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Reflective Reading Blog #6

1.      What do you see as the greatest strength and limitation of mixed methods research? Explain your response.

2.      In your own words describe why action planning and reflection are critical components in an action research study?

1)      Without question, the greatest strength of mixed methods research is the ability to collect qualitative and quantitative data simultaneously. This is referred to as convergent parallel design. It is also beneficial because neither data collection method is prioritized; data is collected with equal importance. (Mertler, 2019) There are three other mixed methods research designs (explanatory, exploratory, and embedded), however (at least for the field of ECE) I believe convergent design is most beneficial. In some instances, research questions may require both types of data to obtain adequate answers. (Mertler, 2019)

If all qualitative design is used, the data lacks substance. In contrast, if all quantitative design is used, the data lacks depth and the more complex aspect of describing what young children are like in the classroom setting. It would be difficult and highly impractical to solely use a quantitative design for ECE research and, on the other hand, the research’s data would not carry as much weight if it did not include a survey, pre/posttest, or other quantitative aspect. (I planned to use this convergent design for the hypothetical research study we are creating in this class).

As far as limitations go, mixed methods research can be much more time consuming than using a singular methodological approach to the research study. Furthermore, not all researchers have experience in all research methodologies, so they have to take time to learn more about the methods they are unfamiliar with. But, as with each unique research study, the researcher(s) must decide what the best methodological approach is for the research question at hand and its subsequent data.

 2)      The ultimate goal of action research is to improve practice immediately within one’s own classroom or school. It is basically research that is done by educators for themselves. Teachers can study their own classrooms, students, and instructional methods and, in turn, they increase their effectiveness as educators. (Mertler, 2019)

Action planning is very important in action research. By creating an action plan, you are essentially identifying the next steps you will take to address the problem in your research and it may be executed in a formal or informal fashion. You may set it up in brief bullet-point statements or a simple description about how you will implement the new practice. Since it is a form of self-improvement, there is no clear-cut requirement to the methodology. It should make sense to you, as an educational researcher. The whole point of the action plan is for the researcher to have a concrete plan in place in order to carry out the new change based on the action research. An equally important step in the action research process is reflection. Through reflection, the action researcher is able to critically analyze what they are doing, why they decided to do it, and what effects it has produced. (Mertler, 2019) This process is so important because educators should be active participants in their own classroom in order to be effective leaders. When we, as educators, reflect, we should collect data in a systematic way and use that information for future planning and it will help to guide our future decisions in the classroom.

 Reference:

Mertler, C.A. (2019). Introduction to educational research. (2nd edition) Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Ltd.

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Reflective Blog #5

Making a decision regarding research methodology is critical in the process of conducting research. That decision is often guided by the characteristics of a particular methodology and the degree to which it fits the research topic. To pick the most appropriate methodology, the researcher must understand the pros and cons of a particular methodology. Describe what you see as strengths and weaknesses of qualitative research designs.

It is obvious that the great advantage of qualitative research is its ability to capture extensive detail of data (perhaps the life of an individual or the report of eye-witness in a crime scene). This way, we may obtain a rich understanding of different relationships or offer insight into an individual’s life within its specific context. (Mertler, 2019) Another great advantage to qualitative research methods is the naturalistic aspect of it. In other words, the researcher is able to observe the participant’s natural behavior in a specific environment (i.e. observing teacher’s behavior in the classroom setting). If we remove the subject of study (or person) from that setting, then that person may behave in a different way, which is besides the point of the research study. “Qualitative researchers are concerned with process as well as product.” (Mertler, 2019) As Mertler (2019) elaborates in his text, these researchers are as concerned, if not more, with how and why things happen the way they do – no detail is left unattended. Qualitative research is also very descriptive by nature and researchers often use direct quotes from participants in their written results. This also aids in the clarity and explanation of the conclusion/results of the study.

This next aspect of qualitative research is also one I, personally, enjoy when it comes to qualitative research methods; researchers use the process of inductive reasoning to form hypotheses and research questions. What this means is that they first observe and collect data, then synthesize it to form a generalization or research question (the opposite of forming a hypothesis using deductive reasoning). Perhaps a good deal of time passes, in which you observe/collect/analyze data before the researcher even comes up with an understanding of what s/he is looking for. This gives the study an open door for new information to enter which will help to better understand the phenomena of interest.

