supporting tiriti-based curriculum delivery in mainstream early ...

4.4.2 Critical Conversations
One of the pivotal ways of working with the data in this study was through
critical conversations because “in real life we don‟t always know when we know
something” (Ellis & Bochner, 2003, p. 752). The critical conversations enabled
initially vague theorising and tentative insights to be critically examined and to be
not only explored, but pivotally, to be developed in depth. These critical
conversations became crucially important not only with respect to understanding
what the data might represent by way of possible avenues of exploration, but also,
what the implications of the data might mean. An example of this and the
implications for this study can be illustrated by the following summary of a critical
conversation. I had noted in my research journal:
Things to consider:
What‟s the Te Whāriki ideal?
What if Te Whāriki is wrong? (Jl: CJ, 10/12/06)
The ensuing critical conversation led to considerations of defining
curriculum and from there to philosophy. It was this conversation that initiated my
investigation of curriculum and philosophy that was reported in chapter 2.
An important point to make is that these critical conversations were not
serendipitous, but rather, were systematic, evidence based, and intensely guided
(Brookfield, 1995). One of the strategies that was a prelude to many of these
discussions was that I had itemised thoughts and questions to be the topics of such
conversations; this can be seen in the following journal entry, made when I was
grappling with my unease about my place in the research:
Reflexivity: where do I fit? (Jl: CJ, 25/11/06).
The critical conversation from this journal entry eventually led me from
the literature on self-study to exploring that of autoethnography. The difference
between these is that in self study the researcher‟s personal and professional story
is part of the evidence, whereas in autoethnography in addition to the above the
researcher utilises recollections of events that may also involve other people.
In the case of this thesis, these conversations were guided by Dr. Jens
Hansen who served as a mentor and critical commentator throughout this study.
As noted in the example above, the data were critically examined and thoroughly
interrogated through these intensive conversations. The important point to make
about this commentary on research procedures is that such conversations not only
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