Please check, just in case…

Announcements: Group presentations begin Oct 22 – make an appointment to see Julia for assistance in finding resources, questions, or concerns. Oct 15 will be a small group work session. I can meet groups in my office to share and discuss resources – let me know. Plan ahead for naturalistic concept research paper – look at concepts terms in case you come across them in your readings before them.

Additional Announcement:  October 15 is the Jane Blumenthal lecture.  It begins at 5:00 on north campus.  You should plan on attending. You can earn bonus/make-up points.

Research Methodology Teams:  October 22: Experimental: Quasi-experimental: Single-case: Survey:  October 29: Case study: Interviews: Ethnography:

Questions, quandaries, concerns, conundrums?

TODAY’S TOPIC: The relationship between paradigms and research methods

APA Tip of the Day: Author initials in reference list  Include initials for all first and middle names provided on the title page of the article, chapter or book.  Initials should take the form of the first letter of that name, capitalized, followed by a period, then a space. If there are two initials, make sure there is a space between them!  e.g. de Valenzuela, J. S.

PAIR ‘O DIME?

Paradigms are axiomatic systems. Axioms are “the set of undemonstrated (and undemonstrable) ‘basic beliefs’ accepted by convention or established by practice as the building blocks of some conceptual or theoretical structure or system.” Pair ‘o dimes (Guba & Lincoln, 1985, p. 33)

Paradigms represent a distillation of what we think about the world (but cannot prove). Our actions in the world… cannot occur without reference to those paradigms: “As we think, so do we act.” Lincoln & Guba, 1985, p. 15 Paradigm:

A paradigm is a world view, a general perspective, a way of breaking down the complexity of the real world. As such, paradigms are deeply embedded in the socialization of… practitioners: paradigms tell them what is important, legitimate, and reasonable. Lincoln & Guba, 1985, p.15

Because the researcher’s paradigm determines what s/he considers appropriate research questions and acceptable methods of conducting research. Why is it important to understand “paradigms” in a research class?

The three most commonly recognized paradigms in education are: Positivism Interpretivism Critical theory

“The truth is out there.” Positivism aka: the “X-file” paradigm

“The truth is out there.” There is a truth and the best way to know if we have discovered the truth is by using “scientific” methods. Positivism

“Realities are multiple, constructed, and holistic. Knower and known are interactive, inseparable.” Interpretivism (Lincoln & Guba, 1985, p. 37)

“Realities are multiple, constructed, and holistic. Knower and known are interactive, inseparable.” Critical Theory (Lincoln & Guba, 1985, p. 37) Who gets to decide which version of reality is accepted? Who benefits from particular constructions of reality or knowledge?

According to LeCompte & Preissle (1993, p. 27) all of the critical theory approaches “have in common a rejection of traditional science, especially the emphasis in positivism on control, the omission of context, and the objectification of subjects being studied.” Critical theory

Typology of Scientific Paradigms Heterogeneous – In conflict From Burrell & Morgan, as cited in and adapted by Mercer, J. (1992). The impact of changing paradigms of disability on mental retardation in the year In L. Rowitz (Ed.), Mental retardation in the year 2000 (pp ). New York: Spring-Verlag. Homogeneous - Consensual SubjectiveObjective Critical Theory Interpretivism Positivism Nature of reality Nature of society

Whole Group Activity:  Let’s play ‘Name Some Topics’  What questions might be asked on these topics?  Into what paradigms might these questions fit?

Quick Write What do you understand about paradigms now? How is this important in conducting, using, reading, and evaluating research?

Small Group Activity: From the Lincoln & Guba reading:  What do you understand about positivism?  What do you understand about the naturalistic paradigm?  Why is this important to understand in a research class?

2. Theoretical/conceptual framework 4. Research question(s)/ hypotheses 5. Methodology/design 6. Methods 1. Epistemology/paradigm 3. Research review

Paradigm Theoretical Framework …..Research review Question Methodology Methods  How do all of these parts interact?  How does paradigm influence the types of questions asked?  How does the question asked influence research methodology?

Main Points: 1.Many different approaches to research, not just positivistic, are valid, informative, and important to understanding education phenomena. 2.There is no one “best” research method -- the method must be selected based on the question(s) being asked.

Main Points, cont.: 3.Different types of research must be judged by different criteria. There is not one set of standards that apply to ALL research methods.

Looking ahead… Issues in research design

Please take a minute for the minute paper. And don’t forget to turn your phone back on.