Yet, of course, nothing is perfect in this world. Therefore, qualitative research comes with proper advantages and disadvantages. Qualitative, or narrative, research is a rather lengthy process. The researcher must spend a considerable amount of time collecting extensive data from each participant on a one-to-one basis. This can be costly to the study if the researcher must travel in order to see participants, or spend time away from work, etc. To conduct high quality qualitative research, the researcher must also be a “people person”, so to speak. If s/he cannot communicate/interact effectively with others, perhaps they will churn out misleading or skewed results for the research study, as a whole. One’s personality (as well as genuine interest) must be considered before commencing any research project. “The goal is to explain the multiple, intertwined layers of context and experience that define us as human beings.” (Mertler, 2019)

Reference:

Mertler, C.A. (2019). Introduction to educational research. (second edition) Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Ltd.

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Reflective Blog #4

Making a decision regarding research methodology is critical in the process of conducting research. That decision is often guided by the characteristics of a particular methodology and the degree to which it fits the research topic. To pick the most appropriate methodology, the researcher must understand the pros and cons of a particular methodology. Describe what you see as strengths and weaknesses of quantitative research designs.

Some believe that Quantitative research designs seem to carry more weight in their results from the sturdiness that numbers bring along with them. Observations are measurable and quantifiable and, thus, they are more exacting than qualitative research, for example, where researchers uniquely interpret qualitative data. I do believe results from quantitative research designs are a bit more exact than other research designs. “The much more linear steps in the quantitative research process constitute the preestablished routines and strategies that help enhance researcher objectivity.” (Mertler, 2019) Even quantifying observable behavior instances can be achieved in quantitative research through the observational research method. It is the actual quantification of observations that serves as the key distinction between quantitative and qualitative research, which it can be confused with sometimes. Surveys, correlational research, descriptive, observational and other research designs all have the back up of being quantifiable. Statistical analysis and mathematics are also another strong foundation that adds to the overall structure of quantitative research. Math and science remove some of the “unexplained phenomena” that tags along to the human aspect of data collection and research analysis, making the results more exact when the study is concluded.

On the other hand, quantitative research designs also run the risk of suffering from threats to its validity. Participants may change physically from the longevity of a research study and thus prompt a change in results that was unaccounted for (maturation). Sometimes participants can move away, drop out of the study, or be unable to participate from illness (attrition). All these, and more, are considered threats to the research’s internal validity, and quantitative research designs are still prone to these threats. Quantitative research designs can, still, also suffer from threats to external validity, as well. Simply because the observable or surveyed research is quantifiable doesn’t mean that mistakes are not made along the way. For example, your results are applicable to some individuals, but not to others. Quantitative research, although more exact in its nature, can still be led in the wrong direction by the researcher, whether purposely or accidentally. Like any research involving human participants, even with the humans on the researcher’s end, there will still be a certain amount of human error. Therefore, quantitative research methods still have their share of strengths and weaknesses. It’s the researcher’s responsibility to account for these “errors” and correct the route to the results.

 Reference:

Mertler, C.A. (2019). Introduction to educational research. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

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Reflective Blog #3

Think of a possible research topic in any area of educational research that requires the inclusion of human participants. Identify aspects of researching that particular topic that requires you to take care to ensure the ethical treatment of your participants.

 Most educational research requires the participation of human participants, but what makes this type of research a bit more complicated to deal with is that most of the human participants are also underage. Therefore, taking proper care in the ethical treatment of participants is number one priority, otherwise you risk having your research study completely dismantled.

Hypothetically, for the purposes of this blog, I am conducting a research study on my VPK class, which consists of ten 4-year-old children. My research question is as follows: Is there a strong, positive link between students using educational/interactive apps on an iPad and phonological awareness in ECE students? We will assume all preparations for the research study have been made, proper approval has been granted, and my participants are ready to be studied.

Now, to assure that my participants are being treated ethically, I must gather consent from all the children’s parents for their participation (because they are underage) as well as the assent of my participants. These children are of appropriate age to understand a general aspect of the study as well as communicate whether they want to participate or not. However, since we are dealing with small children, the extent of their information about the study will be limited since 1. They will not understand the complexities of research and 2. Knowing certain information about the study may cause them to behave/respond differently than they normally would. Determining exactly how informed the participants should be can be tricky, therefore, accurate disclosure will be provided. This means that they will be informed about the general topic of the research, the nature of their participation, and any unusual tasks they may engage in. (Mertler, 2019) Proper documentation is key in any research study involving human participants as well as informing all parties that need informing. A transparent and simple-to-replicate study will ensure no wrong-doing.

