Expert Interview in research on effectiveness of the educational system.

Author(s):

Łukasz Skryplonek(presenting / submitting)

Conference:

ECER 2011

Network:

21. Emerging Researchers' Group (for presentation at Emerging Researchers' Conference)

Format:

Paper

Session Information

ERG SES H 03, Parallel Session H 03

Paper Session

Time:

2011-09-13

14:00-15:30

Room:

J 30/109,G, 27

Chair:

Meinert Arnd Meyer

Contribution

Since 1999 Polish educational system is in the state of constant reform. Although the political and economical conditions changed significantly, since Poland have become a member of the European Union in 2001, the qualitative and structural changes are taking place in every dimension of the system.

The evaluation of the reform is performed by cooperation of the Ministry representatives with the headmasters of the schools and other institutions operating within the educational system. However, the opinions on the effectiveness of the reform and the educational system itself may differ from the point of view of the educators - practitioners, who achieved the highest degree in teachers career, but do not work as a managers of the institutions, more like a mentors to the less experienced collegues. Educators who, for the need of this research, I call the experts.

The goal of this research is to reconstruct the technical, process and interpretative knowledge of the experts in the context of the effectiveness of the certain part of the educational system.

One of the effects of the educational reform is creating a new type of institution for youth with emotional and learning difficulties called “mlodziezowe osrodki socjoterapii” - youth sociotherapy center. The youth sociotherapy centers are govern by local government under supervision from The Ministry of Education. Since its creation, the youth sociotherapy centers functioning has never been evaluated, although, as in whole polish educational system, also in this branch, there has been some legal and structural changes introduced within the last years.

Recently, there are many raports of extreme collective violent scenes, including collective rapes and other types of sexual harassment as well as drug and alcohol abuse. Media and public opinion place the responsibility for this actions mainly on “degenerate youth”. More scientific analysis also indicate the incompetence of the staff and the imperfections of the system. However, there is no coherent and holistic evaluation of the effectiveness of functioning of the youth sociotherapy centers.

Single study cannot give a holistic analysis of the system, but the research conducted with experienced educators – the experts, can indicate the imperfections of the system from the practicioners point of view.

The study is conducted in the interpretative paradigm. The method of the study is theory generating expert interview.

Method

The method of the study is theory generating expert interview. The essence of the theory-generating interview is that its goal is the communicative opening up and analytic reconstruction of the subjective dimension of expert knowledge (Bogner, Menz, 2009). The theory generating expert interview is conducted similarly to semi-structured interview, but there are specific demands on the status and knowledge of the interviewer and interviewee. In addition, the collected data is categorized and analysed with the usage of methodology of grounded theory. The interviewee is percieved as an expert because he or she posess technical, proces and interpretative knowledge gained during years of practice and training within the particular field that the researcher is interested in. To perform the expert interview, the interviewer has to be an expert or quasi-expert in the field of research. He or she has to understand the specific context and language that the interviewee may use during the interview. According to the above mentioned guidelines, I can call myself quasi expert due to my work experience as educator and therapist in the youth sociotherapy center in Szczecin. The research is conducted in two sociotherapy centers in Szczecin with ten educators (five women and five men).

Expected Outcomes

The expected outcome of the research is constructing the theory based on unique knowledge and experience of the interviewees – experts. Hopefully the analysis of the theory will indicate the dificulties and imperfections of functioning of youth sociotherapy centers that may reveal disfunctions of this particular part of Polish educational system. However, on this part of research it is impossible to predict the final outcome, because the data is still being collected.

References

- Bogner A., Littig B., Menz W, (2009), red.: Expert Interviews – An Introduction to a New Methodological Debate, Londyn 2009, Palgrave Macmillan, Interviewing Experts, Palgrave Macmillan, Londyn. - Buhrmann A.D.: Alexander Bogner, Beate Littig & Wolfgang Menz (Hrsg.) (2002). Das Experteninterview. Theorie, Methode, Anwendung. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, „Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung” 2004, nr 3 Vol. 5, - Burrell G.., Morgan G. (1979).: Sociological paradigms, Heinemann Educational Books, Londyn. - Chase, S. E.(2009). Wywiad narracyjny. Wielość perspektyw, podejść, głosów. W: Metody badań jakościowych T. 2. Red. Denzin, N.K., Lincoln, Y. S. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN. - Denzin, N.K., Lincoln, Y. S. red., (2009). Metody badań jakościowych. T. 1 i 2.Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN. - Forsterling F, (2005).: Atrybucje. Podstawowe teorie, badania i zastosowanie, Gdańskie Wydawnictwo Psychologiczne, Gdańsk. - Giddens A.: Nowoczesność i tożsamość, , PWN, Warszawa 2007. - Habermas J.: Teoria i praktyka, Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, Warszawa 1983. - Harkins L., Beech A., (2007), Measurement of effectiveness of sex offender treatment, Aggresion and Violent Behavior, nr 12. - Hoffman R. R.: The Problem of Extracting the Knowledge of Experts from the Perspective of Experimental Psychology, “AI Magazine” 1987, r 2. - Kilgore, D., Meade, S. (2004). „Look What Boot Camp's Done for Me:”Teaching and Learning at Lakeview Academy. „Journal of Correctional Education”. 55 (2). s.170-185. - Konecki, K. (2000). Studia z metodologii badań jakościowych. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN. • Pospiszyl, K. (1998). Resocjalizacja. Teoretyczne podstawy oraz przykłady programów oddziaływań. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Akademickie „Żak”. • Pospiszyl, K. (red.), (1990). Resocjalizacja nieletnich. Doświadczenia i koncepcje. Warszawa: Wydawnictwa Szkolne i Pedagogiczne. • Pytka, L. (2008). Pedagogika resocjalizacyjna. Wybrane zagadnienia teoretyczne, diagnostyczne i metodyczne. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Akademii Pedagogiki Specjalnej. • Shutz A.: The Well-Informed Citizen. An Essay on The Social Distribution of Knowledge, „Studies in Social Research”, 1976, nr 2. • Silverman, D. (2009 a). Interpretacja danych jakościowych. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.

Author Information

Łukasz Skryplonek (presenting / submitting)

Uniwersytet Szczeniński

Humanistic Departament

Nowogard

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