Collaborating across National Boundaries for Narrative Teaching and Learning

Abstract

University faculty members always learn through their collaborative engagement in teaching and research. This article reports on collaborative efforts between a Pakistani and US university professor to develop and teach a graduate seminar on narrative inquiry. We used a self-study approach to record, analyze, and report on our experience of teaching narrative inquiry in a graduate research course. We used our reflective journals, course outline, course description, session plans, class-notes, and students’ reflections as data for analysis. As a result, we developed our analytical stories of experiences under several themes. Findings showcase insights arising from philosophical (ontological and epistemological) underpinnings, moral and ethical boundaries, and instruction-relate challenges. These are interconnected and interdependent issues that can inform narrative educators. Our collaborative and collegial approach was instrumental to facilitate learning in the classroom. The article also highlights certain pertinent implications related to teaching and learning of narrative inquiry.