CREATING LIVING-EDUCATIONAL-THEORY: A JOURNEY TOWARDS TRANSFORMATIVE TEACHER EDUCATION IN PAKISTAN


Abstract of PhD Submission to Kathmandu University, Nepal, 2016
Sadrud Din
(Sadruddin Bahadur Qutoshi)



This thesis is submitted for the partial fulfillment of the requirements for Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership in Kathmandu University. Title: Creating Living-Educational-Theory: A Journey Towards Transformative Teacher Education in Pakistan.

Please reference as:
Qutoshi, S. B. (2016). Creating living-educational-theory: A journey towards transformative teacher education in Pakistan (Doctoral thesis). Kathmandu University, Nepal. Retrieved from http://www.actionresearch.net/living/living.shtml

__________________________________ Abstract Approved by: Assoc. Dean/Assoc. Prof. Bal Chandra Luitel, PhD Thesis Supervisor

This thesis illuminates my multilayered and emergent soulful-inquiry into the problem of culturally disempowering nature of teacher education which emerged by autobiographical excavation of my socio-pedagogical context. My aim in this research was to identify alternative ways of addressing research problem which invoked me to generate a host of research questions that came up with five key emergent themes of my inquiry: 1) Dictating and communicating views of leadership; 2) Narrowly conceived traditional view of curriculum images; 3) Conventional and somehow learner-centered pedagogies; 4) Assessment as 'of' learning and 'for' learning approaches; and 5) Objectivist and constraint pluralist research practices.

My purpose with these research themes was to demonstrate my embodied values through exploring, explaining and interpreting the themes arising from research questions, and to envision a transformative teacher education and research practices with reflexivity, inclusive logics, multiple genres and perspectival language as multiple ways of knowing. I employed a Multiparadigmatic Design Space (MDS) taking on board the paradigms of: 1) Interpretivism to make subjective level meaning making by embracing 'emergence' as nature of my inquiry; 2) Criticalism to develop my critical reflexivity in identifying and addressing my research problem; 3) Postmodernism to engage with multiple genres and logics for cultivating different aspects of my experiences; and 4) Integralism to embrace an inclusive-holistic view of MDS in representing my visions of transformative teacher education and research practices in Pakistan. I used this epistemic praxis as professional development, and yet a morphing way of knowing the self and the culture/beyond, an approach that enabled me to generate new knowledge on cultural-contextual educative practices of teacher education and research endeavours.

These critical-creative epistemologies, in return, enabled me to recognize deep-rooted assumptions, expectations, beliefs and practices, and re/constructing them through scholarly interpretations and envisioning. Going through such soulful inquiry, making critical reflection on my own lived experiences, embracing pedagogical thoughtfulness, and yet accepting self as a change agent, my multidimensional inquiry offers five transformative visions for teacher education and research practices in Pakistan: 1) A living-educational-theory of inclusive co-leadership with embodied values of intention of doing good for others, humility for humanity, care of self and others with ecological consciousness, love and peace; 2) The metaphor of montage conceiving a liberating view of curriculum; 3) Critical-creative pedagogies for empowering view of education; 4) A holistic view of authentic-developmental assessment; and 5) An innovative-integral view of transformative research. These key learning outcomes are likely to bring emancipatory and transformative soul in the culturally embedded linear teacher education program. (March 17, 2016)


CONTENTS
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Title Page; Abstract; Dedication; Acknowledgements; Abbreviations

CHAPTER 1: Positing In The Field Of Research - Research Agendas And Design : Chapter 1A - Articulating My Research Problem pages 1-28

CHAPTER 1B: Theoretical Positioning Of Teacher Questions pages 29-55

CHAPTER 1C: Research Methodology pages 56-99

CHAPTER 2: Immersing Into Leadership Approaches: Chapter 2A - Journeying Into Probably Dictating Leadership Approaches pages 100-116

CHAPTER 2B: Accounting For Somewhat Communicating Leadership Approaches pages 117-131

CHAPTER 2C: Delving Into Transforming Leadership Approaches pages 132-148

CHAPTER 3: Drawn Into Curriculum Images: Chapter 3A - Journeying Through Possibly Informative Curriculum Perspective pages 149-164

CHAPTER 3B: Accounting For Possibly Reformative Curriculum pages 165-185

CHAPTER 3C: Charting With Possibly A Transformative Curriculum Vision pages 186-203

CHAPTER 4: Musing Through Pedagogical Approaches: CHAPTER 4A - Journeying Into Possibly Definitional Pedagogy pages 204-214

CHAPTER 4B: Delving Into Possibly Reflective Pedagogy pages 215-230

CHAPTER 4C: Envisioning Possibly Critical-Creative Pedagogies: A Transformative Muse pages 231-248

CHAPTER 5: Ruminating Assessment Practices: CHAPTER 5A - Journeying into Possibly Informative Assessment Practices pages 250-262

CHAPTER 5B: Accounting For Possibly Reformative Assessment Practices pages 263-281

CHAPTER 5C: Envisioning Possibly A Transformative Assessment pages 282-300

CHAPTER 6: Viewing From Within And Without Educational Research And Practices : CHAPTER 6A - Journeying Into Possibly Epistemic Singularity Embedded In Positivistic Research And Practice pages 302-318

CHAPTER 6B: Accounting For Possibly Constraint Epistemological Pluralism pages 319-333

CHAPTER 6C: Envisioning Possibly A Transformative Educational Research and Practice pages 334-351

CHAPTER 7: Conclusion Of My Journey: My Final Reflection pages 352-371

REFERENCES pages 372-405



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