Writing letters by hand: Critical pedagogical inquiry through inner and outer worlds

Sometimes, indirect is more direct. An aesthetic–apophatic phenomenological approach to self-reflexivity in qualitative inquiry.

“…Qualitative researchers value critically reflecting on their own positionality and biases, so that they can practice objectivity and increase the validity of their studies. Self-reflexivity or reflective practice are intentional and sometimes difficult processes of self-evaluation and revision of action around relations we have with our research setting, also including relations of power in social contexts (Travis & Hood, 2023). An approach to inquiry and self-reflexivity that pays attention to these unsayable dimensions may assist us in how we join the dialogue with others and how we can open the status quo forms of knowledge development and representation.…”

“…The notion of this form of inquiry serving as reflexive practice and critique is very common at art schools. Learning from inquiry as a critical, self-reflexive practice (see also Travis & Hood, 2023) and critique may assist qualitative researchers to investigate, collaboratively, how findings are developed, presented, and how they become “understandings.” This entails reflecting on if and how our inquiry contributes to “evidence” about a certain topic. Clearly, the usual standards of objectivity and empirical adequacy do not apply here.…”