Diffractive Ethnography in Practice
Understanding the Intra-Actions of Educational Complexity
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19479211 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Helen Bremert (0009-0002-7263-5673, NSW Department of Education, corresponding author), Debra Talbot (0000-0002-1398-3435, NSW Department of Education) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 25 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-19 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Qualitative Methods (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1609-4069 • E-ISSN: 1609-4069 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/16094069261441989 |
| OpenAlex | W7160925459 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 30 |
Education’s inherent complexity, characterised by dynamic entanglements among students, teachers, policies, and environments, necessitates methodologies with greater potential to reveal significant intra-actions. Understanding complexity is essential for developing effective educational responses sensitive to diverse learning needs and contexts. This paper examines how diffractive ethnography, developed from the work of Donna Haraway (1991) and Karen Barad (2007), reframes education as a dynamically entangled process, in which each element influences and is influenced by others. Diffractive ethnography represents a philosophical and methodological shift grounded in new materialism that moves away from human-centric research frameworks. This paper provides a practical and explanatory account of applying diffractive ethnography in educational research. Collaborative testing case studies are used to exemplify the development of a trustworthy methodological approach, crucially demonstrated through the iterative construction and use of diffractive diagrams as both an analytical tool and visual enactments of complex entanglements. This innovative approach provides a powerful way to understand and enhance educational practice, moving beyond cause-and-effect thinking to embrace the messy reality of learning environments. Ultimately, this paper not only theorises a new methodology; it also provides a vital roadmap for researchers to explore educational interactions, paving the way for truly transformative pedagogical and policy interventions
Ethnography · Formative assessment · Historical materialism · Materialism · Transformative learning · Trustworthiness · Work (physics) · Educational Environments and Student Outcomes · Educational Theory and Curriculum Studies · Global Educational Policies and Reforms
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |