Narrative Study Research Articles

A narrative position analysis of asylum seekers’ stories about waiting for their permit permission in Norway

This research aims to understand more about the consequences that living for many years without a residence permit in Norway can have for asylum seekers. As a narrative inquiry study, the research puzzle is asylum seekers in Norway without a resident permit. This article focuses on one family. The data material is collected with different methods, such as field talks, interviews, pictures, and messages on Messenger. The study uses narrative position analysis, and it analyses the narrated story on three different levels. The main results shows that the parents of the family tend to position themselves differently according to whether they are talking about the time before they fled, the time while fleeing or after the fled. When talking about the decision to flee, they present themselves as active subjects with high agency. They have the ability to take active decisions and play an essential role for the family’s life. The analyses reveal three different master narratives; being a parent, being a citizen of a community and being an asylum seeker. I conclude with thoughts about the waiting period as an asylum seeker, and I ask whether Norway respects and ensures human rights. Is the situation of long-term asylum seekers and the condition of the waiting period in different reception centers a form of national abuse of power?

Becoming an academic in Spanish higher education: an in-depth narrative study

PurposeThis article focuses on understanding the evolution of the academic identity of a university academic within the contemporary university context, highlighting the significant influence of professional performance evaluations.Design/methodology/approachIn order to achieve the objectives, a narrative-biographical approach was used, through an in-depth analysis of the life and professional career of a Spanish academic.FindingsThe results reveal a progression in identity from a state of naivety to that of a survivor, characterized by a strong adherence to the demands of scientific production, with research assuming a central role. This shift is motivated by an enduring pursuit of stable employment conducive to full professional and personal development. Several factors influence this change, including the context of evaluation, lack of funding, relationship with the thesis supervisor, and job instability, among others. The article concludes by outlining policy implications aimed at enhancing the work and professional standards of university faculty. These recommendations include awareness-raising initiatives, re-evaluating existing evaluation systems, and promoting institutional support, among other measures. Implementing these strategies is expected to optimize the professional growth of academics and, therefore, enhance the quality of services provided by universities.Originality/valueAlthough previous research has acknowledged the impact of these evaluations, this study stands out by exploring how academic identity is shaped and reconfigured over the course of a career.

Care leavers’ journeys into university: A narrative study examined through a Bourdieusian lens

This paper reports the findings of a narrative study exploring the journeys of nine care leavers into university, answering the research question: How do care leavers explain their journeys into university? Care leavers are one of the least represented groups in the university setting. Therefore, examining the journeys of those who do enter the university field is important for understanding how to help raise aspirations and support other care leavers to follow. Recruitment to the study took place across all five universities in the Northeast of England, with nine students from three of these institutions taking part. Individual face to face and telephone interviews were conducted to capture the narratives and these were examined through a Bourdieusian lens, drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of practice, using an experience centred thematic approach. The findings underline the dominant view that university education is culturally desirable and valuable, but also serve to highlight the diversity and complexity of the aspirations and experiences of care leavers’ journeys into university. This research study contributes to the developing evidence base concerned with the educational experiences and trajectories of care leavers, highlighting the need for further research and review of both policy and practice in this area.

A methodological synthesis of narrative inquiry research in applied linguistics: What's the story?

AbstractNarrative inquiry has gained traction in applied linguistics as a complementary approach to positivistic research, focusing on the subjectivities of individuals’ lived experiences and using stories as data, analytical tools, and reporting practice. Although numerous methodologically oriented publications on narrative inquiry in the field reflect its vitality, scholars have raised questions about the complexity and ambiguity underlying what exactly constitutes narrative inquiry. While methodological diversity within narrative inquiry can signal innovation, it can also create uncertainty for novice and experienced scholars engaging with the methodology for the first time. To address these concerns, we conducted a systematic methodological synthesis of narrative inquiry studies in applied linguistics published from 2012 to 2022. Specifically, we searched 12 top‐tier applied linguistics journals and developed a corpus of 291 articles. We coded our corpus according to four areas: (a) theoretical framing, (b) demographic characteristics, (c) methodological design, and (d) reporting of ethics, researcher positionality, and funding status. We discuss our results in light of previous thematic reviews of narrative inquiry in applied linguistics, and we offer empirically grounded recommendations for scholars engaging with narrative inquiry. Our study responds to calls for greater methodological transparency in applied linguistics in general and methodological investment in narrative inquiry in particular.

