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also position themselves in the research to acknowledge how their own experiences and
background can shape how they see the world. This ‘seeing of the world’ can be
divided into two opposing sets of beliefs or approaches, the objectivist approach or the
subjectivist approach. The objectivist approach would seek the absolute truth and treat
that being investigated externally from the individual and employ more traditional
methodologies based on quantitative methods. The subjectivist approach treats that
being investigated as a ‘much softer, personal and humanly created kind’ (Cohen,
Manion & Morrison, 2000, p. 6) and will employ more qualitative based methods such
as observations and interviews. In taking a subjectivist approach to a study the principle
concern is ‘with an understanding of the way in which the individual creates, modifies
and interprets the world in which he or she finds him or herself’ (Cohen et al., 2000, p.
7). This is further illustrated by Stringer (1996); ‘the aim of (constructivist) inquiry is
not to establish the ‘truth’ or to describe what ‘really’ is happening, but to reveal the
different truths and realities – constructions – held by different individual groups’ (p.
41). This study sought to describe, analyse and understand teachers’ and children’s
experiences of a contextualised, whole school professional development programme.
The social constructivist paradigm, that permits in-depth understanding that caters for
an analysis of the truths and realities of all those involved (principal, teachers and
children) is consistent with the research question and will meet the aim of this study.
Sustained contact by the researcher throughout the study is also legitimised by
this world paradigm, and this in turn allows a relationship to develop between the
participants and researcher which will facilitate the collection of rich, in-depth data. It is
important to note that the researcher is approaching the research not as a philosopher or
a constructivist theorist but rather as a teacher of physical education. In simple terms,
the research focuses on what teachers do, why they do it, what they know and what they
need; and following a programme – what teachers do, why they do it, what they know
and how (or if) these have changed as a result of being exposed to the programme. The
study searches for reasons and explanations and assumes that individuals have choices,
albeit limited choices, and who they are and what they know are as a result of their
interactions with their world and with others in their world.
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