Jeta's Growth as a Researcher

Growth as a researcher
Subjectivity as a Tool
I've been raised in a post-modern generation, one that willingly accepts relative, contextual truths, that has largely abandoned the larger, universal Truths in acknowledgement of the social contingencies of our beliefs. I've grown up in a hyper-culture conscious society that gives great validity to contextual, social influence on truth, meaning, and values. It is therefore not surprising that on the first evening of class when we wrote our definition of "truth," I wrote a very pragmatic definition--truth that is useful to us in a particular context given our particular experience.
Given this conception of truth, I entered into this course more than willing to accept the premise that the "truths" of research are highly contextual, that our subjective experience will always and everywhere be a presence in the work that we do. But, as I came to realize early on in the semester, I began to see one's subjectivity not only as a reality to be accepted but also as a tool to be used to improve our research. In my residency project and mini-inquiry for this class, I have tried to be aware of both how my subjectivity influences the study and how it can be a useful means for getting a fuller, more complex picture of the participants. I am interviewing students at my old school, and I taught the majority of participants when they were in 6th grade. Seeing this simply as a bias that must be acknowledged would not fully appreciate the advantages of having close, personal relationships with the participants. This allows me both to have more open, comfortable conversation with participants and to write about these students' with an ardent level of care, compassion, and respect.
Cohesion vs. Progression
College was hugely influential in my development as a writer. In high school, I had been taught the classic thesis statement method, where I wrote a thesis statement and developed body paragraphs that all supported that original thesis. Spring semester of freshman year, I took my first philosophy class (which would later become my minor), and I started to see writing in an entirely new way—as a logical progression of ideas, ideas which propelled my argument forward rather than continually reverted it back to that thesis touchstone. I say all this because I think in these past few months I seem to be adding to this model of writing. As I’ve been reading qualitative articles this semester with an eye for their writing style, I've started to get an appreciation for the cohesiveness and interconnectedness of the ideas in the writing rather than simply the forward-movement of ideas. I think much of this stems from the kind of research approach that Creswell argues for, where a sound theoretical stance grounds all choices--both methodological and stylistic. In working on my own qualitative paper for this course, I think a lot of my frustration springs from the fact that I feel that I'm not achieving this level of coherence and solidarity. This experience has definitely made me a believer in the need to begin a project with an explicit theoretical stance and to continually confirm and scrutinize my choices through that lens.
Development of Ideas vs. Validation of Ideas
Boote and Beile's scathing critique of doctoral students' literature reviews has, needless to say perhaps, made me hyper-conscious this semester of the quality of my own. Boote and Beile call for a critical synthesis of prior research that artfully and logically situates your own study rather than a blind regurgitation of any and all research on the topic. For these authors, the literature review should construct an argument for your study instead of just showing that you have read everything on the topic.
For myself, I think that early on in this program, I understood Boote and Beile's point of view. I think I have always seen the literature review as an arena for me to make my own argument for the study at hand. In this semester, however, I have actually realized that I perhaps was a bit too self-centered in my literature reviews, too apt at deciding on the argument I wanted to make and seeking out sources to help me make my argument. Working on my residency project and the mini-inquiry for this course, I have gained a new information for the way that other research can develop my argument verses validating what I was already believed. Reading the Godley et al.'s article on language ideologies, I think my willingness to let this article shape and influence my own study has hugely benefited my work. While there remained a temptation to simply "take what I needed" from the article, I made an effort instead to consider how the work of these authors might change or alter my own study. While I think Boote and Beile make a compelling case for the need for thoughtful, critical evaluation in the literature review to make your own argument, I think equal attention needs to be given to researchers (especially perhaps know-it-all doctoral students like myself) being willing and open to the knowledge and experience of others.

Marcia's Sample Articles

Marcia M. Pearce
April 28, 2010
Dr. Turner

Sample Article

What do you like?
What do you find effective?
What structures/rhetorical devices help convince the reader the results are “true”?

Kelly, C. A. (2002). Creating equitable classroom climates: an investigation of classroom strategies in mathematics and science instruction for developing preservice teachers’ use of democratic social values. Child Study Journal, 32 (1), 39-52.

The structure of this qualitative study by Kelly (2002) seems to be straightforward. I do not have to “search” through pages of this study for the theoretical framework. The purpose is the very first sentence:
The purpose of this study was to describe and delineate a series of methods used to prepare preservice teacher candidates to create equitable classroom climates and, ultimately, to better serve all children’s learning needs (Kelly, 2002, p. 39).
What I like about this study is that there is a secondary objective highlighted directly after the purpose statement, which is ethical and honorable--there is no hidden agenda. As Dr. Turner stated during the last class, a study does not have to begin with a purpose statement, but many research reports begin with flowery narrative and unfolding events. The literature review is well developed: it is an in-depth review that provides different views on building democratic environments for preservice teachers. It follows traditional headings so there is no guessing game. In addition to a concrete structure, the language is academic but reader-friendly. The author does not try to go over your head with terms that only doctors and lawyers could understand. A parent or teacher could read it without difficulty. Many times the academic world engages in “gatekeeping” by publishing studies that very few people can comprehend. All of the terms and keywords are clearly defined at the beginning of and throughout the study.

The methodology is clear. Participants are described by grade, level, gender, and race. Their racial breakdown consists of 14 percent Hispanic, 68 percent European American, and seven percent Afro-American. Participants’ ages range from 20 to 54, with the average age being 31. The study’s duration is for three months. Procedures include a full description of the assessment process along with an easy-to-read table. This study is not oversaturated with graphs, but uses just enough to highlight information to help the reader make connections. The use of transitional words indicates a flow from the process (study) to the product (results). The concluding paragraph provides a brief summary of the study with realistic recommendations for preservice teachers. Overall, this study was an excellent example of qualitative research.

Marcia's Partial Self - Review

Marcia M. Pearce
April 27, 2010
Partial Self-Review

Growth as a Researcher (10)
I learned that I can be a teacher and a researcher at the same time. Creswell (2008) states that in order to develop as a researcher there is a code of ethics one must never compromise: do no harm and the participant should know what is going on in the form of a written consent letter. At no time should a study jeopardize the health or well-being of the participant. In the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, black men were told they were receiving treatment when they actually weren’t. These participants were lied to, in the name of research, by the medical community. The do no harm and tell your participants the truth principals were clearly absent. Writing IRB (even just for practice) proved to be helpful: getting that promise for the university, school, and parents, along with consent forms, will ensure the safety of the participants. As a researcher, I learned that this process is long and taxing but necessary to maintain a code of ethics. In addition to the strict adherence to the codes, “good” research effectively outlines the conceptual framework. First, when doing any research, a clear purpose must be stated: What are you asking or looking for—what is the importance of this study? Why did I choose to investigate this issue? In the theoretical framework, definitions of key terms need to be explained plainly. For example, the topic of “democratic values” in the classroom is what I am interested in as an educator. Within my mini pilot project I had to clearly define “democratic values” and how this relates to students’ perceptions. I revised my purpose statement several times and really consider the lens that I will use to code and analyze data. It is a painful process but one that is necessary in order to understand the research question that will lead me to collect the appropriate data to thoroughly analyze. With a well-developed conceptual frame (purpose statement, statement of problem, and rationale for the study) there is a solid focus and a clear direction. It is okay to change the conceptual frame several times until it’s the shape of the appropriate research inquiry. Second, during the research, what role do I play? The role that one play’s has a lot to do with the qualitative approach: narrative, phenomenological, grounded theory, ethnographic, and case study. In addition to choosing the right approach, I learned that “My I’s” definitely influence the role: I am a non-participatory observer—my ethnic I is not compromised and I can focus on the individuals within the study. Reading James’ (2009) section on the “I’s” caused me to question “who I am” and if my essence will have an “impact” on my research inquiry.