Pioneering Inclusivity: A Narrative Study of the First Inclusive Raudatul Athfal in South Kalimantan

Inclusive education is indispensable for ensuring equitable educational opportunities and rights for children with special needs (CWSNs) to enhance their skills. However, maintaining inclusive schools encounters significant challenges, including limited resources and societal biases against CWSNs. This study centers on the establishment and operation of Ulumul Qur'an Al-Madani, the first inclusive Raudatul Athfal in South Kalimantan. Employing a qualitative narrative approach, data were gathered through in-depth interviews, document analysis, and participatory observation. The study highlights the crucial role of the school principal, bolstered by her family's property business and partnerships with therapists and experts in inclusive education, facilitated the school's transition to inclusivity. Despite encountering initial lack of support from the Ministry of Religion and the city government, the school achieved national acclaim for promoting inclusive education in South Kalimantan. This research underscores the principal's dedication and collaborative endeavors in promoting inclusive education and overcoming societal barriers for CWSNs. Pendidikan inklusif penting untuk memastikan kesempatan pendidikan yang adil dan hak-hak yang setara bagi anak-anak berkebutuhan khusus (ABK) untuk menstimulasi perkembangan mereka. Namun, menyelengggarakan sekolah inklusif menghadapi tantangan signifikan seperti sumber daya yang terbatas dan prasangka sosial terhadap ABK. Penelitian ini berfokus pada pendirian dan penyelenggaraan Ulumul Qur'an Al-Madani, Raudatul Athfal inklusif pertama di Kalimantan Selatan. Menggunakan pendekatan naratif kualitatif, data dikumpulkan melalui wawancara mendalam, analisis dokumen, dan observasi partisipatif. Penelitian ini menyoroti peran kunci kepala sekolah, yang didukung oleh bisnis properti keluarganya dan kolaborasi dengan terapis dan ahli pendidikan inklusif, yang mendukung transformasi inklusif sekolah tersebut. Meskipun awalnya tidak mendapat dukungan dari kementerian agama dan pemerintah kota, sekolah ini mendapatkan pengakuan nasional dalam memajukan pendidikan inklusif di Kalimantan Selatan. Penelitian ini menyoroti pentingnya dedikasi kepala sekolah dan upaya kolaboratif dalam mewujudkan pendidikan inklusif dan mengatasi hambatan sosial terhadap ABK.

An investigation of the teacher’s challenges and strategies in teaching English in a rural area

The purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges faced by an English teacher and the strategies to solve the challenges in teaching English in a rural area, namely Sebangki. This narrative study used interview with an English teacher at SMA Negeri 1 Sebangki. The results of this study indicated that there are two main themes of challenges faced by teacher including the challenges from the teacher consists of distance to school, teaching other subjects, lack of teacher training, and students problems consists of lack of interest, lack of confidence, lack of vocabulary mastery and students’ attendance. To overcome those challenges, the English teacher employed some strategies including using media and strategy in teaching, giving motivation and even giving punishment to the students.

‘Finally, it's all in vain’: A Chinese as an additional language teacher's agency in navigating the teaching-research nexus in a neoliberal Chinese university

The neoliberal emphasis on performance metrics, such as research outputs and citations, has weakened the symbiotic relationship between teaching and research in language education. However, language teachers' experiences of navigating the challenge that neoliberalism creates for the teaching-research nexus have been largely absent, with the existing literature predominantly focusing on documenting the impact of neoliberalism on research and teaching. This narrative case study aims to address this gap by tracing a Chinese as an additional language (CAL) teacher's agency in navigating the teaching-research nexus in a neoliberal Chinese university. Based on data from three rounds of interviews, informal conversations, notes, and policy documents, this study identified a noticeable shift in the participant's narrated experiences, progressing from active engagement with research to enhance teaching practices, to pragmatic engagement in research for scholarly publication, and eventually to disenchanted retreat from the academic battlefield. This trajectory highlights the escalating challenges faced by the participant in navigating the teaching-research nexus. Practical implications are discussed to strengthen the link between teaching and research in language education in the neoliberal context.

