| 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!!!
I do think it's interesting how much the "style of writing" in research reveals about tacit belief systems. The use of "I," for example, reveals not only a more personal, narrative style but also suggests the researcher's belief about their own role and participation in the study. This just supports Creswell's over-arching argument that our theoretical stances literally construct all other aspects of our research process--even our writing style apparently :)
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