Factoring Power and Positionality into Research on Instructional Design Interventions

This study is an analysis of empirical studies published in major Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT)-sponsored journals: Educational Technology Research and Development (ETR&D), TechTrends, Journal of Applied Instructional Design (JAID), and Journal of Computing in Higher Education (JCHE). Through this analysis, we addressed two primary constructs within diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)—power and positionality—and how they do, or do not, intersect with research in instructional design technology (IDT). The focus of the study is on investigations in which interventions are implemented and conclusions are drawn. Our goal was to provide a critique and possible future directions to IDT researchers regarding DEI dimensions in their inquiry. The studies analyzed (n = 383) did not, to a degree we might have hoped, include DEI concerns, or these concerns are not fundamental enough to be included in reports of research. Limitations of the study and implications for future research are presented.