Use of a focused autobiography to illuminate researcher bias in qualitative study had the unintended effect of identifying additional research questions. Hermeneutic theory suggests that bias or "preunderstanding" is a necessary condition of interpretation. (SK)

Considers two books, Sara Lawrence Lightfoot's biography of her mother, "Balm in Gilead: Journey of a Healer" (1988), and Pauli Murray's autobiography, "Song in a Weary Throat: An American Pilgrimage" (1987), to illustrate that, by approaching such literature from perspective of social learning theory, one can learn more about…

Discusses autobiography. States that the author, in writing autobiographical poems, is motivated by a desire to inscribe the memory, to fend off forgetfulness, to stake a claim for significance by shaping a story that signifies. Illustrates with various autobiographical poems. (PA)

Provides a chapter-by-chapter list of possible writing exercises to be used in conjunction with Frederick Douglass's "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave." States that the aim of the exercises is to encourage complexity of thought and feeling. (PA)

Many teacher educators recommend that preservice teachers examine their own backgrounds and experiences to identify assumptions, beliefs, and values, as well as cultural contexts in which they grew up, which impact on how they understand schooling and students. Commonly, Social Foundations courses initiate self-examination through processes such…

In an effort to combine pre-service teachers' self-reflection with their field experiences to enhance their cultural competency, this study adopted Schmidt's ABC's (Autobiography, Biography, and Cross-cultural Comparison) Model in two courses in a pre-service teacher education program. Through group comparisons, this study measured the impact that…

This study investigated a qualitative career assessment and counselling procedure that was founded upon a constructivist, narrative approach to career counselling, "My Career Chapter: A Dialogical Autobiography" (McIlveen, 2006). Counsellors were trained in the use of the procedure and then applied it to themselves in an intensive…

The authors review research showing that when recalling autobiographical events, many emotionally disturbed patients summarize categories of events rather than retrieving a single episode. The mechanisms underlying such overgeneral memory are examined, with a focus on M. A. Conway and C. W. Pleydell-Pearce's (2000) hierarchical search model of…

This autoethnography elucidates the challenges I encountered in my efforts to maintain my commitment to leadership for social justice. When I assumed the superintendency of a small rural school district in southern Texas, I started collecting data in the form of a journal. My lived experiences, as recorded in my journal, were the sole source of…

Used autobiographical memory task to study memory processes and depression in 27 nondepressed and 27 depressed older adults who each recalled 30 memories. Results were consistent with mood congruence hypothesis, in that participants recalled more memories affectively consistent with current mood, and self-enhancement view of reminiscing, such that…

Although many colleges profess interest in character development, faculty often feel ill equipped to address questions of vocation and purpose in their classes. Life writing--biography and autobiography--is a popular genre outside of the university, but is largely neglected within the academy. The study of life writing provides a natural way to…

Overgeneral autobiographical memory seems to be a stable cognitive marker in depressed adults and may predict persistence of depression. This study investigated whether depressive disorders in children are associated with overgeneral memory. Sixty children (ages 9 to 13 years) participated; 15 were diagnosed with lifetime depressive disorder, 25…

This action research project investigated the effects of negotiating curriculum on the affective attitudes of boys in my Year 8 English class towards studying English at high school. The ensuing unit involved developing autobiographical narratives to create, share and critique the students' life-stories, undertaking learning activities that were…

The event specificity of autobiographical memories refers to the degree to which retold memories include specific details about a unique personal experience from a variety of representational systems supported by different brain areas. This article proposes 2 text measures as indicators of event specificity: (a) a measure of temporal sequence in…