytelling that facilitate or inhibit learning and social change. The author describes the study's methodology. Brief portraits illustrate the social…

The contexts of loss are as numerous as they are varied. This article reflects upon loss within the context of the helping relationship and illustrates how storytelling, journaling, and correspondence can be used to process the experience of a counselor's loss. The richness of personal accounts, interwoven and connected, provides voice and place…

Teachers and teacher educators are often hard pressed to find resources that creatively integrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT), and intersex issues into the early stages of primary education. While there is a growing number of academics who stress the importance of addressing topics of sexual and gender diversity during the early…

Research shows that those who are incarcerated, as a whole, have come from difficult past environments. This leads to having a different way of learning than most others who have had successful educational experiences. Because of this, my research project focused on exploring storytelling/narrative, as a teaching strategy, and how it influences…

The ways in which personal narratives, particularly of familiar stories, are used to ratify group membership are examined. Focus is primarily on co-narrated stories, in which more than one group member participates in the re-telling of a familiar story. A typical instance in which family members collaboratively construct a story is offered as an…

This study's purpose was to understand further "how" significant leadership crises create a very particular context for telling stories and, specifically, "how" the lives of school leaders are affected by the stories they tell. The study presents the stories of seven private and public school leaders who have experienced a…