Abstract

One of the orthodoxies of supervising research within the framework of a radical approach to adult education is that you 'demand' a reflexive approach. That is, you ask that the researcher adopt a paradigm of research that does not pretend scientific validity, one that recognises that the researcher's own assumptions, experiences and subjectivity constitute the major source of colour in the canvas he or she is painting. Reflexivity in research involves developing 'critical literacy' by not only exploring the external world but also turning the research gaze both on the medium of research and on the researcher him/herself (Davies et al., 2006, p. 88). Researchers therefore, as well as being concerned with doing research, are also concerned with their own story as researchers and with the story of the research.