In this chapter, the author uses a first-person narrative to describe her dissertation journey as she shifted from deductively hunting for the “right” methodology in order to follow an inductive process as she developed the “Melissa Methodology” of value-creative dialogue inspired by Ikeda's philosophical perspectives and practice. She illustrates one way that non-Western ways of knowing, being, and doing might inform curriculum studies student researchers. In addition, she highlights the importance of having supportive advisors and colleagues who pose and answer questions that push one's thoughts in new directions. Finally, she discusses implications for doctoral students based on her observations as an instructor of doctoral research methods courses. By sharing her journey, she hopes to provide an example of how doctoral students can be guided by their pursuit of what is worth knowing in creating their own research methodology.
TopIntroduction
Curriculum studies asks us to consider “what is worth knowing, needing, experiencing, doing, being, becoming, overcoming, sharing, contributing, and wondering” (Schubert, 2009, p. 23). Driven by such considerations, doctoral students in curriculum studies (CS) may have difficulty determining how to proceed with their doctoral research. Research methodologies are sometimes presented as if students should choose from a menu of choices and follow prescribed recipes. Thus, novice researchers may find themselves choosing a methodology through a deductive process that distances them from the fundamental pursuit of what is worth knowing. However, the quest for knowledge via research can follow many pathways, take myriad forms, and is influenced by many voices. Throughout my dissertation journey, I encountered CS scholars and fellow students who played key roles in my inquiry and helped me shape my choices as I developed a unique methodology (Bradford, 2018) based on Daisaku Ikeda’s philosophy and practice of what Goulah (2012) calls “value-creative dialogue.”
My journey began with my interest in Japanese educator and principal Tsunesaburo Makiguchi’s (1871-1944) theory of value creation (Makiguchi, 1981-88; cf. Goulah, 2021; Inukai, 2013), and on Buddhist humanist values of interconnectedness and inner transformation (Ikeda, 2010; Seager, 2006; Urbain, 2010) as described by Japanese Buddhist thinker and Soka school system founder Daisaku Ikeda (b. 1928). Informed by Ikeda’s practice of dialogue as exemplified in his published work as well as his philosophical perspectives, I engaged in a multi-year dialogue with a fellow scholar-practitioner in which we strove to bridge the gap between education theory and practice as part of our ongoing becoming as value-creating educators. Our engagement evolved organically into a study of value-creative dialogue as a method of inquiry.
In this chapter, I purposefully use a first-person narrative to describe my dissertation journey as I shifted from deductively hunting for the “right” methodology to inductively developing the “Melissa Methodology” (Ayers, personal communication) of value-creative dialogue inspired by Ikeda’s philosophical perspectives and practice. I illustrate one way that non-Western ways of knowing, being and doing might inform Curriculum Studies student researchers. In addition, I highlight the importance of having supportive advisors and colleagues who pose and answer questions that push one’s thoughts in new directions. Finally, I discuss implications for doctoral students based on my observations as an instructor of doctoral research methods courses. By sharing my journey, I hope to demonstrate how students may be emboldened and encouraged to respond to a need by creating a methodology where one does not exist in order to get at what is worth knowing.