Learning to be a teacher - examining the role of self-as-researcher in a phenomenological study

Many qualitative studies position the researcher as either an impartial observer or as an active participant in any given gathering of humanistic data. This paper presents the researcher in a different paradigm and emphasises the importance of the researcher's story being told as well as those of the participants. The paper presents the research of a doctoral study that used a phenomenological framework and adopted a narrative inquiry approach. Narrative inquiry was used as it recognised that particular research interests often have their genesis in the researcher’s own experience and background. This study focused on how you can explore the role of self-as-researcher in order to be open to listen and report on the findings of those who we study.