In social constructivist research, ―rather than starting with a theory, inquirers
generate or inductively develop a theory or pattern of meaning‖ (Creswell, 2009, p. 8).
Ultimately, a constructivist‘s main concern is how individuals make meaning of an
experience, and they believe this meaning is subjective and valid. Social constructivists
have been associated with the general psychological theory of social constructivism
which will be used to ground this study. A simple explanation of this theory is people
make meaning of the world in which they live and work based on their environment and
culture, and interactions with those in their environment and culture. Culture is best seen
as the source of human behavior (Crotty, 1998, p. 54). In other words, Crotty suggests the
shared beliefs and practices of a group dictate that group‘s behavior. With this theory,
Social constructivists hold assumptions that individuals seek understanding of the
world in which they live and work. Individuals develop subjective meanings of
their experiences-meanings directed toward certain objects or things. These
12
meanings are varied and multiple …. The goal … is to rely as much as possible
on the participants‘ views of the situation being studied. (Creswell, 2009, p. 8)
The views studied have been shaped by the participant‘s interaction with others
and ―historical and cultural norms‖ (Creswell, 2009, p. 8). This theory proposes that
―individuals hold a variety of views in relation to a situation and there is a focus on
understanding these multiple meanings‖ (Roux & Barry, 2009, p. 4). The individual and
the learning that takes place as a result of the social context is at the heart of social
constructivism. ―It would appear useful, then, to reserve the term ‗constructivism‘ for
epistemological considerations focusing exclusively on the meaning making activity of
the individual mind‖ (Crotty, 1998, p. 58). Furthermore, ―constructivism…points up the
unique experience of each of us. It suggests that each one‘s way of making sense of the
world is as valid and worthy of respect as any other, thereby tending to scotch any hint of
a critical spirit‖ (Crotty, 1998, p. 58). As social constructivism relates to this study,
faculty members have different views of the accreditation process. If social
constructivism theory holds true, how faculty members make meaning of the
accreditation process is based on social constructs, e.g. social interaction with other
people in the higher education environment and norms of the environment itself. The
faculty members‘ stories give an idea of what interactions and norms within the higher
education environment shape the way that they made meaning of the accreditation
process as individuals and as a group. The social constructivist theory holds that two
people looking at the same thing never see it the same way. We each hold a distinctive
view of reality that is shaped by our experiences (Kim, 2001). The faculty members‘
stories relayed in this study elucidate each faculty members‘ version of reality and the
social constructs that influenced the making of this reality