Robin, a doctoral graduate student in engineering education, is currently writing her dissertation. After submitting a complete draft to her advisor, Pamela, Robin receives revisions critical of including a positionality statement that details her worldview and discloses her social group memberships related to race, class and gender.
Pamela recommends that Robin omit the section entirely and asserts that positionality statements are unprecedented in engineering education and in quantitative studies more broadly. Pamela asserts the statement is distracting and may delegitimize Robin’s scholarship.
Robin asks to meet with Pamela and offers that the inclusion of such a statement is an acknowledgment that no inquiry is independent from culture, and that the socialization of the investigator is a significant component for the reader to consider when reviewing her research questions, design, analyses and conclusions. Pamela is compelled by Robin’s conviction and agrees to peruse a few citations at her recommendation to learn more. Pamela and Robin read and discuss emerging perspectives in critical statistics as well as review publications that inspired Robin’s design.
Pamela agrees to support Robin’s decision and advocates on her behalf to the rest of her committee. Further, inspired by their exploration, Pamela integrates new epistemological perspectives in her graduate course on research methods in an effort to expose more students and to expand her own learning.
- The Issue: Robin and Pamela are at an impasse about whether to include a positionality statement in a quantitative study in engineering education. Robin believes the statement strengthens her research design and Pamela believes inclusion will undermine Robin’s scholarly credibility.
- The Deliberation: Pamela agrees to dialogue with Robin and learns more about emerging perspectives in research design.
- The Growth: Pamela recognizes the explicit and implicit influences of an investigator’s socialization in virtually all research activities and creates opportunities to further her learning and facilitate learning for others.