Critical Qualitative Research in Education: Epistemological Principles

Abstract

This article proposes principles for constructing research practices in Education that consider the complexity and unpredictability inherent in pedagogical praxis. In this direction, assuming the epistemological perspective of Critical Pedagogy, it takes as its starting point the following question: how can qualitative research in Education contribute to the critical interpretation of pedagogical phenomena? In this direction, its general objective is to analyze Critical Qualitative Research in Education as a theoretical-methodological approach that articulates scientific rigor, legitimation of subjectivities, and critical interpretation of school phenomena, listing the following specific objectives: (i) to understand the foundations of qualitative research in education, highlighting its relationship with the context, the subjects, and the meanings produced in the school experience; (ii) to discuss methodological rigor in qualitative research; and (iii) to reflect on the role of subjects in investigative practice articulated with the critical interpretation of educational phenomena. The corpus was analyzed under three categories: (i) contributions to the rigor of the research; (ii) contributions to the valorization of subjectivities in research; (iii) contributions to the critical interpretation of the researcher. In synthesis, four principles emerged as the foundation for Critical Qualitative Research in Education: (i) rigor in research; (ii) valorization of subjectivities; (iii) critical interpretation of the research collective; and (iv) commitment to overcoming conditions of oppression. These principles highlight the inherently political dimension of pedagogical research and emphasize the need for Emancipation as the political horizon of scientific praxis in Education.