Violence Risk or Writing Quality? Predicting Relief Outcomes from Protective Order Narratives.

Civil orders of protection (OPs) are the only victim-initiated legal intervention for intimate partner violence. The OP process is unique because victims write a narrative account of abuse to inform judges' decision-making. Historically, feminist scholars have considered OPs as empowering to victims, as they can signal strength-based change and requesting needed relief. OPs also serve as an important tool for some mothers who need temporary protection related to child custody and visitation. Studies of OP narratives have found that content related to future risk is associated with securing an OP, including allegations of physical and severe violence, suggesting that OPs provide needed protection. At the same time, the OP process is disempowering for some women. The content and quality of survivors' OP narratives vary greatly, and studies have found that well-written accounts are positively associated with securing OPs, uncovering the potential influence of judges' implicit biases. This study used logistic regression to explore how violence risk and writing quality related to the receipt of emergency OPs in a sample of 90 petitions filed by women with minor children in a large Midwest County. As expected, violence severity was positively associated with securing an OP, controlling for the mention of other cases/orders and legal representation. However, the association was no longer significant when writing quality was considered; specifically, greater readability was associated with being granted an OP. Linear structure and appearance of narratives were not related to OP outcomes. Findings underscore the ongoing need to explore how the written narrative requirement of the OP process (dis)empowers survivors and the role implicit biases may play in judicial decision-making in civil OP proceedings.

Reading Lists as Enablers of Learning in an Immersive Block Teaching Model

Reading lists have been described as a stalwart of the academic environment. This article explores the role of reading lists as a pedagogical tool and describes how reading lists contribute to an immersive block teaching model at an Australian university. Little has been written about the application of reading lists in block teaching models. This narrative case study explores how prescribed learning resources and reading lists were reframed as an enabling element of a student-centred, university-wide curriculum renewal project. With a limited number of readings permitted for each unit, a manageable volume of learning was fostered, reducing students’ cognitive load. This article builds on existing knowledge about the use and experience of reading lists in higher education and demonstrates how reading lists contribute to constructively aligned pedagogy in immersive block teaching models.

Enhancing transmedia component through world building; the case of Ejen Ali franchise

ABSTRACT This study examines the functional utilities of world building through the analysis of Ejen Ali as a case study of transmedia narrative. It recognises world building as a creative process that strategically portrays a fictional storyworld across multiple works that exist in varying media format. By employing qualitative case study research, the analysis of this study will illustrate that world building serves to enhance individual instalments beyond its narrative aspect. Additionally, world building is also capable of facilitating immersion for an instalment within the boundary of its mode and affordances as well as incorporating cultural reference to potentially relate to its audience. From this, world building will solidify the value and relevance of individual components as a subset of a larger transmedia work. This study aims to demonstrate how world building acts as a foundational element, enhancing the value proposition of diverse components within the Ejen Ali franchise.

Experiential and inquiry-based learning approaches; correlated exploration on usage in selected secondary schools in Bugiri District, Eastern Uganda

ABSTRACT This study intended to investigate the effectiveness of experiential and inquiry-based learning approaches in secondary schools around Bugiri District in Eastern Uganda with a focus on whether inquiry-based teaching techniques were being used to support student learning based on evidenced experiential education as well as challenges encountered when utilizing these methods. This narrative cross-sectional survey study employed a qualitative approach using interview responses attained from key informants. Findings indicate that through an inquiry-based approach, students are urged to study the subject, ask questions, and exchange ideas rather than have the teacher dictate what they should know. In inquiry-based learning, small-group discussions, guided learning, projects, and hands-on investigation take precedence over lessons. In addition, teachers are typically better at spotting errors in students’ work than they are in their own. It is crucial to ensure students’ learning by giving them high-quality information. Some children learn best by looking at visuals, others by listening and some by reading and writing. Teachers should promote “learning by doing” and also take the lead and create a forum where students can express their opinions and experiences.

A Narrative Review of Oxidative Stress and Liver Disease in Pregnancy: The Role of Antioxidants.

