Personal narratives as a way to understand the worlds of college lecturers

Vered Tohar, Merav Asaf, Anat Kainan, Rakefet Shahar

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Personal narratives about the workplace were collected from 28 lecturers at a teacher education college in order to study their personal and professional worlds. The topic, characters and workplace terminology of the narratives were examined. Additionally, they were analyzed using LEVISTRAUSS' structural approach, GERGEN and GERGEN's evaluative model, and ARISTOTLE'S aesthetic approach of the dramatic plot. The analyses reveal that the lecturers have no unified terminology or conception regarding their place and role. Issues of identity are revealed in the narrators' overt and tacit attempts to gain acceptance in the college and to have input in what goes on there. We thus infer that the lecturers are occupied with questions of belonging and control. Since many of the lecturers are part-time employees, they have few interactions in the college and this may have resulted in their lack of full participation at the college.

Original languageEnglish
Article number12
JournalForum Qualitative Sozialforschung
Volume7
Issue number3
StatePublished - 2006
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Faculty improvement
  • Narrative analysis
  • Personal narratives
  • Teacher education
  • Teacher education college

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