Openness to Revising Views (5)
An openness to revise my views was evident throughout this semester. I started with a teacher-centered view of democratic values—as long as the students’ views did not conflict with my ideology everything was fine. Reading Smith (2007) made me realize that in order to improve my pedagogy and provide the best optimal learning environment, I needed to view my students’ views as important in building a classroom where youngsters can express “personal freedoms” along with other values on establishing a democratic classroom to self-reflection (how do I feel) to a clear focus on how students assess this issue. A “true” democratic classroom is built by teachers and students with a mutual respect for each other and ongoing interaction. In addition, during a peer-sharing session on 4/14/10, Dr. Turner and Brian pointed out a theme from the students’ writing. This theme related to the “lack” of personal freedom they were allowed to express in the classroom. With that important knowledge, I decided to question my “one size fits all” policy. Allowing students to be a part of the decision-making process does not mean giving up my authority as a teacher—democratic values and practice are a collaborative effort.

Coding Data: At What Point Should I Know What the Heck I'm Doing?

(this is a bit of me rambling...just trying to articulate for myself why this article has impacted me)

An article I read about 2 weeks ago has now become hugely influential to my project: Godley, Carpenter, and Werner's (2007) " 'I'll speak proper slang': Language Ideologies in a Daily Editing Activity."

Initially reading this article, it was the conceptual framework that was most loudly "whispering my ear." I had been struggling for a few weeks to figure out exactly how I wanted to organize and relate the central ideas of my study--language attitudes, code-switching, AAE, SE, identity. What immediately struck me was that I was that I had a very similar aim to Godley et. al: we both wanted to analyze perceptions and beliefs about standard and non-standard dialects. Godley et. al articulate this as a question of "language ideologies," and as I read, I decided that I did too. Language ideologies, as they define it, is "the assumptions about language that are collectively held by a particular group of people within a particular sociocultural and historical context" (p. 104). They go on to say later how our social identities are inherently embedded in these language ideologies as they are a part of our "particular sociocultural and historical context." I'm now in the process of figuring out how to tinker with this idea of "language ideology" as a means of tying together those ideas from my study I listed above.

Equally important to me was how they were able to codify these seemingly intangible features of "language ideology." These researchers had 3 coding phases. Initial coding was open coding, looking for emerging themes and patterns. Through this initial coding, the researchers arrived at the focus for analysis--language ideology. In the second coding, the researchers decided to code for content of ideology (what opinions were being expressed) and source of ideology (who/what was expressing them). In the third and final coding, the researchers wanted to look at the relationship between the source and the content of the ideologies and used discourse analysis codes to look at this relationship.

A few things I found useful about this:
1) the researchers really didn't know what they were looking at or for until the end of the first round of data analysis. Reading this came as a huge relief to me. As I'm beginning to collect data, I start to feel that I'm in a bit of a fog of different thoughts, hunches, concepts, and questions. It can feel like I'm a bit lost, and in reading this article, I started to feel like that might be beneficial to me.
2) I really liked the way they divided up the 2nd and 3rd phases in coding b/t what they were looking for and then the relationship between these. I think too often I jump ahead to that "relationship between" different concepts. It was a nice model to see how certain topics can be looked at discretely.
3) It's so clear in reading their coding process how these codes are tied to their definition of language ideology--what is believed (content) by a particular group (source). I admire the clarity of that...and maybe I can get there down the road.

thanks for indulging the rambling a bit :)

My Student Survey for "democratic values and practices" in the classroom

Ms. Pearce’s Class
Student survey: Democratic Values(personal freedoms, academic opportunity, and equality)
April 2010
No Name please

1. What is your definition of personal freedom?

2. Can you express your range of personal freedoms in Marcia’s class? Give specific examples.

3. How would you define fair and impartial treatment?

4. Tell of a time or situation where you received fair/impartial treatment or did not receive fair treatment in the classroom?

5. What is your definition of equality of opportunity(academic opportunity)?

6. Give examples of academic opportunity you’ve have in the classroom.

7. Is there anything you would like to change about your current classroom?

The ranges of personal freedoms-I did with my class as a group activity(discipline codes included). In addition, my students wrote essays on their feelings about suspension from listed infractions(Blue Book on discipline codes for NYCDOE). Dr. Turner and Brian provided some coding ideas for the essays and I found another teacher to code the data with me.

Jeta and Christy and Dr. Turner
Are there any questions I need to add(or delete)?

Okay ladies, happy research!!!
Marcia

The Agee and Altariba's(2009) article on computer and literacy

Marcia M. Pearce
CTGE 7194: Qual. Inquiry
Dr. Turner
Article Reflection: All About Literacy practices and the use of computers

Article:
Agee, J., & Altarriba, J. (2009). Changing conceptions and uses of computer
technologies in the everyday literacy practices of sixth and seventh graders.
Research in the Teaching of English, 43, 1.

This study focused on sixth and seventh graders’ literacy practices, which included computer technology skills, in two large school districts. One hundred eighty-nine participants completed a survey on their concept of computer use and how the application of this new literacy impacted their reading levels. Twenty-four of the 189 participants provided researchers with more in-depth information through one-on-one interviews. These researchers really provided a clear picture of the lives and literacy practices of junior high school students and showed how computers impact their world.

“Developmentally, sixth and seventh grade students are at a pivotal point” (p. 364). I totally agree with this statement, junior high school students are at an age where what they do in and out of the classroom will have an impact on their growth both mentally and academically. Agee and Altarriba (2009) highlighted in their study that along with all of the changes that these sixth and seventh graders go through also comes a change in the world of education. The days of just reading, writing, and mathematics are long gone—literacy with computer techniques is a new focus for our youngsters. As a teacher, I feel that “the powers that be”(the higher education community) desire to replace instruction and learning with computer technology. These authors looked at computer technology and literacy in regards to how students incorporate them into their reading practices on the micro and macro levels.

On a macro level, our culture deems youngsters automatically “computer literate” and that this competency in computers leads to proficient reading. What these authors pointed out was that exposure to computers doesn’t mean students are competent in them, in addition, the use of technology may not have a positive impact on them as readers. On a micro level, students’ social and development needs often determine their level of computer usage and competency. Agee and Altarriba (2009) stated that “students who were skilled readers of traditional texts were more likely … to engage in IMING” (p. 391). They also pointed out that “less skilled readers” of traditional texts did not use computers for additional educational purposes—inquiry and gathering information for reports—but preferred to surf the Internet, play games, or engage in visual interactions.

Skilled readers tended to view computer technology as academic support, not just as entertainment. Proficient readers seemed to highlight the importance of activities that do not include computers, such as sports and social interaction with their peers. One of the students in this study stated, “I use it maybe one or two hours a day. I usually have a soccer game or something.” The Internet did not consume every moment in this student’s life. The more skilled readers limited their use of computers (self-regulated) to one or two hours a day. These participants did not value the Internet as the end-all and be-all—their families, peers, and classwork were more important than playing around on the computer. In addition, computer use did not take the place of traditional textbook reading. Some of these youngsters even mentioned that sitting in front of a computer was “physically uncomfortable” and it distracted them from “reading and learning.” Only at the end of seventh grade did these participants find the computer to be an important part of their social lives—“using search tools like Google to complete school research projects” (p. 389).

To my surprise, skilled readers, from this group of sixth and seventh graders, did not value the Internet over one-on-one social interaction with peers and family and outdoor sports. This study made a distinguishment between skilled and struggling readers—the less skilled readers used computers as a tool to support school-related tasks as well as gather information about certain personal interests. The only problem with this study is that the participants do not represent all cultures—these are students from two large suburbs—it is not truly a random sample of the school population.

Ladies(Jeta and Christy), what do you think about literacy practices as it relates to the use of the internet? Does the internet promote or hinder literacy and learning of youngsters in today's society?

