Poetry in Teaching & Learning Qualitative Research

Authors

Amber Mullens, University of Central FloridaFollow
Audra Skukauskaite, University of Central FloridaFollow
Megan K. Mitchell, University of Central FloridaFollow

Abstract

This article stems from a workshop presented at the 15th TQR conference on poetry in teaching and learning qualitative research. Over the last few decades, scholars have argued for the use of poetry and other arts-based techniques in qualitative research. Most of the research, however, focuses on using poetry for data analysis and representation. In this article, we shift the conversation to the use of poetry for teaching and learning qualitative research. Starting with a poem in three voices of educator, student, and researcher, we provide an overview of poetry use in qualitative inquiry. We then offer brief overviews of poetic forms such as found poetry, identity poems, haikus, and free verse poetry. Subsequently, we share examples of how we have used these poetic forms in our own teaching and learning of qualitative research. In sharing the reasoning, guidelines, and examples of poetry use in the qualitative research classroom, we invite others wanting to implement poetry in their work to try one or more of the practices.

Keywords

teaching and learning, qualitative research, poetry, poems, qualitative inquiry

Author Bio(s)

Amber Mullens is a doctoral student in the Higher Education Ed.D. program at the University of Central Florida. Her research focuses on textbook affordability and higher education policies. Please direct correspondence to amber.mullens@ucf.edu

Audra Skukauskaitė is a Professor in the Department of Learning Sciences and Educational Research at the University of Central Florida. She is co-editor of Interactional Ethnography (Skukauskaitė & Green, 2023) and of Engaging Students in Qualitative Research Pedagogies (Richards, Skukauskaitė, & Chenail, 2022). Audra has taught qualitative methodologies across the U.S. and internationally for two decades and has consulted on interdisciplinary projects in invention education, healthcare, and STEM innovation. Her research and teaching interests focus on teaching and learning of qualitative research and application of ethnographic and qualitative methodologies in interdisciplinary fields. Please direct correspondence to audrasku@gmail.com

Megan Mitchell has an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Central Florida. Her research focuses on teaching and learning qualitative research in doctoral education and the development of classroom cultures. Please direct correspondence to megan.mitchell@ucf.edu

Publication Date

6-1-2024

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2024.7336

Recommended APA Citation

Mullens, A., Skukauskaite, A., & Mitchell, M. K. (2024). Poetry in Teaching & Learning Qualitative Research. The Qualitative Report, 29(6), 1548-1564. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2024.7336

ORCID ID

0000-0003-1104-0510

ResearcherID

O-1323-2017