Session 1 Beliefs about Research and Evaluation Introduction to Research and Evaluation in Education

Steps in the Research/Evaluation Process Part One (Weeks 1-3): Identify your own worldview and situate your work as research or evaluation (Mertens, Chapters 1-2) Problem sensing (Mertens, Chapters 1-3) Literature review; research questions (Mertens, Chapter 3) Part Two (Weeks 4-6): Identify design—quantitative, qualitative, or mixed (Mertens, Chapters 4-10) Part Three (Weeks 7-8): Identify and select sources of data (Mertens, Chapter 11) Identify and select data collection methods and instruments (Mertens, Chapter 12) Data analysis, reporting, and utilization (Mertens, Chapter 13) Identify future directions (Mertens, Chapter 13)

Labels Commonly Associated with Different Paradigms PostpositivismConstructivismTransformativePragmatic Experimental Quasi-experimental Correlational Causal comparative Quantitative Randomized control trials Naturalistic Phenomenological Hermeneutic Symbolic interaction Ethnographic Qualitative Participatory action research Critical theory Neo-Marxist Feminist theories Critical race theory Freirean Participatory Emancipatory Postcolonial and indigenous Queer theory Disability theories Action research Mixed methods Mixed models Participatory

Keywords Associated with Major Research Paradigms Basic Beliefs PostpositivismConstructivismTransformativePragmatic Axiology (ethics) Privacy. Minimize harm. Equality. Balanced views. Awareness. Community rapport. Respect. Human rights. Social justice. Reciprocity. Knowledge influenced by researcher’s values/politics. Ontology (reality) One reality.Multiple, socially constructed realities. Based on social position. Not cultural relativism. Multiple interpretations of one reality. Epistemology (knowing) Objectivity. Dispassionate. Linkage between researcher and participants. Created findings. Linkage between researcher and participants. Socially and historically situated. Power and trust. Researcher deems what is appropriate to the study. Methodology (approach to inquiry) Quantitative. Decontextualized. Qualitative. Dialectic. Hermeneutical. Contextualized. Qualitative Dialogic History and oppression Match methods to questions and purposes of research.

Evaluation Models Associated with Major Paradigms PostpositivismConstructivismTransformativePragmatic Objectives-based. Discrepancy model. Randomized controlled trials. CIPP Model (context, input, process, product). Theory-driven program evaluation. Responsive evaluation: 1.Compare observed value with standard 2.Refers to satisfaction/ dissatisfaction of selected people Inclusive evaluation. Deliberative democratic evaluation. Empowerment evaluation. Development evaluation. Feminist evaluation. Transformative participatory evaluation (gender, race, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, different abilities). Culturally responsive evaluation. Postcolonial/indigenous. Organizational culture evaluation. Utilization-focused evaluation. International development evaluation.

For Further Information Read Chapters 1 and 2 in Mertens, D. (2010). Research and evaluation in education and psychology: Integrating diversity with quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.