1: Overview and Field Research in Classrooms ETL329: ENTREPRENEURIAL PROFESSIONAL

Overview Unit Purpose To enable pre-service teachers to engage in collaborative research in conjunction with the school and community. Learning outcomes: 1. demonstrate understanding of the ethical requirements of research 2. collaborate in the writing of research reports and case studies 3. undertake structured or semi-structured interviews, and run discussion groups or focus groups 4. analyse and interpret the results from questionnaires and surveys 5. evaluate their work-in-progress 6. report research outcomes and consider policy or practice implications

Content Overview 1. Quantitative and Qualitative Research Approaches 2. Observational Research 3. Questionnaire Design and Survey Instruments 4. Life History and Narrative Approaches 5. Action Research

Quantitative and Qualitative Research Approaches Quantity and Quality? What kinds of research do you think each of these two words describes...?

Quantitative Research aims to be objective, ‘neutral,’ unbiased and generalizable. derives from the ‘hard’ sciences – physics, chemistry, biology Uses questionnaires, surveys, numbers, assessment instruments, and rating scales What examples can you think of?

Qualitative Research carried out in the field using a variety of methods such as participant observation, narrative inquiry and storying, interviewing and focus groups seeks to describe the ways particular groups of people live, and tries to understand beliefs, norms and customs from the perspective of the people themselves. Whereas quantitative research looks for universal truths, qualitative research is more concerned with local perspectives and understandings

Either Or? it is not a question of either...or, or choosing between one of the other of these two forms of research. Some of the best research incorporates aspects of both. Reflection: Which type of research most appeals to you? What kind of research might you wish to do? Which type of research would be most appropriate?

OBSERVATION: Ways to undertake observation in field research are: Structured observation. The major question what to record has to be decided at the start. Structured observation often involves making an observation of what is happening every nth minute. Unstructured observation. Here the danger is that we tend to look through the unique lens of our own culturally constructed values. Unstructured observation involves the teacher-researcher in verbatim recording of what occurs. Shadowing. This is where the researcher "shadows" someone and records everything they do or say. Participant observation is where we observe by being a participant in what is happening. There are a number of difficulties with this approach. The most frequently cited is The Observer's Paradox. It is very difficult for an observer to remain detached in such a situation and the researcher's own behaviour might influence the outcomes of the results. These problems can affect the rapport the investigator establishes with the group.

DECIDING ON YOUR RESEARCH QUESTION: Step 1: Identify an area First identify your issue or problem area (gender, literacy, bullying etc.) and a statement about that area For example, a teacher might observe his female students perform less well on science tests than males. Thus a problem statement --The existence of an academic gender gap between male and female students in science -- can emerge from teachers' experiences in their classrooms.

Step 2: turn the statement into a research question A question like, "Why do male students perform better on science tests?" is too broad and is not feasible to answer in one research project. A better 2-part question would be: "Do secondary males' and females' differ in their attitudes towards science?" and "Do these attitudes influence their performance on science tests?" After determining whether students' attitudes differ and what attitudes are most important to alter, could change his/her teaching practice to see if doing so increases the females' scores (without, of course, lowering the males') -- this is what action research is all about!

Follow the Steps 1a) Determine a Problem Area 1b) Write a Problem Statement 2. Turn the Problem Statement into a Research Question And a Final Step for Now Brainstorm some ways you might use quantitative or qualitative research to gather information.