Students' reflective writing TOPIC part (1)

Marcia's Data Collection process: Students' reflections

Before students write about their feelings on "democratic values" I decided to allow them to "warm-up" by introducing topics that evoke emotions(about treatment in school as it relates to behavior and reaction from those in authority).

Topic:
The principal(with the recommendation of the teacher) of the local high school has decided to suspend from school for one week children who constantly misbehave. Some people disagree with this decision.

Decide whether you agree or disagree with the principal’s decision (with the teacher's recommendation for a suspension)that children who constantly misbehave should be suspended from school for one week. Write to persuade (the teacher) to agree with your opinion. Explain your reasons. (Essay topic from writing workbook)

Rationale:
When students find themselves in trouble--they loudly proclaim--"You are denying me a right to an education by suspending me. Writing about the articles is okay because I need to provide examples of my data collection and the topics that evoke responses from students.
Was this a good topic for an ice breaker to "democratic values-of fairness"? In addition to digital recording lessons, writing responses and reflectives will be a good source of collecting data.
Triangulation: students' assessment and writing responses, teacher's reflective journals, and digital recording of lessons.

Christy, how are you doing with your data collection process? Jeta, you seem to be doing just fine with your "African American students code-switching" research.

Jeta's Response to Carbone and Orellana's "Developing Academic Identities"

In working on my own conceptual/ theoretical framework over the past few weeks, I've been struck by just how complex the task has become for me. Trying to account for every nuance of my research project in my framework begins to feel like the ever-expanding bubblegum in Willy Wonka--the more I blow, the larger it becomes. The more I try to articulate the particular beliefs that are grounding my study, the more beliefs seem to grow.

Reading Carbone and Orellana's article was most useful to me in that they covered a tremendous breadth and depth of theoretical foundations in a way that was both concise and logical. I was particularly drawn to their set-up of notions of identity because this is a topic that is pivotal to my own study but seems to be a behemoth for me. In three rather concise paragraphs, they were able to define identity as socially-constructed, the interrelationship between writing/language expression and identity construction, and academic identity as its own form of socially constructed identity that is affected and created by writing/language expression. Once I was able to squelch my envy for this cleanly written argument, I realized that my own argument about identity can be boiled down to a similarly lean outline: 1) language both reflects and constructs our socially-situated identities, 2) when we ask students to "switch" their language, we are asking students to assume new identities, 3) and thus, my question--what issues of identity arise for students' in various code-switching contexts?

Now, if I can just keep myself focused on that as I wade into the deep, deep waters of my word document...

Looking at Chapter 9-just a little reflection

Marcia Pearce CTGE 7194: Qual. Inquiry Dr. Turner Chapter 9: Writing a Qualitative Study Writing this qualitative research study will prove to be a challenge. After choosing the approach that is appropriate for my study—how I establish democratic values and practices through direct instruction and student assessment, fighting to get IRB approval, and extensive data collection—I have to try to put all of this together and have it make sense. I once read somewhere that good writers spend 85 percent of their time on prewriting, 2 percent on drafting, and 13 percent on revision. In research, a good amount of time is spent designing the study, along with putting it together in a comprehensive report. In chapter 9, Creswell (2008) looks at writing a research report as architecture—from start to finish. The write-up is the product and everything else is the “beautiful” process. According to the author, many qualitative research studies are storytelling narratives—ways of sharing the events of the study. I can honestly say that this form of writing does not appeal to me. The storytelling model is too loose and informal for an extensive report. In addition, my mini-project is a self-reflection on how I establish a democratic classroom, so it is already a “narrative.” The chronological approach of events is more attractive, but since this is just a mini-project, a decision will be made in the next few weeks on what rhetorical frame will be used to write this study. According to Creswell (2008), “Qualitative researchers today are much more self-disclosing about their qualitative writings than they were a few years ago … No longer is it acceptable to be the omniscient, distanced qualitative writer (p. 178). This is good to hear, but most of the studies I have read still have this “trying to play G-d” feel to them. The first thing I do when reading through a research report is look for the study’s limitations; if the researcher does not include a section on, or at least mention, the obstacles or roadblocks then I know that he/her is not “disclosing” the truth—the report is flowered with text that is only there to make the researcher look “knowledgeable.” What is most interesting about chapter 9 is how Creswell mentions how the background of the researcher accounts for how the report will be put together. How we write is a reflection of our own interpretation based on the cultural, social, gender, class, and personal politics that we bring to our research (Creswell, 2008, p. 179). This means I can embrace “my ethnic I” without worrying about what others think of me. With my mini-project for Dr. Turner’s class, I plan to keep my subjectivity at bay, but at the same time acknowledge who I am as a researcher—I am a teacher first and a researcher second and whatever study I conduct will always have that stance. For my mini-project, I chose the case study approach to shape the report on the “establishment of a democratic classroom.” Creswell provides a “checklist” of things to look for in this approach: 1. The writer usually opens and closes the report with vignettes to grab the reader’s attention. 2. The standard identifies the purpose, the problem, and the method of research—the reader understands upfront “how the study came to be” (p. 195) in addition to the writer’s background and the “issues” involved in the case. 3. There is an “extensive description of the case and its context” (p. 196). There is more to this checklist, but what really stands out in this chapter is when Creswell (2008) mentions the “outcomes of the inquiry” (lessons learned). My rationale and motivation for looking closely on how I establish a democratic classroom are to see how I promote or hinder these values of equality, freedom, justice, and academic opportunities. I am looking to learn from this mini-inquiry through students’ writings and assessments and audiotaped direct instruction sessions. Creswell’s book has really helped me to look at qualitative research in a different way.

PS. Jeta and Christy, what's up, ladies? How is your research coming along? also, Happy Holiday too--Happy Easter or Happy Passover!!!

Marcia's Revised Purpose Statement/ Rationale

Hey ladies,(Jeta and Christy) this is my revised purpose statement--I have decided to exam how I establish democratic values and practices in my literacy classroom. Also, the IRB process is still a major concern. I hope you ladies are doing well with your research mini-project. The following is just a piece of my mini-project--please have a look and give your opinion, okay: Purpose Statement The purpose of this study is to examine how I establish democratic values in my classroom through direct instruction and student assessment. In this study, the qualitative approach will be employed to gain a better understanding of democratic classroom practices. Democratic values are the incorporation of equality of opportunity—the range of personal freedoms allowed in the classroom—justice, and academic opportunity(Raywid,1987). How my interaction with students will allow these values to “play out” in my classroom is the main focus of this pilot study. The examination of the Equality of opportunity will be based on allowing students to express their ideas and thoughts on topics/subjects they will be tested on. Most academic support is not based on gender or level of knowledge, but on the advancement of knowledge(McEwan, 1994). Along with the range of personal freedoms is the ability to speak ideas and negotiate rules—during this study I will see if freedom in the classroom is either allowed on hindered based on my level of instruction and interaction. The data collection will consist of audiotapes of my instructions, students’ surveys through writing and assessment, and self-reflection through field notes and journal writing. The data collection process will be based on the data collection, as well as teacher surveys and student interviews focusing on their definitions and experiences on how their democratic values are highlighted or hindered in a learning environment. 1. What are the democratic values I establish in my classroom—what do they look like in the classroom setting? 2. What are the personal freedoms that a democratic classroom allows without compromising the established rules? 3. How do democratic values play out in my classroom? 4. What role does my ethnicity have on my level of instruction as well as interaction? By means of this study, I, the teacher in the study, will establish how democratic values are established by providing students with opportunity of equality and academic opportunity, in addition to expanding students’ range of freedom. Another purpose for this study is to establish the best learning environment for my students. The findings that emerge will hopefully confirm that the values that were established in my classroom were in fact democratic in practice. Keywords: Democratic values, equality of opportunity, range of freedom, and academic opportunity. Rationale With President’s Obama yearlong war with Congress over healthcare reform coming to a bitter end, his next focus is on public education. As he mentioned briefly in a CNN interview (March 2, 2010): There will be an overhaul of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) policy and public education in general. The question is, “What form will this overhaul take?” With the recent firing of 60 percent of the high school teachers in the Detroit school district, the president applauded the measures taken by administrators and politicians to only retain 40 percent of its teaching staff. The rationale for my investigation into my values and practices as a teacher is simple—to improve my pedagogy through the incorporation of democratic values such as equality of opportunity, freedom, and academic opportunity(Selvi, 2006). Self-reflection or self-correction of my teaching and the learning climate of my classroom is needed in order to provide the best learning environment for students and at the same time I will grow as a teacher. The single most important factor(Shechtman,2002) in the classroom is the teacher; it is not new books or expensive equipment, but the values and practices of the educator in front of the classroom. In this mini-inquiry study, the technique of qualitative research will be employed to uncover the factors that allow and hinder democratic values in my classrooms. The data will consist of written words from students through surveys and journal writing. Additionally, an extensive case study(reflect on my life experience in and out of the classroom) of my teaching practices as they relate to democratic values will take the form of student writing and surveys, self-reflective journals, and audiotapes of classroom sessions. The audiotaped sessions will consist of three 20-minute teaching instructions and the transcription of each session (5 to 7 minutes of the lessons).

