Abstract

Seven stories about a university's coping with teaching and learning during the outbreak of SARS in Hong Kong were read and interpreted from a narrative psychology perspective. Specifically, narrative analysis of the seven stories was preceded by reviewing the background of the stories, the origin of narrative psychology, the nature of narrative research, and the typical frameworks for narrative analysis. Each story was then read and interpreted in light of its externalized problem, unique outcomes, and the dual landscapes of action and consciousness using the White-Epston narrative therapy approach. The view of reading and interpreting stories from multiple perspectives and retelling stories that are built on strengths is emphasized.

Keywords: narrative analysis; SARS stories; Hong Kong

Abstract

This paper explores the nature of narrative in educational research, examining the resurgence of this form of research inquiry. A personal perspective on the nature of narrative is presented. All of the seven narratives are examined in terms of how the crisis nature of SARS stimulated an innovative response that clearly related to key themes which can be viewed as principles for effective pedagogy. These principles are "making connections", "developing confidence", and "maintaining focus". It is suggested that these principles may provide an effective framework for examining other contexts of educational change.

Keywords: narrative; analysis of complexity; connections; confidence; focus

Abstract

This paper begins with an initial meaning of philosophy of education through narrative pedagogy, illustrated by the author's own story for narrative quest. It points to the triadic interplay in narratives among authors, narrators and readers in determining the meanings of stories. Three further sections explore a second meaning, i.e., explicating the nature, the significance and the practice of narrative pedagogy for educationally meaningful storied changes. Built upon seven stories of how teaching colleagues at the CUHK coped with the SARS outbreak and other responding papers, it provides layers of narrative analysis drawing on "narrative philosophy". It also illustrates narrative in terms of significantly unified moments, necessarily involving three moments of a story: the past, the present and the future; or in other words, the beginning, the middle (as the plot under "emplotment") and the ending. Further, it exemplifies aspects of narrative pedagogy as a narrative art putting narrative inquiry into teaching practice. The last section ends with some critical comments on the limits of these series of narrative papers.

Keywords: philosophy of education; narrative pedagogy; storied changes; educational meaning; SARS