Every time I feel I have a grasp on my positionality, it washes away in a pool of tears, but that may just be my reflexivity in action.
Selected text and imagery from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, by Lewis Carroll (public domain).
As I continue my learning journey in educational research, my understanding of how knowledge is constructed, interpreted, and applied continues to evolve. This reflection articulates my current research positionality, recognizing that these positions are not fixed, but instead shift as experience, learning, and context reshape how I understand education, children, and evidence. After reviewing videos by Cresswell (2023), Grad Coach (2021), Pretorius (2018), shribe! (2024), and Wandeler (2017), I feel confident in summarizing my ontological, epistemological, methodological, and axiological positions as follows:
Ontology
Ontologically, I understand reality as multiple, subjective, and socially constructed. In educational contexts, reality is not a fixed entity to be discovered, but something that is continually negotiated through relationships, experiences, and learning. Children, teachers, and institutions each experience schooling differently, and these experiences shape distinct yet equally valid realities.
I reject the notion of a single, objective educational reality that can be fully captured through measurement alone. Instead, I view reality in education as dynamic and evolving — particularly because learning itself alters how individuals understand their world. This perspective reflects my belief that what is “real” in education is inseparable from lived experience.
Epistemology
Epistemologically, I align most closely with constructivism, viewing knowledge as interpretive, contextual, and meaning-based. Understanding in education emerges through dialogue, reflection, and the interpretation of experience, rather than through the discovery of universal truths.
At the same time, my epistemological stance is informed by pragmatism. While knowledge is constructed, I believe that multiple forms of evidence can contribute to understanding, depending on the purpose and context of the inquiry. Quantitative data, when used thoughtfully, can illuminate patterns and raise important questions, but it requires interpretation and cannot be assumed to represent experience in its entirety.
Methodology
Methodologically, I am primarily oriented toward qualitative research, as I am most interested in the sociological dimensions of education — particularly questions of meaning, context, and “why.” Qualitative approaches allow for a deeper exploration of how educational practices are experienced and understood by those within them.
However, I also recognize the value of mixed-methods research in educational contexts, particularly within systems that prioritize data-driven decision-making. Incorporating quantitative data can strengthen qualitative insights by identifying patterns and situating individual experiences within broader trends. In this sense, my methodological choices are guided pragmatically by the research question, while remaining grounded in a qualitative commitment to understanding human experience.
Axiology
Axiologically, my research is grounded in a strong ethical commitment to the dignity and complexity of children and educational communities. I believe that children are not data points, and that educational research carries moral responsibilities alongside methodological ones.
This value stance requires reflexivity — an ongoing awareness of how my assumptions, choices, and interpretations shape the knowledge I produce. It also demands caution in how data is used, ensuring that measurement does not obscure lived realities or reduce learners to outcomes. For me, ethical research in education prioritizes care, respect, and attentiveness to whose voices are heard and how they are represented.
Closing Reflection
My research positionality reflects a commitment to balancing rigor with humanity, evidence with interpretation, and institutional demands with ethical responsibility. I recognize that understanding shifts as we move forward — and that this movement is not a weakness, but an essential part of learning. This reflection represents where I stand now, with the understanding that my position will continue to evolve as my experience in educational research deepens.
References
Creswell, J. (2023, January 12). Basic Mixed Methods Research Designs. YouTube. https://youtu.be/eelVbCbhIXM?si=JBhP-JGAS24opWKI
Grad Coach [Youtube channel]. (2021, September 27). Qualitative vs Quantitative vs Mixed Methods Research: How To Choose Research Methodology [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/hECPeKv5tPM?si=90qFQNQs39MJMunP
Pretorius, L. (2018, June 21). Ontology, epistemology, and research paradigm [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/hkcqGU7l_zU?si=CaP2TCSiC1KVJe00
shribe! - master your studies [YouTube channel]. (2024, January 21). Ontology, Epistemology and Methodology (simply explained) [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/t3gz-PxXTjE?si=4EO2O6nr8rCzAjjM
Wandeler, C. (2017, February 2). Research Philosophy Worldview (Creswell) [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/-1kFmMzqyzw?si=Ony8CuApKPDUvoNd
