TY - CHAP

T1 - A narrative approach to understand students’ identities and choices

AU - Holmegaard, Henriette Tolstrup

AU - Ulriksen, Lars

AU - Madsen, Lene Møller

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - This chapter demonstrates how narrative theory in general, and narrativepsychology in particular, contribute to understand how students make meaningof their choice of post-secondary studies. In particular two central ideas withinthe theory are unfolded; the concept of identity and the concept of time. The applicabilityof the theory is discussed using empirical examples. The chapter arguesthat a narrative approach provides an understanding of choice of study as continuousprocesses where individuals work on their identities in terms of negotiatingand constructing a coherent choice-narrative. As a consequence future studiesneed to be careful when interpreting student statements about how they alwayswanted to study a particular subject. Narrative psychology illustrates how we needto contextualize this ‘always’ in terms of the students’ current position, culturalcontext and meaning making. At the end of the chapter consequences for futureresearch are discussed as well as how this approach to students’ choices of studycontributes to our understanding of students’ science, technology, engineering andmathematics (STEM) choices.

AB - This chapter demonstrates how narrative theory in general, and narrativepsychology in particular, contribute to understand how students make meaningof their choice of post-secondary studies. In particular two central ideas withinthe theory are unfolded; the concept of identity and the concept of time. The applicabilityof the theory is discussed using empirical examples. The chapter arguesthat a narrative approach provides an understanding of choice of study as continuousprocesses where individuals work on their identities in terms of negotiatingand constructing a coherent choice-narrative. As a consequence future studiesneed to be careful when interpreting student statements about how they alwayswanted to study a particular subject. Narrative psychology illustrates how we needto contextualize this ‘always’ in terms of the students’ current position, culturalcontext and meaning making. At the end of the chapter consequences for futureresearch are discussed as well as how this approach to students’ choices of studycontributes to our understanding of students’ science, technology, engineering andmathematics (STEM) choices.

M3 - Book chapter

SN - 978-94-007-7792-7

T3 - Education

SP - 31

EP - 42

BT - Understanding student participation and choice in science and technology education

A2 - Henriksen, Ellen Karoline

A2 - Dillon, Justin

A2 - Ryder, Jim

PB - Springer Science+Business Media

CY - Dordrecht Heidelberg New York London

ER -