Abstract:
In "A Journey Into Narrative Inquiry: One Teacher's Lived Experience
With Eating Disorders," an elementary teacher searches for answers regarding how
education can help prevent eating disorders by journeying into her own experience of
having had such a disorder. This qualitative study is a personal narrative based on an
individual's experience, a method appropriate to the sharing of personal voices and
stories told in education research. It is an attempt to address the gap found in the research
on this topic by offering a subjective and unique perspective of what it is like to live
within the nightmare of an eating disorder and by sharing the wisdom gained from having
survived such an experience.
This narrative inquiry explains how a teacher found herself at a stage where she
was willing and ready to share her experience for the sake of research. The story of
having had an eating disorder, consisting of both anorexia and bulimia, for over a decade
is shared in a genuine, reflective manner. The researcher then shares the analysis of her
own story, unpacking the themes of journeying toward voice, self-esteem,
self-acceptance, and self and the completion of an M.Ed. degree. Bridges are made which
connect these themes to the personal and professional life of the researcher, to the
schools in terms of both curriculum and climate, to research directions, and to the larger
culture. Suggestions are made for possible changes in educational settings that may help
teachers in providing students with some tools and strategies to prevent turning to eating
disorders as coping mechanisms. A literature review of eating disorders is included as
well, as a guide for others to use when undertaking such qualitative studies.
