Reimagining Ethnographies: The Use of Videoethnography in Educational Research by Frederick Erickson and Carmen de Mattos

Abstract

The article is a theoretical-methodological essay that examines, ethnography and video ethnography from the perspectives of Frederick Erickson and Carmen de Mattos. They are ethnographers who conduct their research in educational settings using video and microanalysis. Erickson ‘s talk is included first, with the objectives of reviewing fundamental aspects of ethnographic research in education, briefly describing the history of ethnography, discussing the crisis of confidence in traditional ethnography, and presenting three ethnographic approaches: teacher-researcher, participatory action research, and performative ethnography. Mattos goes on to expand on the author’s arguments and discuss the use of video in ethnography, in an attempt to address the question: how can the use of video in the classroom expand the analytical possibilities of the interactions seen in the school space? How were the video recordings used and what are the limits and possibilities for their use? And, in what way do ethnographic vignettes, based on video images, contribute to signify fieldwork and impact the researcher’s reflexivity? Considered pioneers in the use of video images in classroom research, the authors complement each other and challenge the reader to reimagine ethnographies as unfinished projects with the potential to become so in the future, not only boosting school practices, especially in the classroom, but also informing and modifying public policies in education.