Tracing Filaments: The multidimensional, transdisciplinary potentials of postformal research
Type:
Panel Discussions
Category:
Online
Place:
Online 4
Date and time:
10:30 to 11:30 on 02/13/2025
While the field of qualitative research has moved away from neopositivism toward constructivist, postmodern, critical and participatory directions, the discourse on what qualifies as “research” validated by universities and funding agencies typically reinscribes neopositivism as the foundation for knowledge-seeking (Tobin & Kincheloe, 2009). As such, the utility of qualitative research for asking new questions and generating new insights into social phenomena may be undermined as researchers themselves find comfort and validation in the well-worn paths of positivist discourse typically reinforced by their disciplines and workplaces. As well-worn paths may lead to predetermined destinations, research questions and findings may become circular and repetitive, and across generations, scholars attempt to find answers to repeating questions that seem resistant to resolution. This panel presentation introduces postformal research as a potential escape route from the circular logic of neopositivist discourse...