Constructivism is the research ideology I find most aligned with my thinking. I agree with the idea of constructivist epistemology: we come to know by engaging and participating. How can we truly learn without doing and experiencing?

I remember watching a show called 60 Days In. It followed trained military personnel and civilians who disguised themselves as inmates, without the prisoners or guards knowing. The purpose was to expose and research what happens behind bars—such as injustice, drug use, and inmate behavior. 60 Days In reflects constructivist epistemology because prison life is not an objective truth; it is experienced and interpreted differently by participants, inmates, and staff. Each actor’s identity and position shape what they know, showing that truth is plural, contested, and socially constructed. While the show was partly reality TV, I have seen similar research approaches carried out on social media.

At the end of the video, Pat Norman shows a picture of London. He explains that a constructivist would not only measure or map the city, but also study it in depth, its surroundings, its different communities, and the cultures within it.

The question to reflect on: What barriers do underrepresented students face in higher education when federally funded access programs are cut or underfunded?

If I took this as a constructivist approach, I would answer my question by looking at it through different lenses. For example, starting with students: how would they face these barriers, and how would they respond to this question? I would also consider the advisor’s perspective and the policymaker’s perspective, such as that of the Trump administration. Each of these individuals would answer the question differently. I would also reflect on the word barrier itself, because so much is embedded within it, such as race, class, immigration status, and broader social inequalities.

I would even look at the school itself. I work for Education Talent Search (ETS), which serves students at the high schools. There is a lack of college support. That is a barrier that students may face, and the school itself, if TRIO were completely gone. 

I have added some links below about TRIO

ETS: https://www.ccri.edu/ets/

TRIO: https://coenet.org/