Actor-Network Theory-based Qualitative Research Mthodology for Exploring Educational Phenomena: Meanings and Issues

Abstract

The transition into posthuman era has called for the departure from humanist and representationalist approaches to qualitative research that provide specific tools to explore educational phenomena. Actor-Network Theory (ANT) has recently been gaining attention as an alternative approach to qualitative research that focuses on various socio-material phenomena emerging as effects of more-than-human entanglements. This article aims to clarify the theoretical and practical meanings of analyzing educational phenomena through ANT as one of posthumanist approaches to qualitative research methodology, and to examine the key issues of utilizing it. This article names ANT-ish approaches to analyzing (educational) heterogeneous phenomena as ‘assembling’ and discusses the ‘post-critical’ aspects and the major methodological characteristics of such approaches. Next, it examines the following issues involved in the process of ‘becoming a (educational) qualitative researcher’ utilizing ANT; researchers’ positionality, ways of data analysis and writing, and validity of ANT-based qualitative research. Finally, the directions are suggested for developing ANT-based qualitative research methodologies (working in practice) to delve into the complexities, dynamics, and ambivalences of certain educational phenomena.