Pregnancy brings numerous physiological changes to the body of the pregnant woman. Liver diseases in pregnancy contribute to increased oxidative stress, disrupting the delicate balance between reactive oxygen species and antioxidant defence. Antioxidant supplementation may have potential benefits in addressing pregnancy-related liver disorders, such as HELLP (haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet count) and preeclampsia-associated liver dysfunction in pregnancy. The purpose of this narrative review is to review the evidence regarding oxidative stress in liver disorders during pregnancy and the role of antioxidants in alleviating oxidative stress and its effect on maternal and foetal outcomes. A narrative review study design involved a comprehensive search across three scientific databases: PubMed, Embase, and MEDLINE, published in the last 20 years. The searches were performed up to January 2024. Thirty-two studies were included in the narrative review. The most studied antioxidants were vitamins (vitamin C and E) for their role in clinical treatment, prophylaxis, and clearing surrogate oxidative stress markers. The majority of studies were on preeclampsia. Though the existing literature is not robust, available evidence suggests that antioxidant supplementation may have potential benefits in addressing pregnancy-related liver disorders, such as HELLP and preeclampsia-associated liver dysfunction in pregnancy. However, there is a need to establishconsistent protocols, ethical standards, and well-designed clinical trials to clarify the timing and dosage of antioxidants in pregnancy. Antioxidants may alleviate the oxidative stress in various liver disorders during pregnancy, which still needs to be studied further for their clinical relevance.

Elements of Historical Personal Identity Construction of Finnish-Speaking Students

In this paper, the constructions of historical personal identity of Finnish-speaking students are analysed. The students participated in a larger study of historical narratives and identities, carried out in 2020 in two schools in Finland and in one European School outside Finland. In the mixed-method study, sixty-one students were interviewed and given writing and drawing assignments on historical identity. In this paper, the students’ visual representations of their personal historical identity and its relationship with wider official history are analysed. The aim is to increase understanding of how 14–16-year-old students visualise and articulate their historical personal identity constructions and the historical elements they use in negotiating this identity. The findings suggest that the students integrate personal and historical social narratives in diverse ways but that the majority of them find it challenging to connect their personal family history with the wider official history. Only twelve students made the connection. In addition to presenting the results for the whole group of students, the visual representations of two selected students are discussed in more detail so as to highlight the difference in the approaches to historical personal identity construction among the students.

Molar pregnancy: a qualitative study of personal experiences and societal narratives of loss

Background/Aims Molar pregnancy is a rare complication of pregnancy. Patients face surgery, human chorionic gonadotropin monitoring and potentially systemic treatment, resulting in unique support needs. This study's aim was to explore the impacts of gestational trophoblastic disease on embodied and emotional experience. Methods This qualitative study considered stories of molar pregnancy from 20 women in the UK, US, Canada and Australia. These were drawn from 18 publicly available online blogs and eight semi-structured interviews, and analysed thematically. Results Three themes were developed: ‘loss’, describing women's responses to their pregnancy ending; ‘isolation’, comprising ‘rarity’, ‘lack of awareness’ and support seeking; and ‘alienation’, capturing the unfamiliarity of diagnosis, ‘failure’ and barriers to ‘moving forward’. Conclusions Experiences are shaped by wider narratives of ‘typical’ pregnancy. Patient care requires an individualised and responsive approach, and non-specialist practitioners should feel confident in discussing molar pregnancy and have access to up-to-date guidance.

The structure of an uncertain world: Combining sequences classification and career life histories to identify narrative schemas in the careers of financial journalists

This article argues in favour of combining statistical sequence analysis with the study of biographical narratives to identify the underlying social structures in the unfolding of professional careers in particularly uncertain worlds. The careers of French financial journalists, whose professional world has been characterised by exceptional turbulence since the 1990s, are used as a case study. The article begins by describing the variety of relationships between trajectories and social structures in social science research that uses sequence analysis techniques. It then shows that by involving the interpretation of career life histories at each stage of sequence analysis, it is possible to highlight relevant regularities, even when trajectories unfold in contexts of high uncertainty. For this purpose, an optimal matching technique that calculates the dissimilarity between each pair of sequences is combined with an agglomeration technique that groups similar sequences into classes. The method is applied here to 297 sequences of professional activities of former and current financial journalists, reconstructed from the information they provided in the LinkedIn socio-professional network or in a professional directory. By comparing these regularities to the interpretations made by journalists in their 37 career life histories, the article examines three narrative schemas constructed by journalists to navigate an uncertain world and which have historically followed one another: the vocational schema, the gateway schema, and the decline schema. It thus describes the conditions for the emergence and decline of these schemas, which are linked not only to changing employment opportunities, but also to the ability of journalists to observe the traces left behind by the career paths of their counterparts.

