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Learning from Dumbledore's Pensieve: metaphor as an aid in teaching reflexivity in qualitative research

University of Vermont, USA, cgerstlp{at}uvm.edu

Kami Patrizio

Towson University, USA, kpatrizio{at}towson.edu

This article suggests that the Pensieve — a magical instrument featured prominently in the Harry Potter books — is a useful metaphor for teaching qualitative researchers about reflexivity. Teaching naturalistic forms of inquiry poses many challenges. Drawing upon their experiences as teachers and students of qualitative research, the authors examine how a reflexive journal can serve as a much needed repository for a qualitative researcher's memories and reflections. The authors suggest that by documenting the researcher's perspective over time, the Pensieve can aid in the development of reflexivity by providing a space for metacognitive reflection on the research process, and creating an opportunity to engage others in the interpretation of data.

Key Words: epistemology • metaphor • reflexivity • researcher as instrument • teaching qualitative research

Qualitative Research, Vol. 9, No. 3, 299-308 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1468794109105029


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