When I think about triangulation--I tend to think about the difference between an anecdote and a pattern. Anecdotes certainly serve a purpose--providing close insight into a particular moment, giving a face and story to a topic or idea. But anecdotes can be dangerous when we see them as representative of some larger trend without any evidence to say so (as we often see cable news pundits do!). A pattern, on the other hand, is something we've seen across examples and thus holds some truth beyond one individual's experience in that individual moment. As in Mathison's definition of triangulation, we don't see this pattern as some universal, certain, single perspective, we see this patterns as something that "occasionally converge, but frequently are inconsistent and even contradictory" (p.79). It's a pattern but not dogma.

I can understand why this conception of triangulation and validity can be unsettling to people. Perhaps because I've been brought up in a post-modern era, I myself feel wholly comfortable with the idea of things being "true in context" or "true for this moment." I don't see that as relativism as much as I see it as emblematic of how we really experience the world. But, I must say, the Western world is only recently emerging from thousands of years of a culture of certitude, dogma, and Right with a capital R. I think it's understandable that it can be difficult to accept that there aren't necessarily a priori Truths waiting to be discovered but instead truths being constructed in our historically-contingent experience.

Marcia's reflection(chapter 10)

Marcia M. Pearce
CTGE 7194: Qual. Inquiry
Dr. Turner

Standards of Validation and Evaluation

According to John Creswell (2008), “Qualitative researchers strive for “understanding that deep structure of knowledge that comes from visiting personally with participants, spending extensive time in the field, and probing to obtain detailed meanings” (p.205). How do I “visit personally” with participants when I am doing a self-reflective study on how to establish democracy in the classroom? My level of objectivity is limited. The best thing I can do at this point is take a closer look at my research as well as the participants—students who will evaluate my teaching. I am sure that students will not be altogether candid due to the fear of crossing the line with their “descriptions” of the learning environment. With concerns about self-reflection and the students’ evaluation of the classroom, the quality of my research study will be difficult to evaluate.

Since this process of data collection, IRB protocol and approval, and finding literature to support democratic classroom is daunting, chapter ten provides wonderful strategies to ensure validity. First, I would like to change my purpose statement (the purpose of this study is to examine how I establish democratic values in my classroom through direct instruction and student assessment). I plan to focus on other teachers within my school. After I implement the necessary changes, I will then follow the strategies that are highlighted in this chapter.

a) Prolonged engagement/learning the culture/purpose

Engagement with the study participants will not be a problem due to the fact that most of the teachers within my school meet on a regular basis to vent and preach about how the school climate has continued. They trust me, and they are comfortable expressing dissatisfaction with the system. This trust is based on a common theme—longing for the good old days. As a social studies teacher, I have 20-plus years (eight of those years as a paraprofessional) of working with teachers, students, and administrators. The purpose of my study is simple: survival. With President Obama’s yearlong war with Congress over health care reform coming to a bitter end, his next focus is on public education. As he mentioned briefly on a CNN interview (March 2, 2010), there will be an overhaul of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) policy and public education in general. The question is what form will this overhaul take? With the recent firing of 60 percent of high school teachers in the Detroit school district, the president applauded the measures taken by administrators and politicians to retain only 40 percent of the teaching staff. The rationale for my investigation into my values and practices as a teacher is simple: to improve my pedagogy through the incorporation of democratic values such as equality of opportunity, freedom, and academic opportunity. Self-reflection or self-correction of my teaching and the learning climate of my classroom is needed in order to provide the best learning environment for students and for me to grow as a teacher. The single most important factor in the classroom is the teacher; it is not new books or expensive equipment, but the values and practices of the educator in front of the classroom.

b) Peer review

Peer review or debriefing provides an external check of the research process(Creswell, 2008, p. 208). Creswell(2008) stated that , the peer reviewer “plays the devil advocate” his/her is to keep the "researcher open and honest about the study."(p. 208). One peer debriefer I value at this point is Dr. Turner. She asks the hard questions and forces you to look deeper into the issue with the use of concept mapping and constant discussion and activities to spark the critical thinking process.

I think chapter 10 provides a good outline for reaching deeper understanding of the importance of validation and evaluation. Anyone can do a study but very few are known for conducting research with solid findings.

Why Triangulate? A Very Good Question!!!

Marcia Pearce
CTGE 7194: Qual. Inquiry
Dr. Turner

As a social studies teacher, there is only way I describe the word triangulate—as a system of checks and balances for researchers. According to Sandra Mathison (1998), “Good research practices obligate the researcher to triangulate …” (p. 13). Regardless of the method of study, the use of several data collection processes is “necessary” in the execution of a study in order for it to withstand critique … (p. 17). What I hope to get out of the employment of multiple research methods is “assured” validity with no possible contradiction from my peers and those who desire to disapprove my work. For example, for a long time I have been interested in the importance of the incorporation of culturally relevant literature into the curriculum. Now, anyone with common sense would claim that we live in a multicultural world, so why would we not include this multiculturalism in everything, including the literature that we read.

As a researcher, I must put my common sense and personal feelings aside and use research to support my claim. Triangulation will hopefully prove, not disprove, the importance of having a curriculum that reflects the population it is supposed to educate. As Mathison (1998) so eloquently puts it, “Triangulation is typically perceived to be a strategy for improving the validity of research or evaluating findings …” (p. 13). Research that tends to “investigate” ethnic or cultural issues is already a hotbed for thorough critique, so I must apply research strategies that really examine this study. The “elimination of bias” on my part will be a difficult process, but with a solid strategy of triangulation, my research findings will provide the much-needed evidence to support my claim.

At Fordham University, all the professors, especially Dr. Turner and Dr. Ness, “drill” into their students’ heads the importance of triangulation, but I was surprise to find out that this strategy is a relatively new concept (really not so surprised) in the world of social science. Besides establishing the ethic guidelines on research, the second most important aspect of a study is validity—is it valid or not—and the application of a multitrait-multimethod matrix can ensure that.

Race Testing:
A good example is the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, which studied black men with an STD during the mid 1900s. It was unethical and devoid of any validity and, additionally, race clearly played a major part in the study. Many research studies throughout the last century don’t engage in any form of triangulation due to the fact that researchers desired their studies to support their claims about a particular issue—they would not benefit from solid methods of data collection.
Since I plan to do extensive research on ethical issues close to my heart, I need to look at which type of triangulation method to employ:

a) Data triangulation, including time, space, and person
b) Investigator triangulation
c) Theory triangulation
d) Methodological triangulation
(Denzin, 1978, p. 201)

I will probably use investigator triangulation. Mathison (1998) claims that it is “considered good research practice” (p. 14) to include more than one investigator. On a positive note, I have learned a lot about the guidelines of ethics as well as the importance of validity through the different types of triangulation methods, which is now my ongoing challenge as I stated before in the IRB.