Illness representation in patients with multiple sclerosis: A preliminary narrative medicine study.

The development of personalized interventions aimed at coping with multiple sclerosis is enriched by the understanding of patients' representations of the illness. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between patients' illness representations versus contextual factors (i.e. presence/absence and type of caregiver, engagement, frequency and type of rehabilitation), fatigue, pain, and neurological impairment. Interviews of 28 patients were analysed through an automated text analysis procedure. After a systematic labelling procedure four illness representations were identified: daily life, search for meaning of the disease, relationship to people and the diagnosis, coping and physical growth. Findings showed that the representation of the relational aspects of the illness was associated with the caregiver's presence, while the representation related to coping and growth tended to be associated with participation in rehabilitation programs. Moreover, the representation related to daily life was associated with lower levels of fatigue compared to the representation related to coping and growth, and with higher levels of neurological impairment compared to the representations related to coping and growth and the relational aspects of the illness. Exploring illness representations is a key step that can help health professionals to get an integrated perspective that could be useful in designing and calibrating interventions according to specific patient needs.

Embracing uncertainty: A narrative case study on teacher-learner relationships through restorative justice practices in education

Embracing uncertainty: A narrative case study on teacher-learner relationships through restorative justice practices in education

Narrative Study of Chinese Traditional Handicraft Brand

Shaping Chinese traditional handicraft brands through brand narratives is a systematic, comprehensive, and complex research and practical topic. This article innovatively adopts the perspective of brand stories and bases itself on brand narrative theory. It examines the current status of Chinese traditional handicraft brands in narrative practice, focusing on new narrative contexts such as the communication and consumption environments faced by the modern inheritance of traditional handicrafts. Furthermore, it proposes strategies for narrative construction of Chinese traditional handicraft brands, aiming to explore a path for shaping handicraft brands that is positive, modern, warm, and emotionally engaging.

Code-Switching in the Second Language Classroom: A Narrative Study of a Saudi English Language Teacher’s Experience

This narrative study explores the use of code-switching in the second-language classroom from the perspective of a Saudi English language instructor. The aim was to explore how the instructor experienced code-switching as a student and used it in her teaching. The main research question guiding the study was: How does a Saudi English language teacher perceive and utilize code-switching in her teaching practice, and how does this relate to her experiences as a language learner? The study holds significance in contributing to the ongoing discourse on code-switching in second-language classrooms, providing a nuanced understanding from the perspective of an individual who has experienced it as both a learner and a teacher. Examining code-switching from the viewpoint of a Saudi English instructor can offer valuable insights into teaching practices, student engagement, cognitive benefits, and sociolinguistic dynamics within the Saudi educational context, where Arabic is the dominant language and English is increasingly important. The study utilized a narrative inquiry approach involving a series of interviews. However, excessive reliance on code-switching may hinder language acquisition, and learners should gradually reduce their dependence on it as their proficiency improves. The study provided valuable insights into the lived experiences of second language learners and teachers, underscoring the need for further research using this methodology in the field of second language acquisition.

A deeper form of reflection: perezhivanie as a tool for teacher development

ABSTRACT Crediting Vygotsky in introducing perezhivanie, I argue that perezhivanie acts analogously to reflection in problem solving and much beyond that and can be used as a developmental tool for teachers. Analyzing teacher’s perezhivanie, a mentor can better understand their practice. Teachers’ perezhivanie is a psychological reaction to a problematic situation in the classroom, comprising several stages from cognitive dissonance to meaning making, and performing a new activity to resolve the problem. My argument is based on a narrative study into 10 university language teachers’ experiences. Using the structural elements of the narrative, data from one participant were iteratively analyzed and presented in this article to discuss the teacher’s perezhivanie when she tried to solve emerging problems in the classroom. The analysis traces the relation of two immanent characteristics of perezhivanie, its process and content, to teachers’ agency. The article suggests how perezhivanie can be meaningfully incorporated into in-service mentoring programs.