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Key research themes
1. How can story completion methods enrich qualitative research by accessing social discourses beyond direct self-report?
This research theme investigates the utility of story completion (SC) as a qualitative data collection method that diverges from conventional self-report techniques. SC involves providing participants with a story stem and asking them to complete the narrative, thus eliciting narrative constructions that reveal culturally available discourses, social norms, and interpretative frameworks rather than individual lived experiences or direct opinions. This approach is particularly valuable for sensitive or taboo topics where participants may be reluctant or unable to disclose personal information straightforwardly. The theme emphasizes different epistemological lenses (essentialist vs. social constructionist) in analyzing SC data, methodological considerations in research design, and the empirical potential and challenges of SC.
Key finding: This chapter articulates the innovative use of story completion in qualitative research, highlighting its flexibility to operate within both essentialist and constructionist paradigms. It finds SC particularly effective in... Read more
2. How can storytelling be effectively integrated into STEM education to enhance engagement and deeper learning?
This theme examines the role of storytelling as a pedagogical strategy in STEM education, focusing on the design, development, and impact of story-based learning objects and children's storybooks containing STEM content. The research highlights storytelling's potential to contextualize STEM concepts, foster creativity, support interdisciplinary integration (including with the arts), and motivate learners by making STEM accessible, relevant, and engaging at elementary and higher education levels. Methodological approaches include educational design research and the development of digital platforms that blend narrative with inquiry-based STEM activities for immersive learning experiences.
Key finding: This paper presents the theoretical foundation and design considerations for developing children's storybooks infused with STEM content targeting elementary students. Using Educational Design Research models and didactic... Read more
Key finding: Describes the STORIES digital platform which combines storytelling with STEM and arts-related activities to promote deeper learning. The platform utilizes immersive technologies (e.g., VR/AR) and inquiry-based pedagogies to... Read more
Key finding: This article provides an overview of Story-based Learning, presenting stories as a powerful instructional tool that can contextualize knowledge and evoke emotional and cognitive engagement. It identifies meta components... Read more
Key finding: Focuses on the narratives of women of color in STEM and examines their struggles and transformations within STEM cultures. By centering on personal storytelling, the work highlights systemic challenges such as cultural racism... Read more
3. What are the theoretical, methodological, and practical implications of narrative inquiry and storytelling in professional and organizational contexts?
This research area explores the multifaceted roles of narrative inquiry and storytelling within psychotherapy, organizational change, learning, leadership, and social transformation. It focuses on the application of narrative techniques (e.g., narrative therapy, externalization) to reshape personal and collective meaning-making, the impact of storytelling on organizational culture and conflict reduction, and the challenges of leveraging stories as interventions for personal and systemic change. It also investigates the power and risks of storytelling in professional training, emphasizing authentic story sharing and the dialogic process. Methodologically, works emphasize pluralistic approaches to narrative research reflecting diverse theoretical traditions, interdisciplinary applications, and the co-creation of meaning.
Key finding: Provides an extensive review of narrative inquiry applications in psychotherapy, organizational change, and conflict reduction, highlighting narrative therapy’s focus on the client’s story as both problem and solution. It... Read more
Key finding: Reflects on narrative work within organizations, emphasizing storytelling’s transformative potential in resolving polarities, constructing visionary change narratives, and serving as a deliberate intervention to foster... Read more
Key finding: This chapter documents diverse scholarly trajectories and approaches within narrative research, illustrating how narrative inquiry spans life stories, subjectivity, narrative genres, and autobiographies across social... Read more
Key finding: Examines the use of stories and interactive narratives in professional education, detailing how narratives combined with game elements (interactive narratives) enhance learner agency, decision-making, and empathy in scenarios... Read more
Key finding: Advocates for storytelling as a foundational educational subject and life skill, emphasizing its role in communication, cultural transmission, and holistic education. The paper argues that storytelling cultivates creativity,... Read more