Self Review

Like Michelle, I never really viewed myself as a researcher up to this point. I do feel that the researcher within is developing, so I definitely understand Edolla’s point regarding her self-perception as an “emergent researcher”. The Peshkin reading was especially helpful in terms of zeroing in on researcher bias. It’s still hard for me to unpack all the influences and experiences that shape my “I’s”. It’s even harder to accept that once I identify one “I” it’s more than likely that this bias is connected to another one.

Studying a group that I closely work with was challenging but really rewarding. I see the value of being part of the community that is studied. While I wasn’t surprised by some of the responses, and we have a long way to go in terms of coding data to uncover trends, it really helped me to see what pressures some of the boys and their parents face. I know the achievement gap exists. Reading a response from a parent describing three hours or more of homework as indicative that school is challenging, makes me wonder about the raw effect of being a student of color in an urban setting where one is attempting to achieve at a high level. I suppose I learned that the main difference for me about collecting qualitative data as opposed to quantitative data is about the story behind the numbers. The achievement gap is not a secret. These boys are their parents aren’t just aware of the gap, they’re living through it. I truly feel that Rebecca and I are working on something that is worthwhile and might help others one day. I want to keep exploring the truths about achievement for these boys and their parents. Ultimately it would be interesting to see if a quantitative piece could be added to what we’ve worked on.

Collaborating with Rebecca helped me to analyze my initial questions and framework in a very different way. I really don’t think this research would have gone in the same direction without her. She really helped me to refine and revise our questions about student perception of achievement through the articles we shared and read. We don’t really talk about the achievement gap at Boys’ Club, so using this critical analysis was enlightening.

I don’t feel like I utilized the blog as effectively as I should have, simply because I didn’t check it enough. I posted and then moved on, while making sure to respond to at least one blog member. I realize now that wasn’t really the purpose. I should have used the blog to track my reflections on our mini inquiry work and get feedback. The class wiki was a great reference and I relied on it very frequently at the beginning part of the semester. It was great to have an easily accessible reference available with one tap of my phone. Later one though, I definitely used Creswell more for specific references and descriptions.

I struggled with some of the practice assignments, most especially with the task of being a participant observer. I knew the difference between directly quoting and characterizing a response is in some ways the different between taking a photograph and drawing. While both require a point of view, using interpretation can lead one down a slippery slope. I’ve realized that it’s much better to use technology to assist with capturing raw truth. Perhaps this is why Rebecca and I are leaning toward a focus group or direct interviews when we follow up with the boys. With today’s technology, it’s so easy to record video and sound. So many things to think about!

Self-Reflection - R.L.Ramirez

I’ve learned a plethora of information during this course through the required readings, in-class discussions, as well as first hand through the mini-inquiry project. I’ve learned that there are a variety of methods for collecting data, five qualitative approaches, different ways for verifying data validity, as well as our moral obligations as ethical researchers. Prior to this course, my knowledge of conducting research was highly limited; however, upon its completion, I can proudly say that I’ve dabbled in conducting actual research through my collaborative efforts with Nickie while investigating boys’ perceptions surrounding academic achievement. Although I’m cognizant of the fact that I still have a lot to learn, I’m proud to say that 24 credits into the program, I “survived” the IRB process and know how to go about submitting research proposals. There is a learning curve and I’m here to learn and to continue growing as a student, future researcher, and person.

Working on the wiki page with my think thank as well as brainstorming and sharing ideas on the blog has helped me to build positive working relationship with my classmates. We’ve learned a great deal from each other regarding our research interests and had many opportunities to bounce ideas off of each other during our mini-inquiry project. Through our talks (both face-to-face and online), I was able to incorporate my classmates’ valuable opinions, observations, and experiences into my research interests. It’s imperative that I consult and collaborate with other budding researchers in order to gain more knowledge and appreciate differing perspectives on a given topic.

The readings this semester served as the foundation for our sessions. Dr. Turner based her lectures and in-class activities on readings assigned for that week. This, in turn, allowed me to apply what I learned from the texts to a real life situation. For example, the week that we were exposed to focus groups as a means for collecting, Dr. Turner simulated an actual focus group in-class with us. Her question was related to the usefulness of her course's required texts. She moderated the discussion without utilizing leading questions which might have influenced our responses. They was also careful not to provide her personal opinion. These strategies aided in obtaining uncontaminated responses which might be useful for a study.

The practice assignments, such as taking field notes during February break, helped me to assume the role of observer. It forced me to stop, take in my surroundings and report back to the class. This assignment allowed me to arrive at the realization that my biases will, often, play a role in my research. Nevertheless, I’ll be certain to incorporate the validation techniques learned during this semester.

I missed one face-to-face session due to my school’s parent-teacher conferences, but made it up during the optional session.

M.C. Walker Self Reflection

Throughout the Qualitative Inquiry in Education course, I have actually started to think of myself as a future researcher. Up to this point in the LLL program, I have thought of myself as a reader of articles, a writer and a student, but this is the first time I have seriously considered the type of research I am interested in doing in the future and how to actually accomplish that goal. I guess I could say that I have grown from a student into a budding researcher.

Throughout the course, I tried to contribute to my colleagues. Most of the time this dialogue happened during class time. I was able to contribute a few times through the blog, but I honestly had very few conversations on the blog. I would have liked to support my colleagues more online, but I did try to contribute during class time.

I found the majority of the reading during this course very helpful. At first, I was good at completing the majority of the assigned reading, but as I became involved in my mini-inquiry project, the reading I was doing for my project overshadowed the assigned class reading and at times I was an article behind in class. However, during this time, I was able to complete my practice assignments.

Because some of the information explored during the class was new to me, it was a challenge to explore the topics critically, but I definitely attempted to see the topics through a variety of lenses.

I am usually very comfortable sharing my ideas and opinions in class. I actually often try to monitor myself so as not to over share. I hope I struck a good balance between sharing my own ideas and listening to others in order to revise my personal views.

During the course, I completed the blog assignments and was an editor of one of the wikispace posts, but I could have done a better job supporting my colleagues online and perhaps reflected more on the blog.

I attended all "face" classes this semester! :)