So, Jeta and Christy—what do you think about triangulation? Plus, how is your research going?

Hey, ladies--What's up girls????

Are we still alive(our group)? First, I would like to thank, Jeta for the wonderful questions to consider for my conp. framework. I hit a few road blocks with the IRB--writing up the IRB is okay but finding folks to participate in my study proved to be very difficult. Focusing on male and female teachers and their definitions of democratic values and practices is an idea that is much needed but...my school climate and culture is not inviting at all. Going outside my school is the only way to truly do this process. If you ladies have any ideas or suggestions, please send it my way.

The Interview: Questions and brief answers

Marcia M. Pearce
LLL Program at Fordham University
Title of Study: Examination of Democratic Values and Practices in the Classroom
CTGE 7194: Qual. Inquiry

The Interview

How do teachers define democratic education?
Kids have said. Elected classroom leader based on the majority.
Respect for all. Students can neg. classroom rules. Not too much power, teacher has veto. Rules and regulations will be enforce and discuss on a regular basis. Review behavior that is deemed dangerous.

What are the classroom practices of teachers who espouse democratic beliefs?
Students should have input on most classroom activities. Discuss activities and assignment related to students’ culture.

Does being a Hispanic male first and a teacher second, affect my delivery of instruction?
Yes, it does. I can see the class work from a different perspective. Stop teaching history, because Hispanics are not in the book.

Does a teacher’s gender have an impact on classroom instruction?
Tell me about…your first experience as a teacher.
Yes, why—a different point of view because of gender. Case in point—lesson on date rape—a man will see it differently than a female
No professional development on teaching at-risk kids—Working with this population requires an extra effort—The social and emotion problems that these students bring to the classroom need to be address immediately.

Participant: Hispanic Male teacher

Brief Reflection--This interview process was nonthreatening due to the fact that I know this teacher. He is an experienced educator(lots of respect from students) with lots of knowledge about American History and mathematics. Students in his class work well together due to the democratic feel of the learning environment. The IRB process I believe will be different because most of the school environment is not welcoming to research. I lucked out this time.

Revised Framework: democratic classrooms?

So,what do you ladies think? Are there any factors/elements missing from this framework? I am a little concerned about the gender issue involved in identifying democratic classrooms?

Revised: Conceptual Framework


Purpose of this Study

The purpose of this qualitative study is to identify the qualities of democratic
teaching beliefs in today’s classroom. There are many factors to consider when
building a democratic classroom. By means of this study, educators who embrace and incorporate democratic values demonstrate how they will build a democratic classroom. Some themes that will be explored through the observation of these teachers: how do they demonstrate a fair attitude and behave toward youngsters, what opportunities are students given to participate in activities (the issues of equality), and what range of personal freedom do students have in their respective learning environment. Since these classrooms are developed by the teachers, one must understand the sociological, political, and issues of gender that may affect the structure of the learning environment. The lens I would like to explore during this process is the Black Feminist theory(in addition to Critical Race Theory). In one of many articles(Kesici, 1992), the literature and research tends to support the idea that females adhere to democratic ideals more so than their male counterparts.

Research Questions:
1. How do teachers define democratic education?
2. What are the classroom practices of teachers who espouse democratic beliefs?
3. Who am I question: Does being a black female first and a teacher second,
affect my delivery of instruction? Do I emphasize one part of history over
others(ex. Black, female, the diasporas, etc.) as opposed to “traditional
American History, and/or other historical events that include people from
diverse backgrounds?

Statement of Problem
Spurred by reports, legislative mandates, commitments from concerned citizens and research findings, educators across the United States are searching for
changes to the modern classroom (Nemser, 1989). With a growing debate over
“teacher accountability” there is a focused attention on teachers providing the
best learning environment possible. There is a heated rush to introduce
programmatic changes and many have argued for introduction of democratic values to shape children academically and socially. One possible change to the
classroom is the introduction of “democratic values” and practices In addition
to setting high academic standards and preparing students for higher education and the world of work, educators are expected to introduce social skills and
beliefs that will ultimately make a “productive” citizen (Raywid, 1987). Some
researchers(Wade and Tavris, 1990) claimed that they have found the answer, the incorporation of “democratic values and practices.”

What is the definition of democratic classrooms?
Teachers, administrators and even politicians have expressed their concerns
about classroom instruction and more attention is being paid to practices and
beliefs that shape the learning environment for today’s student (Lunenburg and
Cadavid,1992).. Many educators and researchers have argued over the clear
definition of democratic values and what it looks like in the classroom. Sahin
Kesici(2008) provided a clear definition of democratic values in the classroom:
Teaching students of their rights as citizens(issues of equality of opportunity,
justice and freedom) along with academic learning. Henderson (1983), another
supporter claimed that the employment of democratic values and practices may remedy many academic problems in this critical period of development and also, possibly help to contain the social illnesses that collectively destroy the
fiber of the United States citizenry. Bandura(1986), one supporter of the
democratic classroom argues that school is not just a place to acquire academic knowledge but also to embrace the norms of that given society.

One of the purposes of education in public schools is to make individuals aware
of their responsibilities toward their state and themselves, and to carry out
these responsibilities (Kesici, 2008, p. 3). The freedom, justice and equality
that are espoused in the Constitution should be taught in the classroom.
According to Osler. and Starkey, (1994) , educators should design the learning
environment to address the student’s academic needs as well as guaranteeing them an active learning environment. Democratic teachers should give importance to democratic values in their classrooms (Kesci, 2008, p. 2).

Data collection: (School Climate and Culture—A major problem)

Data collection will be in the form of one-on-one interviews and non
participatory observations. The observation process will take longer, due to
the microcosm of my own school. Are there differences between male and female teachers in their beliefs and practices? We have almost equal balance of male to female ratio of teachers. But there is so much to consider in even this
microcosm group. Some these factors are: individual(cases), ethnic backgrounds, socio-economic backgrounds, urban or suburban, and even what region of the country and/or world the teacher is from. After this the “Locus of Control” has to be considered: classroom observations, teacher surveys, and student interviews(outside my school).

Implications: My classroom

What does equality, independence, justice and respect mean in my approach to
teaching, to students experiences in the classroom, in the South Bronx, in New
York City(in the U. S. and in the world)? There is much to consider and reflect
upon during this research process. I don’t know if I could be truly objective
with regards to this topic.

Keywords: Democratic Teacher Beliefs, gender ideals and roles

References

Bandura, A. (1986). Social Foundations of Though and Action: A social-cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Bandura, A. (1997). Self-Efficacy The Exercise of Control. New York: W. H.
Freeman and Company.

Kesici, S. (1992). Democratic teacher beliefs according to the teacher’s gender
and locus of control. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 35, 1.

Henderson, M. A.(Eds.). (1983). Can schools, teachers, and administrators make a difference? The research evidence. Democratic Education in Schools and
Classrooms. Washington: National Council for the Social Studies Bulletin

Lunenburg, F. C. and Cadavid, V. (1992). Locus of control, pupil control
ideology, and dimensions of teacher bornout. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 19 (1), 13-22.

Nemser, S.(1989). Describing teacher education: A framework and illustrative
findings from a longitudinal study of six students. Elementary School Journal, 89, 365-377.

Osler, A. and Starkey, H. (1994). Fundamental Issues In Teacher Education for
Human Rights: A European Perspective: Journal of Moral Education. 23, 349-360.

Wade, C. and Tavris, C.(1990). Psychology. New York: Harper and Row
Publisher.

