YDEV 506 #7

"The term reflexivity (Hammersley & Atkinson, 1995) is often used for this unavoidable mutual influence of the research participants and the researcher on each other." (Maxwell p.234)

I had never heard this term before and really enjoy both the word itself and also the definition supplied. I think this is such an important and interesting point of qualitative research. One that I experienced for myself both within the classroom setting/research and also in my qualitative capstone project. I find that often times this is somehow used to make qualitative studies seems less "legit" or harder to "qualify". However, I believe it's this relationship building that is both essential for and what makes qualitative studies so incredibly important. Observation can only take you so far. It is the conversing of the researcher and subjects that creates such meaningful and powerful results - an actual look into the thought processes behind the behaviors. I think this is even more important when it comes to working with and researching youth specifically. I know in my own classroom not just me relationships with children, but even just my presence itself could completely throw off the room or certain kiddos. Children, being so in tune to things many adults learn to ignore, are able to pick up on if you are frustrated, overwhelmed, scared, or sad. The more I was able to keep myself balanced and attuned to the space, the easier it was for my children to achieve the same calmness. Understanding my different relationships with different children was helpful in my daily "research". If there was a child that had a stronger relationship with another teacher I would often pass some of the observation off to that teacher. Often times as educators our own personalities, triggers, and mannerisms might not jive well with every child. Understanding this is important and delegating that child's "research" to a teacher who understands them better can bring better and more accurate results. During my capstone I interviewed several educators and parents. Most of whom I'd had a previous relationship with, some I had not. I noticed that my interviews with those I already knew ended up feelings and looking very different from those I did already know. Not to say either seemed to be "Better', but certainly different. I found it difficult to know if my relationships with interviewees were affecting the kind of answers given, either negatively or positively. I thought about how much this small thing, although "unavoidable" as Maxwell points out, could really impact a qualitative study. Maxwell states that "eliminating the actual influence of the researcher is impossible (Hammersley & Atkinson, 1995), and the goal in a qualitative study is not to eliminate this influence but to understand it and to use it productively" (Maxwell p.243). I used the strategy of "respondent validation" during my capstone to try and make sure I was accurately understanding and comprehending the intention of the interviewee regardless of how well I knew them.