TOPIC: DOING LIFE HISTORIES AND BIOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH

REPORTERS: JOMARI CANTONJOS AND GOD REY A. LORILLA

ACTIVITY 1: Name It On!

Why play this game? Nowadays, students tend to idolize and are intrigued with popular
icons in showbiz whether in the Philippines or outside the country. They are engrossed as to how
some of their idols had risen to zenith of popularity. But are their knowledge about the biography
of our Philippine heroes be part with their enthusiasm towards these razzle-dazzle?
In this activity, the student prior knowledge about the life histories of our famous
Philippine heroes will be tested.

Objectives:
Test the knowledge of students towards the life history of the heroes who constituted to the
liberty of the Philippines.
Correlate the report “Doing Life History and Biographical Research” to the aforementioned
activity.
Increase their knowledge about the life events of some of our heroes.

Mechanics:
1. The class will be divided into 4 groups, which is in accordance to their appointed group
during the report.
2. The type of the activity will be in the form of quiz, with a set of 15 question, ranging from
easy to difficult.
3. There will be 10 easy, 3 average and 2 difficult questions comprising the quiz, each correct
answer will be given 1,3 and 5 points respectively.
4. They are given 20 seconds to answer. Failure to answer before the given time, will be
automatically marked as wrong.
5. The group which garnered the highest point will consider as the winner.

ACTIVITY 2: Oh My Guess!
Since the discussion is all about doing life history and biographical research ,and that, the
BSCE-1C has been almost 5 months already. It cannot be gainsaid that some secrets were
already been shared among our fellow classmates, whether our favorites, personal problems or
maybe some dirty secrets so this game is super b in juncture to report.

Mechanics:
1. Divide the class into four groups, groupings shall be sorted base on the assigned group during
the report.
2. Collecting points is based on 2 options:
Guessing of personal/biographical info: this includes the favorite food, singer ,places
,secrets, etc.
 Guessing life events: this includes the events that really happened and was admitted
by the opposing individual.
Note: Points can only be granted once the individual validated the guess
3. Guessing of personal/biographical info is worth 2 points only. While guessing of a life event
correctly, and without fabrication, and which is also conceded by the individual being
addressed to is worth 5 points.
4. A group is only given a 1 turn per individual per cycle. The game is composed of 3 cycles.
5. The group which has the highest points will be declared as the winner.

LESSON PROPER: DOING LIFE HISTORIES AND BIOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH

Ask the students: What do you think is the importance of referring to life histories or
biography when conducting a research about people? Why do you think it is important to include
life history or biographical research about people?
Start discussing: Doing life history and biographical research is necessary since it explores a
person’s experiences within a historical framework. Therefore, it gives the idea as to how a
certain person act, or behave under those particular time. More-over this so called behavior can
be a result of an initial decision made at another time and at another place or by an influence of
someone. Pertaining to the biography, biographical research focuses on an individual, and seeks
to understand the changing experiences and outlooks of an individual in their daily lives, what
they see as important and to provide interpretation of the accounts they give of their past,
present, and future. Thus we need to provide information rather than empirical research as to
their perception on a given time.
What is life history?
Records of individual’s personal experiences and the connections between them and the
past social events.
Co-created between researcher & participant
Embeds the life story w/in a wider social & historical context
Interpretation & presentation by a researcher
More recent interest in the structure and purpose of stories and narrative forms of talk

What is biographical research?

It is the understanding of an individual’s biography in terms of its social constitution. It
is concerned with the reconstruction of life histories and the constitution of meaning
based on biographical narratives and documents.
It is a qualitative research approach aligned to the social interpretive paradigm of
research.
A specific type of qualitative research “which uses stories of individuals and other
‘personal materials’ to understand the individual life within its social context” (Robert
2002:3).
 The Purpose of Biographical Research
The intent of biographical research in its various guises is to collect and interpret the lives
of others as part of human understanding” (Roberts 2002:15)
Emphasises the importance of subjective experience within historical & social contexts
Illuminates processes by which individuals negotiate both their identities and their
interpretation/engagement with norms

SHORT QUIZL:
1. It is the understanding of an individual’s biography in terms of its social constitution
Ans: Biographical Research
2. It is the records of individual’s personal experiences and the connections between them and
the past social events.
Ans: Life history
3. It is a qualitative research approach aligned to the social interpretive paradigm of research.
Ans: Biographical Research
4. Give 2 purpose of Biographical research
5. Ans.
 The intent of biographical research in its various guises is to collect and interpret the
lives of others as part of human understanding” (Roberts 2002:15)
 Emphasises the importance of subjective experience within historical & social
contexts
 Illuminates processes by which individuals negotiate both their identities and their
interpretation/engagement with norms