EDU 793: Qualitative Research

Credit Hours: 3

Estimated Hours Per Week: 20

Overview

Qualitative research methods continue to grow in popularity as research and evaluation tools for applied social science settings, including schools and colleges. The real world is complex; qualitative research focuses on the elements of that complexity: emotions, meanings, symbols, motivation, thought processes, feelings, patterns and themes. Qualitative research seeks to make sense of this world by finding meaning through the eyes of participants. Students examine the rationale for research, methods of qualitative research and evaluation, and strategies to understand and use the results.

Researchers who use qualitative methods seek answers to questions by examining settings and the people and processes in those settings. Among their many uses, qualitative techniques allow investigators to answer difficult questions related to a) improving teaching and learning, b) making sense of situations, conflicts, and improvements, and c) understanding the perceptions of community members in their roles in the process of education. Providing answers to these questions requires a careful alignment of the research/evaluation question, study design and methods, analysis and interpretation of the data, presentation strategies, and generalizability of results.

Students gain an understanding of qualitative research so that they are able to conduct research and critically read published research in the field. Conducting and evaluating research is a core competency for leaders in contemporary education settings. A theoretical and practical approach is used to help students learn how to use qualitative methods of inquiry. Students learn why and how to collect high quality qualitative data for an original, significant, and creative project; analyze and interpret the data; and prepare written presentations for reporting of research findings. Students become confident and competent qualitative researchers and evaluators by gaining expertise in a variety of qualitative data collection, analysis, and presentation techniques.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Develop an understanding of qualitative research methods and evaluation, including research terminology, research design, and methodology.
Refine abilities to observe and reflect on their practice using research in ways that lead to more informed decisions on curriculum, teaching, learning, change, policies, and communication.
Understand the role of teacher research as qualitative research.
Demonstrate knowledge of when and why different research methods are most appropriately used.
Develop a thorough review of relevant literature and present a synthesized review based on a research question in the field of the student’s choice, including the significance of the studies, the reliability of the methodology employed, and the validity of the analysis presented, also noting any gaps in the literature.
Become more discriminating consumers of qualitative research, including the ability to identify biases and assumptions, as well as the limitations of particular pieces of research.
Know and understand the ethical and political dimensions of conducting research involving adults and children, especially within a school-based system.
Develop a data collection plan to answer a research question, using a triangulation of research methods.
Develop data collection tools and analyze results from these tools.
Develop consent forms.
Develop a comprehensive, significant research study by: Identifying a research problem, reviewing the literature, developing a research question, developing an appropriate qualitative design to answer the research question, gaining access, developing data collection tools, coding and analyzing data collected, and developing meaning from the results.
Describe and determine the correct use of different sampling techniques to answer a research question.

ENROLLMENT

To enroll in this course, please complete the online application.

Required Texts
EDU 793 texts are available from the JIU/MBS bookstore