For many Americans, this autumn may appear to be "the narrative/qualitative research gone WILD"! Popular culture is riddled with counter-narratives; take a look:
On television screens, in a week-long series called
Education Nation, NBC focused on the experiences of students and teachers in American schools.
On the big screen,
Waiting for Superman is fodder for discussions as the premise states: American schools are failing American children. The movie is getting a lot of attention as it travels the states--it is even being
cartoon-ized!
Every week day, children climb onto the bus, get dropped off, and walk through school doors. And for what?
You tell us.....Let's talk.
It seems that traditional researchers, at least in the public's eye, are not claiming the bulk of attention; rather, the university scholars have been de-centered by popular culture and "rogue" researchers who are foregrounding often silenced narratives are taking center stage (literally, on the television and big screen). Instead of writing dissertations, qualitative methods such as interviews, observations, and member checks are resulting in television and movie reels.
As a group of young scholars and qualitative students, let's talk about two questions:
1. ) What are the benefits and costs to this decentering? As you consider your response, we urge you to look beyond our class articles regarding paradigms, methodology, ethics, and IRB. Apply these understandings to research beyond the "ivory tower." What types of knowledge claims are being made to corroborate, compliment, facilitate (Brannen article) other research?
2.) Imagine you just received a large federal grant to research public and charter schools. At the culmination of your project, the government is expecting you to offer suggestions/provide an answer on which structure provides the highest student achievement. The only requirement: You must foreground qualitative research methods.
Discuss your research design and which paradigm best fits your approach; how will you begin to research this highly political and crucial topic?
Quote of the Week: "Reasons for that dearth of evidence include a general lack of rigor in education research, as well as specific obstacles that make studying professional development's impact on student achievement a challenge." Stephen Sawchuk, staff writer
Education Week. See full article by clicking
here. ARCHIVED QUOTES:
"We’re trying to constantly build the knowledge base, and it can’t just be built in the ivory towers." James W. Kohlmoos, the president of Knowledge Alliance. See full article by clicking
here.
"As educators across the country focus attention on designing new and better ways to gauge what students are learning, they risk distorting the meaning and practice of formative assessment and squandering its potential to enhance teaching and learning." CRESST. See full article by clicking
here.
