Epistemology of Teaching and Learning: Paradigm Journey with My Doctoral Students

Introduction

For over a decade, I have been teaching doctoral-level courses in epistemology and qualitative research methodologies. The courses that I teach are fundamental in terms of preparing our doctoral students for their dissertation journey. We bring creativity and new technologies to the coursework to make it more effective for our students. We introduce key assessments to trace the progress of the students' work throughout the doctoral program. 

Goals and Methods

The purpose of this study is to examine and showcase diverse ways of knowing within the content of the course on epistemology of teaching and learning. I underscore the importance of epistemological assumptions, their clarity and performative capacity, as well as their relevance to the students' professional occupations. Through the descriptive analysis, this project focuses on specific examples of students' work, namely, epistemological profiles positioned within Western and non-Western philosophical traditions. 

Results

Examples of the student work on epistemological profiles and other assignments demonstrate the quality and creativity of expected student learning outcomes and the effectiveness of curriculum that embraces diverse ways of knowing. The examples illustrate strong potential for self-expression through both textual and visual representations. 

Conclusions

On-going key assessments of the student work allow for deliberate improvement of the coursework and the dissertation process, which, in turn, provides ample opportunities for sustaining and enriching doctoral programs. This project is an invitation to doctoral scholarly communities to share their ways of knowing, teaching, and learning.