Checking the Baggage:
Passion and Perspective
Early on in the research process I was daunted by the enormity of change
as a topic, so much so that I strayed from this topic of longstanding
interest in search of another. I explored other areas that I found
fascinating, in particular reflective thinking and Stephen Brookfield’s
concepts as they relate to personal learning. I narrowed my focus,
formulated a new question and asked myself yet again, “Why do
I want to
know the answer to this question?” After peeling back the layers,
I was
reminded of the idiom “You can take the boy out of the country
but you
can’t take the country out of the boy.” The answer to this
new question,
formulated through exploration of other areas, would lead me back to
my original topic by providing insight into catalysts for change.
This process immediately reaffirmed for me two things. First, quite
simply, researchers are more apt to go beyond the usual—to take
risks
and seek creative solutions—if further knowledge and understanding
in
an area of strong personal interest is among the rewards. The circuitous
route that led me back to my original topic bears witness to this. Many
factors contribute to successful research: economics, personal and
professional supports, adaptability, self-discipline, and sustainability
of
interest, to name a few. All things being equal, in the end, quality
of
research may hinge on the level of personal interest—the passion—the
researcher has for the topic.
The second thing relates to bias and its impact. My interest in the
topic of
change and my unconscious inclination to return to it via other routes
is
telling and demonstrates how bias can direct research. Similarly, bias
affects practice, and the success of both can be limited by it; tendencies
to
view things from hard and fast viewpoints could restrict one’s
ability to
“see outside of the box.” Thus, recognition of bias is critical,
and how it
is addressed and the methods selected will affect outcomes. Possibilities
include taking an objective stance, challenging the bias by seeking
and
being open to other perspectives, acknowledging and working with the
bias to further learning in its direction, and further analysis of the
bias
itself. Analysis will aid in the detection of assumptions related to
the bias
and help to determine the underlying beliefs and values supporting it.
Personal beliefs as they relate to the value of formal1 and informal2
education stand as examples of the relationships that exist between
bias, personal values and beliefs. There is recognition among literacy
practitioners that both approaches to education are valuable and necessary
in today’s society. Both contribute to a development of skills
necessary to enable individuals to fully achieve personal fulfillment
through the creation, pursuit and attainment of goals. However, a practitioner’s
(and by extension a researcher’s) bias towards one or the other—as
they relate to all spheres of society—may impact on practice (research).
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