ABSTRACT
Narrative has gained momentum in two ways—generally, as a term occurring in educational research literature and, more specifically and recently, as a nascent research methodology in its own right with a potential for use across a wide range of disciplines. This chapter proposes that the narrative inquiry research approach, with its ability to focus on critical life events while, at the same time, exploring holistic views, continues to hold valuable potential for researchers in a broad range of learning areas. Narrative records human experience through the construction and reconstruction of personal stories. It is well suited to addressing issues of complexity and cultural and human centredness because of its capacity to record and retell those events that have had the most influence on us. By proposing narrative inquiry as an alternative research method, we are by no means attempting to dismiss the usefulness of quantitative methods.
