PART I Personal and professional identity; 1 Introduction: personal and professional identity; 2 The Table Where Rich People Sit: a turn toward narrative inquiry as method, phenomenon and pedagogy; 3 Trouble(d) at the border: teacher educators as researchers -- a perspective from England; 4 Authoring a life: writing ourselves in/out of our work in education; PART II Conducting education research.

5 Introduction: conducting education research6 Research, reflect and rethink: a journey in education research; 7 Sociocultural insights into conducting qualitative educational research in Malaysia; 8 The emerging use of mixed methods in educational research; 9 Research and professional practice in Scottish education; PART III Imposed imperatives; 10 Introduction: imposed imperatives; 11 'This email thing won't take off': a critique of the Australian government's digital education revolution (DER) funding on a secondary school.

"Meanings and Motivation in Education Research demonstrates the vibrant and vital connection between the researcher and their research. Research is often perceived as an entity which is seemingly produced in isolation; however, there are many important factors which are involved, and this book explores the complexities of investigating the specific areas of meaning and motivation for researchers working in the education sector. With contributions from authors drawn from the field of education in various stages of their career, the perspectives shared in this book are from a diverse range of countries including Australia, Canada, Malaysia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Key topics include: - personal and professional identity - narrative inquiry as method - teacher educators as researchers - conducting education research - mixed methods in educational research Foregrounding the personal experiences, interests and motivations of educational researchers Meanings and Motivation in Education Research proves important insights into current discussions in educational research including researchers' identities, the ways they conduct research and most importantly the impact institutional and personal politics have on their work. This will be a valuable text for educators, education researchers, policy-makers and practitioners across the globe"-- Provided by publisher.

12 Methodological mistakes: a reflexive examination of researcher gender privilege13 Spoilt for choice: factors influencing postgraduate students' decision making; 14 The business of schools: the application of strategic management theories to risk taking in decision making in public schools; Respondent's text: stepping off the pedestal; Index.

Meanings and Motivation in Education Research demonstrates the vibrant and vital connection between the researcher and their research. Research is often perceived as an entity which is seemingly produced in isolation; however, there are many important factors which are involved, and this book explores the complexities of investigating the specific areas of meaning and motivation for researchers working in the education sector. With contributions from authors drawn from the field of education in various stages of their career, the perspectives shared in this book are from a diverse range of coun.