As visual methods are increasingly validated in the social sciences, including educational research, we must interrogate the sight of inquiry as we employ visual methods to examine our research sites. In this essay, three layers of engagement with the visual are examined in relation to educational research: looking, seeing, and envisioning. This methodological focus entails a commitment to theory, particularly visual theory, and researcher positionality, especially in relation to the literal and figurative aspects of one's viewpoint.
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