Validity, Catalytic

Catalytic validity is a category of validity researchers use to evaluate whether qualitative research intended to spur social change accomplishes its objectives. Validity refers to whether methods undertaken in quantitative or qualitative research examine what they are intended to examine and thus produce credible findings. The criteria that determine whether a given study is valid differ based on which philosophies and theories guide the research, the research purpose, and whether the research is qualitative or quantitative. Historically, qualitative researchers have adapted traditional scientific criteria associated with quantitative research to establish qualitative research as valid. Researchers have used such methods as systematic data collection techniques, triangulation, and multiple coders to reduce researcher bias and ensure valid findings. In recent decades, as forms of qualitative inquiry have proliferated, many researchers have questioned the very standards used to judge what constitutes “good” research and “legitimate” knowledge historically, including the concept of validity. Some researchers have argued the traditional criteria used to establish validity are not appropriate for all forms of research and have proposed an array of new types of validity better suited to their theories and purposes. Catalytic validity is one such measure. As the term implies, catalytic validity refers to the degree to which a given research endeavor intended to spur personal and social transformation serves as a successful catalyst for that transformation. Researchers in the field of curriculum studies working within the “critical” research tradition have used catalytic validity and other transgressive forms of validity to evaluate whether research intended to raise consciousness, reform curriculum, or spur student activism accomplishes these goals.

Catalytic validity is embedded in a theory of research that views research as potentially transformative for researchers and participants alike. In this approach, research is not conducted simply to gain information about the social world, and researchers cannot and should not remain neutral in the process of inquiry. Methodologists (those who study theories and methods of conducting research) draw the concept of catalytic validity from educator Paulo Freire's notion of “conscientization” in which heightened critical consciousness serves as the basis for personal and social transformation. Researchers can serve as active change agents in the conduct of inquiry, striving to raise participants' consciousness about social inequities and prompt actions that lead to more equitable educational practices. Critical researchers can also transform the research process by refusing the stance of “research expert” studying people who are mere “objects of research.” They can design collaborative research with and for participants who contribute to collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data.

Unlike traditional forms of validity, catalytic validity is not achieved through creating and following a checklist of standard criteria to demonstrate research credibility. As part of a transformational [Page 922]research design, catalytic validity charges researchers with the responsibility of reflecting on the research process and remaining vigilant to their research purpose of achieving transformative and emancipatory ends. To achieve those goals, research assessment might include reflection on the following questions: How was the research designed to disrupt traditional power imbalances in the research process and create collaborative relationships between researcher and participants? How did the research transform both researcher and participants? How did the researcher and group members' consciousness evolve during the study? Which concrete actions and improvements resulted from the research? How did the curriculum developed through the research process increase self-determination of or improve conditions for the specific students and teachers that participated? Designing research studies to document these processes can contribute to rigorous and transformative research.

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