Indigenous knowledge and the machinist metaphors of the bricoleur researcher

This paper explores the intersection between critical methodologies and Indigenous knowledge. It is especially concerned with the ways in which the metaphors associated with the bricoleur researcher – tools and production – conceptualize Indigenous knowledge to that of an ecology and environmental work. This limits the appreciation for and engagement with narrative, and the ways in which “ecological” knowledge is embedded in narrative practices and interpretive processes. The author puts the work of Anishinaabe novelist and theorist Gerald Vizenor in conversation with the writings of J. Kincheloe as a way not only to contrast the central metaphors in critical and Indigenous methodologies, but similarly to highlight the differences between a bricoleur language of research and an Aboriginal language of survivance.     

Realists or pragmatists? “Reliable evidence” and the role of the educational psychologist

Outcomes of interviews with seven educational psychologists, focused on issues of epistemological and ontological positioning, are reported. The interviews were conducted within a qualitative, biographical research paradigm which examines the ways in which a person’s meaning-making is impacted upon by all aspects of their life experience. Thematic analysis suggests most participants are ambivalent about the scientific basis of their work and the contribution of peer reviewed research to their practice, and they regard the utility or social value of their professional practice as more important than its congruence with a recognised evidence base. This standpoint is compared to the philosophical position of pragmatism, which resists the assumptions of realist perspectives and contests the primacy of scientific methodology and methods in the establishment of knowledge claims. Implications for the professional practice of educational psychologists beyond the present study are discussed.     

The Librarian as Bricoleur: Meeting the Needs of Distance Learners

Summary

Like bricoleurs, instructional librarians, especially those who provide instruction to distant learners, use a “tool-box” of materials and means to address the needs of adult learners. They also need to be adaptable and resourceful, staying abreast of current research and technologies in order to create an instructional repertoire (bricolage), to deliver services comparable to those that on-campus students receive. This article describes adult learners' needs and the variety of tools used to reach students in one university's instructional program.