Data collection

The readings of this week elaborate the various ways in which digital tools can be used for collecting data. Gratton& O’Donell’s and Mathews& Cramer’s studies show importance of digital tools when data is collected from vulnerable populations or from people live in geographically isolated areas. Both of these studies discuss that video-conferencing is highly valued method in qualitative research in terms of providing active interaction between researchers and participants. I quite agree with them that videoconference or like using Skype bring diverse group of people closer and allow them to communicate. In some of my seminar courses at IU, international guest speakers participated in our class sessions via videoconferences and we were able to ask questions and discuss issues they mentioned. They were all very interactive discussions.

Using digital tools might decrease the challenges researchers may experience. If we consider Gratton & O’Donell’s study as a case, they afforded to conduct focus-group interview with Aboriginal communities in Canada via teleconference, and it is very great. However, after reading the article, couple of questions came to my mind regarding participants. In the article, the authors mentioned some Aboriginals live in an area that does not have any road. They chose  participants who live in Sioux Lookut district and 22 participants used the Internet at least once a day. If unemployment rate is very high and participants could not get benefit from health service due to living in a rural area, how did they have Internet access everyday? Also I am very curious about how many participants were in each focus group.

Pulus, Lester and Dempster’s study introduce multiple digital tools for generating data. Among them, using Smart pen for data collection is very interesting, and could be useful for my research with pre-service teachers. It may allow collecting rich data including recordings and printed materials at the same time. Also I am very curious about Photo-Voice. I know that one of my friends is using photos to understand the interpretations of children towards social issues. Photo-voice might be used to conduct study with children and seniors. Also I am thinking about that using photo-voice could be useful for low- English speaker and special need children. Many low English speakers experience difficulty in expressing their ideas clearly, so photo-voice may help them to support their ideas with images. I know many special need children are visual learners, consequently enjoy engaging with images. Photo-voice could be an alternative program for them.

Reflection

On Tuesday, two guest speakers joined to our class. They portray concrete pictures about the function of digital tools in research sharing their real-life experiences. Due to the fact that they both came from academic background and have immersed in technology, their explanations were more relevant and made sense. To start with Dr. Lebke, she shared her transition process from paper-based work to paperless.  I really like that she mentioned about both practical and theoretical side of  “ go paperless”. Having an I-pad was her entry point to go paperless. One of the important points of her speech is digital tools allow researchers to collect and organize their works in one place. As an example, Dr. Lebke talked about her favorite reader, Good Reader, by which she is able to underline, take online notes. She goes on to say that researchers should try couple of digital tools including e-readers, citation management software and then should choose ones that might work for them.

Dr. Varga introduced the features of  Mendeley. I have not used Mendeley before, however I like its some functions.  One of good functions of Mendeley is it can automatically organize and rename all pdf files. I love it.  It also seems like very easy to make transition across computers when we set up watch-folder to drop box.

Both Dr. Varga and Dr. Lebke’s discussions reveal a notion that each digital tool has both constraints and affordances. The important thing is to choose appropriate tools for our works. Individuals’ needs are significant in adapting a certain digital tool. Also institutional access and training opportunities play a main role in using digital tool. For instance, I earned my master degree from Boston University. At there we used MLA style rather than APA. In the first semester we, all graduate students, were trained to use Refworks, and it worked for me at that time. After started to IU, I was recommended to get Zotero training , so then I began to use Zotero as reference management software.

     

 I have a different story regarding “ go paperless”. It was not easy for me to quit papers, consequently last semester I went paperless in my academic work. In previous semesters, I always exceeded the library quota, and paid extra money for printing. I felt like I understood better when I read hard copy.  After a time, I had the same experience with Dr. Lebke. There was no space in my room to put all my folders and articles. I also thought about how I might carry all of my articles and notes to Turkey. Starting from that time, I forced myself to go paperless, but I did not succeed.  I was using PC that was quite heavy, and my prominent reader was Adobe Reader. Even though I read articles via Adobe Reader, I printed out all of them and I was reading again. Having Mac computer changed my life. It does not hurt my eyes, so I am able to read articles online. I primarily use Mac Preview for reading, annotating and taking notes with different colors. I am carrying my light Mac air to everywhere and doing all my academic works with it. Thanks Apple J.

Literature Review

Writing adequate literature review is a key component of dissertation, even of any research in education. A well-written literature review accomplishes several purposes. First of all, it allows researchers to survey literature and gain detailed information regarding their interest areas. In doing so, researchers might get some insights about central issues in a field and then can relate their studies to the ongoing dialogue in the literature. It guides researchers to find gaps in previous studies and to make further discussions about how they extend previous studies. A good literature review allows researchers to establish a framework for explaining the importance of the study.

