From Mori Akira to Narrative Education: Weaving the Tapestry of Narrative Philosophy, Analysis, Therapy, Pedagogy, and Research

Abstract

The narrative approach has developed in various directions—philosophy, qualitative analysis, therapy, pedagogy, and research methodology—but these various directions are often isolated from each other. This article weaves together these five threads of narrative in order to suggest a novel way for how narrative can be used in the classroom. This is done through narratively expressed action research (Jean Clandinin) on the experiences of the author, a university teacher in Japan, and his attempts to incorporate narrative elements into career education classes. This article begins with its theoretical foundations, the narrative philosophy of education of Mori Akira, and how it was applied to pedagogically support the growth of self-awareness S1 (social identity) in a university orientation class. It then explores the design principles of this class, drawing from Dan P. McAdams’s narrative analysis and modified using narrative therapy (Michael White & David Epston). Next, it narrates the teacher’s experience of reading and responding to students’ narratives in two parts: the first five sessions where students write autobiographical exercises (looking at the “authored self”) and the last two sessions where students reflect on the texts they have written (highlighting the “authoring self”). I conclude with several design principles that seek to weave together narrative pedagogy, analysis, and therapy.