What are my I's?

In his article "In Search of Subjectivity--One's Own," Peshkin (1988) describes aspects of himself that collectively account for his subjectivity--"the quality of an investigator that affects the results of observational investigation" (p. 17). Peshkin believes that although researchers aim for neutrality in their studies, bias may sometimes creep in regardless. He suggests that anyone pursuing investigative studies might therefore benefit from contemplating their own subjective areas--what he calls the "I's." The following are mine.  

The Ethnic-Maintenance I tops my list. My religion is very important to me and significantly shapes how I live my life.

I also relate to the Justice-Seeking I. I connect this category to the work I've done as a teacher. I consider myself an advocate for my students, especially when no one else fights for them, not even their parents. I've argued for advancing children to the next grade (one of whom ultimately scored the highest in his class on ELA and Math state exams). I've also helped ensure that certain at-risk students receive extra time for high-stakes testing.

I've experienced the Pedagogical-Meliorist I while working as a Title I teacher at a public school. Instead of hiring substitutes, the principal used me and other support staff to cover classes. While it's often interesting to work with other children and challenging to see if I can carry a class (often pre-K--where no instruction was permitted--and a high-functioning 4th grade class) on the fly, it meant that my struggling students, for whom my salary was targeted, wouldn't receive service. These missed sessions really added up, and although my students improved, they could have progressed even further with more consistent help. I'd learned that this practice is fairly widespread throughout the DOE and  I suspect this is why the Title I program has historically not made the gains it might have. I ultimately resigned my position and reported these misused funds to the State Education Department.

The E-Pluribus-Unum I is evident in Jonathan Kozol's book, The Shame of the Nation, in which he states that schools in the U.S. are as segregated now as they were before 1968. This is true even in Manhattan, one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world. What's also troubling is an obvious lack of resources in the more northern schools. When it comes to supplies, for example, teachers in Central Harlem will likely have more out-of-pocket expenses than teachers working on the East Side.

If any of these personal views or experiences found their way into my investigative projects, I'm not sure I'd consider it a drawback. For example, I recognize and respect people's differences, given my own. And were I to conduct a study about at-risk children, I'd search for any unjust treatment that may have hindered their achievement. In the event any flagrant subjectivity did enter my report, however, I suppose a peer-review committee would alert me.