Interpretive autoethnography as a way of social transformation in academic teaching and learning spaces in Chile

Abstract

This article arose from our interest in investigating our own teaching practices at three universities in Northern Chile. The aim was to generate a deeper understanding of our roles as models for our students, and by using the methodology of the heart, we have joined our three voices of Latin American women researchers to describe the interpretative autoethnography and performative text as ways of researching in education, health, and psychology and its power as a tool for breaking the traditional academic discourse to connect with international audiences from our own biographies. We seek to show how social transformation can occur from the classroom and at the same time challenge the public higher education system that follows free market policies in this neoliberal world. Why use autoethnography? Because reflecting on our own practices through autoethnography allows us to get to know ourselves and at the same time appreciate our voices. Trends in educational research in Latin America have been strongly marked by colonization and dramatically influenced by the knowledge developed in the global north. We propose to put the south in our research by exploring our realities told through social stories of the heart.