Designing for Discomfort

Abstract

In this article we explore discomforts two doctoral students experienced in a qualitative research methods class designed to introduce the diversity of qualitative research. The discomforts, purposefully facilitated by the teacher, created opportunities for students to consider their roles as professionals and scholars. We use student class posts, reflection journals, and audio-recorded conversations from our yearlong research to focus on the discomfort of nonsingularity of qualitative research. We make visible how this discomfort became instrumental in our understanding of the polyphony of qualitative research and of our responsibilities as scholars. We argue that discomforts, when part of a class design, can open doors for deeper understandings of our learning and of qualitative research.