Practitioner-Researcher Positionality: Beyond Statements in Educational Leadership Doctoral Research

Abstract

Researcher positionality is widely acknowledged in qualitative research but is often reduced to identity disclosures with limited insight into how research decisions shaped the inquiry process. This article conceptualizes practitioner-researcher positionality in educational leadership doctoral research as an ongoing research practice. Drawing on multiple qualitative traditions, I propose a framework identifying four interrelated dimensions: insiderness; relational and structural positioning; interpretive judgment under professional and institutional constraints; and ethical responsibility. I use an illustrative practitioner case to show how these dimensions operate across problem formation, research design/implementation, analysis, and dissemination, with implications for EdD and PhD doctoral preparation and supervision.