 References

Mertler, C. A. (2019). Introduction to educational research (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications

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Reflective Blog #2

Reflect for a moment on your skills for reading, summarizing, synthesizing, and writing. What do you anticipate will be the most difficult aspect of writing a literature review? How will you get some assistance with this task?

Writing a literature review takes great focus, patience, and organizational skills to compose. It may be a bit overwhelming but with excellent organization, the lit review can be a huge success. As Mertler (2019) elaborates in his text, the literature review should be “a cohesive essay that flows smoothly for the reader – from one paragraph to the next and from one section to the next” (Mertler, 2019) As you collect all your topics/research studies/articles related to your topic, you should summarize and present them throughout your lit review in order of relevance to your proposed study. The least relevant subtopics, studies, or articles are included in the beginning while you gradually focus more articles closer to your area of interest towards the end of the review. When reflecting on the topic of study I have in mind, as well as a few research articles I am already familiar with in relation to the topic…my head gets a bit fuzzy.

This (organizing the flow and presentation of relevant research articles related to my proposed study) is the most difficult aspect of writing a literature review, in my opinion. When it comes to getting some assistance, I will be using the Mertler’s textbook extensively. As I studied chapter 5, I notice how dense (and extremely useful) the content is. Mertler provides many tips and guiding information that will surely help any novice researcher in writing their lit review, from start to finish. Another way to facilitate my planning/organizing will be to “examine how others have accomplished the task, reading others’ reviews carefully and critically, and paying close attention to how they are structure, organized, and written.” (Mertler, 2019) Many highly intelligent and dedicated academics have already paved the way for others in the field of research. Researching quality lit reviews and taking note in different styles of citation and organization will help me tremendously in my own planning/writing. (But most importantly, I plan on occupying the entire wall space of my house with sticky notes, research print outs, and extra-large red arrows pointing in the direction of my lit review’s flow, serial killer style...kidding!)

 References

Mertler, C. A. (2019). Introduction to educational research (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications

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EDF 6480 Reflective Reading Blog #1

In your opinion, which of the eight steps of the educational research process do you believe is most difficult to carry out, in general or for you personally? Why?

 In my opinion, I feel that step 3 – Reviewing Existing Literature Related to the Problem would be one of the most difficult to carry out. Finding a general topic to research and subsequently condensing it into a research question is the easy bit; it’s a matter of clarity and organization. However, once we form our own opinions on an issue, it can be difficult to budge from that position, despite having available empirical evidence. Although, as educators and researchers, we try to be as objective as possible, we are still human beings at the end of the day. As Mertler explains to us, “We seek to confirm our ideas, not to question them. Generally speaking, everyone likes to be right, and few of us like to be wrong. When people search for “evidence” to solve a problem, they tend to focus on information which confirms— not contradicts— their beliefs.” (Mertler, 2019) We may very easily run the risk of self-sabotaging our research by leaning towards existing publications that support our own personal opinions. Of course, we have our fellow researchers and colleagues to keep us in check, but it may be difficult to keep an unbiased eye as we delve into the deep pool of existing research in education.

Having our collected research reviewed by our peers may possibly fix the aforementioned problem. However, finding just the right wording for our research question may result in a huge bump down the road. This is step 2 of the educational research process – Formally Stating and Refining Research Question(s). As I studied Metler’s explanations of the educational research process, I was on the fence about choosing either Step 2 or 3 as the most difficult to carry out. So rather, I realize that these steps are the ones that require the utmost care and attention to detail. A researcher must be deliberate and concise when choosing the wording of the research question to ensure that the question is actually answerable by data the researcher is actually able to collect. It is unfortunate, but in cases like these, one does not find out about the misalignment until the end of the study (when it is too late to restate your research question). (Metler 2019) Such a miniscule detail, such as the words we choose in our research question, may have detrimental consequences to our study…or obliterate it altogether!

 Mertler, Craig A.. Introduction to Educational Research (Kindle Locations 562-564). SAGE Publications. Kindle Edition.