 The article written by Boot and Beile (2005) draws attentions to the importance of writing qualified literature review in dissertation. They underline the general weakness of dissertation literature reviews. Even I found Boot and Beile’s article quite informative, I feel like something is missing in the article. I wish they provided a further discussion about the ways by which doctoral candidates can overcome all the weaknesses they mentioned in the article.  In particular, I would like to have seen some lines in the article that how doctoral candidates can get benefits from the library science to write a qualified dissertation literature review. It seems to me the authors reveal problems in relation to dissertation literature review, however they end the article without proposing any solutions.   They make some recommendation in the final section entitled “ Looking Forward”, but their recommendations remain too general, and do not address their previous criticisms.

This week, I finished reading with having more curiosity about using Mendeley . Kern’s (2011) and Paulus, Lester& Dempster ‘s (2014) studies introduce digital tools including citation management programs and their benefits in terms of writing literature review. I have previously used Refworks, Endnote and Zotero.  It seems Mendeley is the most developed citation management software.  I really like that it includes its own cloud storage and can be synchronized. I look forward to gaining more information about Mendeley on this Tuesday.

      

Discussion

On Tuesday, two new digital tools have entered into my life. Learning Pinterest and Evernote as reflections tools opens a new window.  I am currently designing a concept map for the literature review of my proposal. I have decided to use Ever note as my reflection site during the proposal writing process.

 I found the classroom discussion on reflection very beneficial in terms reviewing the important points of readings. Watts’ article briefly makes an argument about the role of reflection in the qualitative research. Accordingly, reflection is an indisputable part of the qualitative research. The main premise of the Watt’s article is each research project is a unique study created by researcher. Thus, researchers should inform readers how they approach to study, and how they develop the process.  At this point, Watts identifies writing as “ a way of inquiry”. We also discussed ethical issues in the qualitative research in light of Paulus’s article drawing attention to the connection between ethics and reflection. The common belief is reflection might add trustworthiness and transparency to researchers’ works.

Reflection serves as means that make research study more meaningful for both researchers and readers. In regard to researchers, reflection helps them to gain self-awareness “who they are” and to understand values, beliefs, and experiences which underpin their research. This allows researchers to see their own purposes for conducting a certain study, and their research process. Through reflection researchers are able to realize how they present truths and convey messages to readers. For readers, reflection offers a realization that from which point of view researcher present the study including epistemological and ontological perspectives.  Also it allows readers to see if researchers have any biases and assumptions regarding research process.

I also like the discussion around reflexivity and positionality. These two terms are mostly confused with each other. Through discussion I made sense that reflexivity and positionality are two related but distinct words. Positionality is more close to revealing or identifying your identity and its influence on research process while reflexivity means communication with yourself and readers.

      

Reflection

I quite enjoyed reading Watt’s discussion on the importance of reflection in the qualitative research. While she discusses why reflection is a matter in the qualitative research, she also portrays us her own reflection process and presents how writing a reflective journal help her to communicate with her self.

In general, by communication, we mean talking, listening, writing, demonstrating, watching, drawing and so on. Communication refers to participating in social interaction, listening others and sharing thoughts with them. Reflection is a kind of communication, a way of talking with our selves, and revealing our inner feelings. Since reflection occurs when we consciously think about our beliefs, understanding and experiences. It includes turning ideas over in our head and our thinking about what we are doing and why we are doing.

In our previous classroom meetings, we discussed   the place of subjectivity in the qualitative research.  Researchers’ positions, personal and professional stances and their previous life experiences influence their entire research process starting from selecting the research topic to data interpretation. The quotation in the article that “ Good research questions spring from a researchers values, passions and preoccupations”  (p. 84) underlines the connection between researchers and their research topics. As a matter of fact that Watt articulates why she selected to study on homeschooling. Her personal belief including each child is a unique learner who has individualized learning process influenced her decision to research home education.

This blog is my reflection site.  As journal writing, it allows me not only reflect on what I learn, what I do but also communicate with myself and with others. Today, I found myself thinking and evaluating the influence of my previous life and my future desires on my current research.  I am currently working on a research project exploring teachers’ well- being.  Watt’s article inspired me to find my own reason for conducting this  research. I have first examined my own reasons why I want to research about teachers. As a former teacher, and a doctoral student in Curriculum Studies I am aware of the fact that there is a growing increase in teachers’ attrition rate. According to statistics, 46% of teachers are leaving teaching in their first five years in the US. The fact of teacher attrition is not specific to the US; rather it is an international concern. Numerous countries deal with teacher shortage. Previous research argue the increase in teacher attrition   has been attributed to poor work related- well-being. High level of stress, burnout, heavy workload and   demands inherent in teaching are among the factors influencing teachers’ attrition. I have believed that this topic is worth studying. Finding my own reasons for conducting a research exploring teachers’ well being enables me to reaffirm my passion and commitment to teacher education.