Educational Educational Action ResearchAction Research

Todd TwymanTodd Twyman

Summer 2011Summer 2011

Week 1Week 1

Topic Selection: Focus Topic Selection: Focus GroupGroup

Find a group of 4 - 5 people. Find a group of 4 - 5 people. You will each serve as a facilitator You will each serve as a facilitator oneone

time.time. Facilitators: Have 1 person from the Facilitators: Have 1 person from the

group share his/her topic (Assignment group share his/her topic (Assignment 1), and lead the rest of the group 1), and lead the rest of the group through a discussion of the topic.through a discussion of the topic.

Every 3 minutes switch.Every 3 minutes switch. Work on: getting input from everyone, Work on: getting input from everyone,

prompting deep discussion, respectful prompting deep discussion, respectful interactions.interactions.

Two Major TraditionsTwo Major Traditions

QualitativeQualitative Attempts to figure Attempts to figure

out why things are out why things are the way they are, to the way they are, to describe cultures, describe cultures, groups, eventsgroups, events

Microscopic look at Microscopic look at phenomenaphenomena

Research questionsResearch questions

QuantitativeQuantitative Attempts to figure Attempts to figure

out the extent to out the extent to which something is which something is related to something related to something else; to generalize to else; to generalize to a larger populationa larger population

Wide-angle look at Wide-angle look at phenomenaphenomena

Research hypothesesResearch hypotheses

Qualitative ResearchQualitative Research

Goal:Goal: to understand deeply to understand deeply Intense and/or prolonged contact Intense and/or prolonged contact

with life situationwith life situation Approach:Approach: Interpret as you go; keep Interpret as you go; keep

questions open so you don’t miss questions open so you don’t miss new insights that lead to discovery, new insights that lead to discovery, open to emerging themes as you go.open to emerging themes as you go.

Qualitative ResearchQualitative Research

Situated in context:Situated in context: thick, rich thick, rich description.description.

Keen awareness of the Keen awareness of the subjective subjective nature of human experiencenature of human experience. . Researcher as instrument.Researcher as instrument.

Look at the Look at the phenomena as a wholephenomena as a whole rather than trying to parse out rather than trying to parse out individual components.individual components.

Qualitative ResearchQualitative Research

Types include:Types include: Case Studies, Historical Case Studies, Historical

Analyses, Ethnographies Analyses, Ethnographies Data might come from:Data might come from:

Field observations, interviews, Field observations, interviews, focus groups, document focus groups, document analysis, surveys with open-analysis, surveys with open-ended questions.ended questions.

Case StudiesCase Studies

Goal:Goal: to learn about a phenomena of to learn about a phenomena of interest by studying a particular case interest by studying a particular case (or multiple cases)(or multiple cases)

Cases are selected purposivelyCases are selected purposively Extreme casesExtreme cases Typical casesTypical cases Contrasting casesContrasting cases

Typically involves long-term Typically involves long-term involvement involvement

Historical AnalysesHistorical Analyses

Goal:Goal: To learn about a phenomena or To learn about a phenomena or event that happened in the past by event that happened in the past by studying old documents, studying old documents, interviewing people instrumental in interviewing people instrumental in the event, etc.the event, etc.

Documents are read exhaustively in Documents are read exhaustively in order to capture the full range of order to capture the full range of perspectives on events.perspectives on events.

EthnographiesEthnographies

Goal:Goal: To understand a culture, how the To understand a culture, how the lived experiences of people in a lived experiences of people in a particular group interact to form a particular group interact to form a phenomena that can be studied.phenomena that can be studied.

Insider (emic) perspectives are Insider (emic) perspectives are particularly useful for the researcher.particularly useful for the researcher.

Important to question motives / Important to question motives / biases.biases.

““Culture” is very broadly defined.Culture” is very broadly defined.

ExamplesExamples

How do first year doctoral students How do first year doctoral students who receive their classes via who receive their classes via distance education in an off-campus distance education in an off-campus location define the ‘graduate school location define the ‘graduate school experience’?experience’?

Why do some children from low SES Why do some children from low SES backgrounds excel in school while backgrounds excel in school while others perform so poorly?others perform so poorly?

Your turn!Your turn!

Using your topic (Assignment 1), write Using your topic (Assignment 1), write research questions that would be research questions that would be appropriate for:appropriate for: A case study.A case study. A historical analysis.A historical analysis. An ethnography.An ethnography.

Back to the focus groups: Facilitators, Back to the focus groups: Facilitators, keep the discussion moving! keep the discussion moving!

HomeworkHomework

Read Chapters 5 - 6 in Glanz Read Chapters 5 - 6 in Glanz (after class)(after class)

Read the Gersten and Baker Read the Gersten and Baker article if you haven’t done so article if you haven’t done so already!already!