Songs of innocence and of experience: impressionist tales and secret stories of life in classrooms

Abstract

During 1996, in my role as a science teacher and researcher, I conducted an intensive participant observational study in an innovative Australian middle school. The activity involved team teaching with a group of five teachers attempting to implement curricular innovations such as portfolio assessment, integrated curriculum, and teacher collaborative planning. I chose a narrative methodology, including 'impressionist tales of the field' (Van Maanen, 1988), to both conduct and represent this research into my own and others' teaching practices and values. A 'novel' woven from those narratives, entitled 'School Stories', formed a significant proportion of the research report.