Recognizing and resolving the challenges of being an insider researcher in work-integrated learning

Abstract

Insider research studies are common in work-integrated learning (WIL) research, yet little has been written about the methodological and ethical dilemmas that WIL researchers face. Using a case study narrative, the position of an insider researcher is justified, and the challenges faced, when a researcher undertakes an in-depth study of their own WIL program is examined. The unique perspective of the history and culture of the researcher's program was the most significant advantage, enabling a deep level of understanding and interpretation. Key challenges included: minimizing the potential for implicit coercion of the participants; acknowledging the desire for positive outcomes; ensuring tacit patterns and regularities were not taken for granted; and awareness of the potential conflicts of being an academic and researcher within the same context. In this paper, strategies to assist WIL researchers minimize these challenges are suggested. Insider research provides a valuable contribution to the theory and practice of WIL from a different perspective than may be obtained by someone not deeply embedded and involved.