Sense and Sensitivity / Imagination and Praxis: Criticality and Creativity in Education and Educational Research (PDF)

The study described in this book is a
qualitative phenomenological research study whose objective was to reveal the
writer's identity of teacher educators in academia and to discover how they
express this identity in their teaching practice. Twenty-three academic
scholars were interviewed for the study.

The research findings indicate that the identity
of the writer is complex, incorporating three interwoven aspects: a cognitive
aspect, an emotional aspect and a sociocultural aspect.

The cognitive aspect finds expression in the
writer's awareness and understanding of the medium of writing, which explicitly
and openly entails the production of ideas while writing. This process is
fundamentally rhizomatic in that it moves in different directions, each time
beginning anew from a different point, and is ultimately geared toward a
multidirectional and multilayered product.

The emotional aspect in the writer's life is
somewhat mystical in nature. It is a medium that surrounds writers at all times
and enables them to find their voice and their place in the world. The writing
workspace is perceived as part of this aspect. It is a sanctuary that provides
inspiration, is designed according to the writer's needs and shapes the
writing.

The sociocultural aspect shapes the identity of
the writer and highlights social mirroring as part of the writer's positioning
in life and in the professional community.

Intended audience: This book is aimed at the
community of researchers in the writing domain. It is also of interest to
academic scholars in higher education who perceive writing as part of their
personal and academic identity. Qualitative researchers will find interest in
the research method and the relations between qualitative genres, among them
phenomenological and narrative genres.