My "crazy" observation (Reflection)

Marcia M. Pearce
March 2, 2010

Reflection:Observation on the Train

My decision to remain a nonparticipating observer was a wise gamble on my part. The
“train wreck” I witnessed on the train was unbelievable. Watching three loud individuals engage in their bizarre conversation was unpleasant enough, but their idea of the proper role of the black woman—that her part is sometimes to shut her mouth and let a man be a man—was unspeakable. Subject matter was not the only problem. The tone of one individual throughout this 42-minute observation, a tall brown woman with flashy jewelry and a bad hair weave, was loud and overwhelming. With her powerful voice, she succeeded in talking over the noise of the train and the other people, no small feat.


As I observed her, several critical theories entered my thoughts. First, CD {loud black women who “ruled” the conversation on the train} totally contradicted black feminist theory with respect to the meaning of “empower.” This individual spoke with authority, advocating “submission” to the black man. It pained me to watch and even listen, but I was 30 minutes into this observation and, as mentioned previously, I had determined it best to remain a nonparticipating observer. After 42 minutes of intensely watching three individuals discuss how “black women need to shut up,” I was exhausted and even angered by such a display of nonsense. Two black women and one black man agreeing upon the “necessary” silence of women, yet the two women were decidedly not silent. They were in fact very loud, and generally domineering toward their male counterpart during the entire conversation. In addition, five minutes after the end of this lengthy talk, the older of the two female advocates of black women’s “silence” became engaged in another heated debate, this time with a white woman from France. All I can say is that this exchange was ugly, embarrassing, and totally unnecessary. I walked away from my observation experience feeling nasty and dirty. Hearing these two women, one white and one black, calling one another racial names in English as well as French, triggered
emotions I thought I had successfully set aside—my feelings after experiencing denial of a job based on my ethnicity, the pain I felt when my folks did not embrace my friends from other racial groups.

Sometimes I am blessed with the opportunity to forget about race and negative
stereotypes for extended periods, but sooner or later some incident opens up the
floodgates of memories.

My narrative: Democratic values and classroom Instruction

Narrative and Map of Research Question
Keywords: Democratic Teacher Beliefs, gender ideals and roles

Narrative of research question:

The question to explore is the following: Does a teacher’s gender have an impact on democratic beliefs and on the delivery of instruction in the various subject areas? The first way to explore this topic is to review the current research and literature. The second method maybe to conduct your own study amongst your peer in your school(the school climate and culture is not inviting in my school). The third way is to reflect on my life experience in and out of the classroom. The lens I would like to explore during this process is the Black Feminist theory. In one of many articles, the literature and research tends to support the idea that females adhere to democratic ideals more so than their male counterparts (see noted references)…

The next method I would employ is a non participatory observation, this would take longer to observe and study, due to the microcosm of my own school. We have an almost equal balance of male to female ratio of teachers.

Female teachers
a) 4 teachers in the monolingual program
b) 3 teachers in the bilingual program

Male teachers
a) 3 teachers in the monolingual program
b) 3 teachers in the bilingual program

Demographics:
South Bronx students with reading ranging from 1.2 to 6.5.
Attendance roster 250+ students in both programs

But there is so much to consider in even this microcosmic group. Some of these factors are: individual (cases), ethnic backgrounds, socio-economic backgrounds, urban or suburban, and even what region of the country and / or world the teacher is from. Our faculty has teachers from different parts of the country and the world. After this the “Locus of Control” has to be considered: classroom observations, teacher surveys, student interviews and even administrative opinions.

Finally, I would reflect as objectively as possible with the previous criteria considered as to my own experience. Questions to reflect upon are; Does being a black female first and a teacher second, affect my delivery of instruction? Do I emphasize one part of history over others (ex. Black, female, the diaspora, etc.) as opposed to “traditional American History, and/or other historical events that include people from diverse backgrounds? The big problem: What does equality, independence, justice, and respect mean in my approach to teaching, to students experiences in the classroom, in the South Bronx, in New York City(in the U. S. and in the world)?

There is much to consider and reflect upon during this research process. I don’t know if I or anyone could be truly objective with regards to this topic. I believe I am a better teacher at the delivery of democratic values than a male or at the very least I have a great desire to deliver these values to my students.

References

Bandura, A. (1986). Social Foundations of Though and Action: A social-cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Bandura, A. (1997). Self-Efficacy The Exercise of Control. New York: W. H. Freeman
and Company.

Broverman, L. K., (1997). Sex role stereotypes: A current appraisal. Journal of Social Issues, 28, 59-78.

Henderson, M. A.(Eds.). (1983). Can schools, teachers, and administrators make a
difference? The research evidence. Democratic Education in Schools and Classrooms. Washington: National Council for the Social Studies Bulletin

Lunenburg, F. C. and Cadavid, V. (1992). Locus of control, pupil control ideology, and dimensions of teacher bornout. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 19 (1), 13-22.

Osler, A. and Starkey, H. (1994). Fundamental Issues In Teacher Education for Human
Rights: A European Perspective: Journal of Moral Education. 23, 349-360.

My I's

Gray skies are gonna clear up-I
I was sitting next to David—a college sophomore with a dark side persona. We often butted heads in class, arguing over Aristotle or Nietzsche. This particular afternoon, I noticed my name written in his notebook. “Jeta is soooo optimistic” was scrawled across his class notes. I left the class fuming, venting to one of my friends. I felt like he was trivializing me, turning me into some naïve neophyte rather than a thoughtful deep-thinker who just happened to have a positive take on life.
It’s only been the last few years that I’ve begun to ease off my defensiveness of this characteristic and started to admit to myself some of the weaknesses that accompany my optimism—blindness and repression. In my defense, my whole family is like this. I think the source of this is my grandmother—the undeniable cathedral of our family. She was raised in the Depression in rural Oklahoma, and she’s the toughest person I know. But, she’s also the type with no time to dwell on a somber thought. Anything melancholy is pushed to the side, and we push forward full steam ahead, covered in a protective layer of positivity.
In my academic work, I often find this to be a positive feature—a belief that it will all work out in the end can be quite helpful when you’re waist deep in a 20-page paper. The limitation of course is the blindness—the inability to acknowledge and address the weaknesses that may be right in front of my face. This tendency to push forward in positivity may mean that problems or issues get ignored. In my research, I know this is something I have to be conscientious of, keeping my eyes open to problems, being willing to be honest with myself that they are there, and having the courage to address them.
Teacher Guilt-I
In some ways, I feel like every year of teaching is an effort to make up for my first, to make amend s for those colossal failures. Somehow, it feels like if I can become a stronger, more thoughtful, more impassioned educator, I can compensate for the disservice I did to those children in my first class. Partially rooted in my Catholic upbringing, I have a tremendous guilt for failed obligations or unfinished duties. Even as I have been planning my residency project, I can feel myself thinking of my students from my first year, how I could have better served them, how those students could have benefited from what I now know.
I know that I have to be aware of the personal stake that I have both in this project and in this study. My emotional investment in this project will bring perseverance and passion to this subject matter, but it may also cloud my judgment. This desire to make up for something I failed at means I’m yearning for success, unwilling to accept failure. As a qualitative researcher attempting to study things “as they are,” I need to open myself up to whatever may come rather than what will fill a hole in myself.

My thoughts after reading Boote and Beile

This is what I had wrote in class on my "index card". Sorry for the delay in posting.

Boote & Beile validated my experience of writing literature reviews. For me, I always feel that I was giving the "cliff notes" version of the literature when writing a literature review. An important point that I have come to realize and that Boote & Beile affirm is that existing literature is not " the authority" and that it is important to be critical and analytical. Another assertion that Boote and Beile make that resonated with me and my experiences creating a literature review is "the point is to you ought to know when to read and when not to". This is something that I have struggled with in the past and am thankful to be introduced to the concept of a literature matrix to help guide me in doing so. As I have grown as a doctoral student, I have a better understanding of this, but I think that the literature matrix will be important and helpful in guiding my reading.

