6a/b - Review of Reader 6 and Inquiry Plan

This stage seems to have come around very quickly.  The time between considering lines of inquiry to actually conducting the research has been very short, but full of learning.  As Reader 6 states, this stage of the inquiry involves me capturing evidence from [my] workplace using social science research tools [and] methods.  After reading and reflecting on Reader 6 I have began to consider the tools that would be most beneficial for me to employ in my research to ensure I am using real-life experiences and phenomena in a systematic and ethical manner.  The following are my initial thoughts on how my inquiry should be designed and structure.  I am expecting these thoughts to change and develop but wanted to blog my initial thoughts along with the reasonings for them.

I have looked into the four main research methods; Observation, Surveys, Interviews and Focus Groups, and I am beginning to think that I will use Observation and Surveys as my main source of data/information, though I may also include Interviews and Focus Groups throughout the inquiry depending on the quality and specificity of the data/information gathered through my first two research method choices.

The main reason that I have chosen these two research methods is to ensure the validity of the information gathered.  Baxter states that it is important to consider whether your methods, approaches and techniques actually relate to, or measure, the issues you have been exploring.  The reason that I have chosen to include Observation in the design of my inquiry is because I have already began to observe the students, importantly their progress, since September, before I knew why I would be observing them.  The fact that I will using the data gathered through these observations, which have been taking place since before I understood the specifics of what I am looking for, means the data should be true to form and accurate, not manipulated to either fit of disrupt the line of inquiry, either consciously or unconsciously.  Though my observations will now follow a specific focus, I believe that this continuing of practice will work to secure validity in my data/information collected through subsequent observations of students and colleagues.  There are three main parts to observations: watching, recording and analysing events of interest.  Due to the nature of my inquiry involving me working as the teacher, or when not teaching, still being a 'member of teaching staff' I will continue to record my findings following the research, as recording throughout the observation may disrupt the process.  The most important features of using observation as an inquiry tool, as stated in Reader 6, are that I will need to ensure that [I am] able to respond sensitively and appropriately to issues of ethics, permission and confidentiality.  As stated previously, I will also be using Surveys to gather the data/information for my inquiry.  The reason that I have chosen to use surveys is that they can be completed anonymously and should therefore hold more validity, which again has been planned around Baxter's thoughts on the design of an inquiry.  A lot of my current line of inquiry focuses on and works around the opinions of different people.  Surveys are [...] associated with the idea of asking groups of people questions about [...] or what they ‘think’.  Using surveys will allow me to gather opinions and points of view from a wide range of respondents, respondents that I can select carefully to ensure the people answering the questions are the people I want to be asking.  I am currently considering using an attitudinal scale, popularised by Likert, with the main reason being that it allows for a greater range of responses [as apposed to] yes or no.  In Reader 6, Black describes an attitudinal scale as a method that allows attitudes to be ascertained by presenting a list of declarative statements and asking respondents to rate them in terms of agreement or disagreement.  Along side the attitudinal scale, I will also seek explanation by including the ability for my respondents to put their reasonings and thoughts alongside their answers.  

I am planning on performing a pilot inquiry to check that my initial design will work in the ways that I am expecting it to.  The pilot will run in the same way that I am planning to run the inquiry to ensure that it is a valid test.

As stated above, these are my initial thoughts as to how my inquiry should be structured and designed.  I still have a lot more thinking, reflecting and developing to do in relation to the structure and design.  I need to consider how I can use Interviews and Focus Groups to extend my data/information and understanding in relation to my inquiry.