Open AccessAnalyzing Flying Chameleons: Using Autoethnography to Explore Change in the Female Educator
Author(s) -
Leslie Pourreau
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the qualitative report
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.335
H-Index - 35
ISSN - 2160-3715
DOI - 10.46743/2160-3715/2014.1414
Subject(s) - autoethnography , active listening , theme (computing) , metaphor , identity (music) , context (archaeology) , psychology , pedagogy , sociology , psychoanalysis , social psychology , aesthetics , gender studies , linguistics , paleontology , philosophy , communication , biology , computer science , operating system
What is a chameleon in the world of education? What defines her professionally, personally, and why? In this autoethnography, I explore the chameleon metaphor for meanings and implications in my personal and professional identity as a female educator by seeking answers to questions stemming from Mitchell and Weber (2005): Just who do I think I am? Just who do I think I am? Just who do I think I am? Just who do I think I am? I analyzed my own autobiographical journals using the four-part Listening Guide (Gilligan, Spencer, Weinberg, & Bertsch, 2003) coupled with theme-based family coding to examine changes by choice and changes by force particular to my personal and professional experiences. Notions of home, belonging, and change as a journey emerged as themes that served to frame my identity and highlighted the importance of self-inquiry for educators as an applied practice within the greater context of the profession.