Help Wanted: Christy's mini-research project!

I am interested in extending some research that I conducted last semester in Sociolinguistics. In that project, I looked at learning disabilities as a socially constructed phenomenon and analyzed the “language of learning disabilities”. I then analyzed the transcripts of learning disabled students and identifying emerging themes as they described their experience of the phenomenon of being labeled “learning disabled”. For this project, I interested in exploring how being identified as “dyslexic” shapes, if at all , one’s experience of themselves as a reader. In thinking about this question, I was unsure if I would be employing a narrative or a phenomenological study; however, after our discussion, it seemed that a phenomenological study was the appropriate design. As a result, my plan is to interview a twenty five year old female who was identified as dyslexic in elementary school. Another question that emerged is: Do I need more participants? If I only have one participant, would this be more of a narrative? This is where I was wavering before and while I feel like it is more clearly phenomenological, I am getting stuck on the one participant. As I read more in Creswell about data collection he states that phenomenology typically collects data from “ individuals who have experienced the same phenomenon”. Also, I was thinking that perhaps, I could really develop my interview questions from the questions that I developed for the sociolinguistics assignment. Perhaps I should use some of the data from that assignment as well. While the questions and activity that I designed was “hypothetical” and I did not actually complete the activity, I can adapt that for use with my participant. I do have transcripts of students writing about their experiences of having the label “LD”. Maybe those should be used as data as well for my research. I wish that I had the capability/access to more participants. I do not think that my school would support this type of research at this time. Where I am struggling right now is that we did not discuss concepts that we felt emerged from my question. Maybe I am tackling too much here? HELP! As I am trying to create my concept map, I am struggling a bit and would love to hear your feedback.
Marica- I apologize for referring to the project that I completed last semester. I do not mean to be “cryptic”. I have the activity that I completed and can post later / bring to class if you would like to see. It is saved on my USB drive and I do not have that one me right now.
Thanks….Christy

Marcia's Mirror: "I" am...

What Are My “I”s?

Alan Peskins (1988), in his enlightening article “In Search of Subjectivity—One’s Own,” eloquently categorized subjectivity in terms of how researchers truly see themselves. Many of the studies that are published today and a couple of decades ago seem to “ooze” with overgeneralization or oversimplification of a given problem/issue that is plaguing society.

Peskins (1998), in this article, forces the writer to first look at one’s own self before studying others. I totally agree with the idea that all researchers should acknowledge their position of subjectivity, but very few of them actually “identify” their personal experiences (as they relate to gender, class, etc.) and how these factors shape and impact/influence their mode of research. Educators and researchers have claimed that good research is void of personal bias, which is hard to do. Subjectivity quite often shapes an individual’s purpose for doing a study. If researchers are informed about the quantities that have emerged during their research, they can at least disclose where self and subject become joined (p. 17).

Whether we like it or not, our “subjectivity is a garment” (Peskins, 1988). In addition, some individuals in the world of higher education (research) cannot “mask” their true colors. Like this author, I too have discovered my own subjectivity. And even though I have always known it was there, as an African-American woman, I tried to mask or guard my personal feelings in the name of political correctness. Now, I realize that in order to engage in research that is honest, valid, and purposeful, my mask has to come off (somewhat)—“who” I am and “what” I have experienced have shaped me and will be present in any study I am a part of.
With the categories that

Peskins (1988) provided, I mostly identify myself in terms of the “Ethnic Maintenance I.” My ethnicity and gender are at the core of my being. I embrace the “Ethnic Maintenance I” to survive and ultimately relate to my students. Ninety percent of my students are at-risk poor black individuals from broken families (usually with only one parent) with the world marginalizing their existence. I come from the same community and ethnic background as these youngsters. This “I” manifests itself in the way I teach. For example, February is Black history month and many of my colleagues (other teachers) focus on several “safe” (nonthreatening) African Americans to discuss and they will sometimes ask me to “lend” them a few Blacks because beside Dr. King and Rosa Parks, they are at a loss. I don’t pay too much attention to Black history month because I feel that Black history is American history, period!!! Afro-Americans contribute a lot and we should not be isolated to the celebration of one month.

In my teaching, the pride of the “Ethnic I” shows loud and clear: Black history is just American history, and throughout the school year I introduce individuals who have shaped or changed the culture we live in. Peskins (1988) stated that, “being Jewish shapes” his life, well, being a black woman definitely shaped mine. And like this researcher, I get “a warm feeling” from a solid identification of who I am. I make it my business to learn about the good and bad parts of the past that shape the Black community. The way I teach, live, worship, and dress shapes my “Ethnic I.” According to Peskins (1988), the “Ethnic I” can be a hazard to one’s state of being—it is all consuming. “… In valuing the behavior of those who chose to perpetuate their ethnic identify, I may ignore the lives of those who chose not to” (p. 18). Maybe I am paying too much attention to my ethnic identity.

In addition to an ongoing focus on ethnic identity, the other “I” that shapes my character is the “Justice-Seeking I.” I fear that this gets me into a lot of trouble. Justice-Seekers are natural-born troublemakers due to the fact that they cannot keep their mouths shut and “play the game.” As an African-American female teacher, it pains me to see others give less than 100 percent to minority students. Some teachers feel that they can get away with it because who is going to know or tell. I have confronted others about lackluster classroom instruction and negative attitudes and at times I have suffered for it. I have also felt like I was a student’s last line of defense. In the words of Cheater (1987), “We cannot rid ourselves of this subjectivity, nor should we wish to; but we ought, perhaps, to pay it very much more attention …” (p. 172).

At this moment I do not identify with the other “I”s; I hope to continue to discover aspects of myself during this course.

Response to Jeta's comment(Marcia's post) on ethics and abuse

Good question, Jeta.

First, I would not "cause" the teacher any "discomfort" in front of the students. I would address the issue one-on-one with the struggling teacher. In addition, maybe(must consider the attitude of the teacher) provide a sample lesson or even model(demo)the proper way of doing a read-aloud. I need to think about the next steps---because this might get ugly professionally for both parties involved. Thanks for a wonderful question--I was only thinking about "abuse" in terms of bodily harm.
Steps to dealing with problems other than bodily harm:
1. private conversation
2. provide support with lesson and Modeling strategies
3. stop and think
4. blantant harm--will employ "duty of inform" (blantant harm--must go beyond just a sloppy read-aloud.)

A closer look at research: the ethical issue

The Ethical Issue: The right and wrong way of dealing with …

History has shown us that research devoid of ethics leads to abuse and, ultimately, shame in the research/scientific communities. For example, Black men with syphilis were denied treatment due to the medical community’s desire to detail the devastating effects on these men and their families. This longitudinal study was “designed to investigate the long-term side effects of untreated syphilis” (Bosley, 2007, p. 1).

*Six hundred poor Black men from Alabama (399 with syphilis and the rest without this STD).
*Race was an issue (only Blacks, no whites, were involved in this “crazy” study).
*Medication was available (penicillin), but some of these men were allowed to go insane, and even die, in the name of research.

