ABSTRACT
The tenet of practice theory to treat structural conditions and agential choices as ontologically interwoven has received substantial attention. In this chapter, we argue that common methodological choices in the study of education belie this tenet. Consistently using comparison groups of actors in different field positions to study practice introduces a logic akin to an independent variable, setting researchers up to treat structure a priori as a source of difference. Through an example of a mixed-methods study of first-generation college students, we demonstrate a series of methodological decisions that bind researchers’ hands against pre-emptively treating structure as a fundamental source of variation in practice. Further, we demonstrate how longitudinal, mixed-methods research designs can illuminate how structure and agency interweave, and how field positions intersect within actors.