The “Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male” was a blatant example of human rights violations and intent to do harm. Nearly 50 years after this experiment, we are still discussing ethics and how not to do harm. As a teacher/researcher, it is important to establish boundaries and to understand the rules that govern ethics. The constant review of the rules is needed to ensure the well-being of participants and researchers. Marshall and Rossman (1999) outlined the dos and don’ts of research: a) What role will I play in this qualitative research? Outline the level of participation in the study—participant observer or just an observer—for me, playing the role of observer presents a problem. As a researcher, I will not engage in any manner of abuse, but individuals in the study might engage in dangerous, self-destructive behavior. I am a teacher first, then a researcher. As a teacher, I must and will inform the proper authorities (principals, parents, or cops) of a dangerous situation. The “duty to inform” is my duty as a teacher; b) Negotiating access to the participants is essential. This can be in the form of a consent letter to parents, principals, etc. The letter needs to describe the study in full detail. If the study involves schools, a follow-up call (to principals, teachers, etc.) is needed; c) Addressing one’s bias—whether cultural or social—sensitivity to the participants’ state of being (state of mind and emotional state) as well as status within the culture can shape the study positively or negatively; d) Protect their privacy at all times. Some issues within the study are highly sensitive in nature. Assuring anonymity is vital to participants’ mental health as well as safety. An example of this is if you are doing research on the gay community and you are focusing on the question “Do gay parents have effective parenting skills?” and e) Understand and study cultural “norms” within the particular group. What one group finds okay or normal, another might find offensive or taboo. Many teachers/researchers conduct studies without considering that these participants (individuals, subjects) are really people with full lives and must be respected at all times.

As teachers, students, and researchers, we need to fully understand the role that ethics plays in doing research and dealing with people’s lives.

References

Marshall, C. & Rossman, G. (1999). The researcher’s role: Issues of entry,
reciprocity, personal biography, and ethics. Designing qualitative
research (3rd ed.) (pp. 79-103). Thousands Oaks: Sage.

Matlins & Magida (2006). How to be a perfect stranger (4th ed.): The essential
religious etiquette handbook. Woodstock, VT: SkyLight Paths Publishing.

This book is quite interesting.

My Index Card: Thinking about good research...

What is the definition of good research?
Good research starts with the solid knowledge base and interest level of the researcher. According to Boete and Biele(2004), "Doctoral students must be scholars before they are researchers.(p.11) Quite often, doctoral students are in a hurry to finish their "course work" and sometimes they do not focus on the nature of research. Being a scholar means taking the time to read and study literature that supports or refutes a given issue or situation.

Boete and Biele(2004) outlined the essential of good research:
"Good research is good because it advances our collective understanding."(p. 12)
a) study the literature on this topic and "build on the existing" knowledge
b) highlight the weakness and strengths of the research
c) doctoral students should be up-to-date on the current literature and debates on issues
d) have knowledge of difference research methods and approaches
e) According to Boete and Biele(2004)individuals engaged in research should master Bloome's Stages of Cognitive Development: comprehension, application, analysis, synth. and evaluation.
f) Asking good questions in order to uncover the truth.
g) Giving time to collect data, test, and analyze

Mini inquiry project ideas -dated 2/3/10

Research Questions:
1. Are female teachers more effective communicators? 2. Is there a difference between male and female teachers(as it relates to delivery of instruction--in various subject areas)?

Importance of research:
To find literature to support or refute the issue of gender and instruction. As a teacher, I feel that my gender helps and at times hinders my level of instruction. Desire to support my Professional Development with solid research that can "truly" detail this issue.


I think "case study" why?
* Centers around a particular situation or event. * One individual is the center of attention. * Intrinsic valus- desire to better understand the role of gender in classroom instruction.

exceptions: Desire to uncover the issues related to gender and classroom instruction.

Beliefs: women are natural born teachers, starting with the home life. Society expects women to be teachers of children.

assumptions: women are teachers in and out of classroom. I "think" we are more caring about the welfare of children and in the classroom--we give 100%(okay I'm bias)

Response to 2/17 class

In my earlier post, I basically conveyed the idea that bias is a part of who we are as researchers that infiltrates all aspects of our work. It's neither good nor bad; it's simply the reality of being a human being with your own unique experiences and perspectives. In this post, I was really trying to get away from the idea of bias being a "negative" part of research and instead frame it as a reality.

Some of the other readings, however, have made me want to re-frame (or at least reconsider) this depiction. I was really struck by Peshkin's discussion of the role of affection and dispassion in research. When we feel affection or care for the subject we're studying or the participants, we may avoid the harsh critiques or data that may represent our participants in a poor light. On the opposite end, total dispassion for what happens to our participants seems irresponsible and even unethical. Peshkin argues that, as a researcher, we must have a healthy dose of both: "an affection that serves to remind one of obligations to his respondents, and for a dispassion that, as horseradish does in the nasal passages, clears his vision" (p. 20). Marshall and Rossman even re-term bias as "high personal interest," indicating that bias may be better characterized as our passions, beliefs, and values that truly make us care and commit to a study (p. 81). Framed in this light, bias--or our affection or high personal interest--is not just a reality that we must be aware of; it is a tool to be used. The care or affection we have for our participants reminds us of our commitment to their welfare and centers us on the goal of ultimately having an ameliorative role in their lives.

I've been mulling over exactly how I should go about this inquiry project. I'm in the midst of working on my residency project this semester, which is on middle-school, African-American students' language attitudes towards code-switching between African American English and Standard English. I'm going to be interviewing students about their beliefs by having the students respond to scenarios about code-switching. These are research-based, short narratives that I've created about adolescents code-switching under a variety of circumstances. Participants will be asked to discuss their opinions about the characters in these stories. I'd like to use this project in some way for the research project for our course.

I'd also like to use this course as an opportunity to consider, evaluate, and try out some different methodologies. In thinking ahead towards the dissertation, I'd like to use this course as a chance to decide which methodologies work best for my interests and my beliefs as a researcher.

All that said, I am considering focusing on a text-based methodology--perhaps document analysis??? Because I'm already doing interviewing, I'd like to experiment with a methodology where I am analyzing written data. As I see it, there are two avenues I could take this: 1) I could have students write and create their own code-switching scenarios, or 2) I could look at samples of student writing to see if they are using code-switching in a variety of school assignments. Both of these appeal to me for different reasons. The first appeals because it would allow me to get more data on students' attitudes in an open-eneded format without the constraints of the scenarios that I've created. I also like that this approach may use some of the features of narrative research that we've been reading about. I like the 2nd approach because it would really address this question of whether code-switching is impacting students' school writing and, if so, how. Focusing on their school writing gives significance to this issue of code-switching for teaching and learning.

What I've been thinking about as I read Cresswell...

I am starting to see the idea of "subjectivity" in qualitative research differently because of the Cresswell readings. Cresswell argues that we cannot be "objective" in our research because "our words flow from our own personal experiences, culture, history, and backgrounds" (p. 231). I've never really bought into the idea of objective research (even in a strictly quantitative study). As soon as I make a choice about about a topic or question to study, my personal opinions and worldview have shaped that object of study. As I observe and interview in data collection, my own personal history and my cultural values determine both what I pay attention to and how I pay attention. Previously, I had always just accepted this as part and parcel of research. Although we may try to be conscious of personal biases and limit their role in a study, who we are and what we believe will always be embedded in the work that we do.

The Cresswell readings are helping me to see, however, that a research stance may be put on to help make our subjective influence explicit and systematic. It's a uniform that demarcates our subjectivity for both ourselves and our readers--"these are my beliefs, and this is how they influence my study." By wearing these beliefs openly, we hope that your ideas and beliefs are not Oz behind the curtain, secretly skewing and altering your research. Instead, your ideas and beliefs are being consciously and systematically used to make choices about your research.

I don't, however, think that wearing your research stance means that you can kick up your feet, pat yourself on your back, and assume that all your biases are now neatly exposed and consciously used. I think some of the biggest ways that biases affect research are the hardest to see--the unquestioned "truths" or tacit assumptions that are so ingrained in us that we do not even think of them as opinions or beliefs. I think that even when wearing an explicit research stance, we still have to be vigilant about understanding how our common sense beliefs and worldview shape our studies. None of this is done, of course, to remove subjectivity from research but to ensure that our beliefs are used in conscious, thoughtful choices rather than blind, predestined paths.

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