Barriers to Reading and Interpreting Research

Author(s):

Knipe Sally(presenting / submitting)Botrell Christine(presenting)

Conference:

ECER 2013

Network:

22. Research in Higher Education

Format:

Research Workshop

Session Information

22 SES 13 D, Barriers to Reading and Interpreting Research

Research Workshop

Time:

2013-09-13

11:00-12:30

Room:

STD-402

Chair:

Leanne Crosswell

Contribution

The purpose of this ex-post facto research study was to provide a framework for pre-service teacher education students to critically interpret existing research. Research that uses data that exists already, in order to investigate a research problem, is ex-post facto in nature (Wiersma and Jurs, 2005). The term ‘ex-post facto research’ or ‘ex-post facto method’ mostly refers to causal-comparative research design, whereby a researcher searches through data in order to gather information concerning the possible causes for some elected situation.

Decades of teaching into postgraduate education programs together with the supervision of higher degrees students has enabled the authors to identify issues in Australia around the emphasis on reading and understanding reseach literacture, critical interpretation of concepts and categories in teacher education.

There is considerable literature available, such as Babbie (2007), Best & Kahn (2006), Gay, Mills & Airasian (2006) Walter (2006), Punch ( 2003), regarding the process of ‘how to undertake educational research’. However, much of the literature focuses on the reasoning, principles and methodology in the conduct of research, rather than providing structure on identifying sound research or how to write, critically review, read and analyse research papers. Barriers exist for teacher educator/researchers to be able to devise and conduct rigorous and useful education research when there is not a shared understanding of categories such as research method, data gathering, and data analysis.

One source of data that allows researchers to examine these barriers to educational research are journal articles. This presentation examines the development of a Journal Article Research Analysis (JARA) schedule, designed to assist undergraduate and postgraduate students to develop a foundation in educational research.

Method

The development of the schedule took place over two distinct phases beginning in 2009. The process was an organic one, involving the authors in the initial phase and then purposefully selected academic staff in the second phase. Phase one involved three stages where a Journal Article research schedule was developed and then trialled a number of times with four researchers. At each stage the researchers analysed randomly sampled articles using an agreed set of categories. At each stage modifications were made to the schedule and then re-trialled using another six randomly selected articles. The second phase involved the same process with an independent group of academics purposefully sampled from an Education Faculty at an Australian university. Expression of interest was circulated to academic staff, doctoral or post doctoral candidates. Seven members of staff attended the information session and five academic staff participated in the process. From the final trial a suitable level inter rater reliability was achieved for the JARA schedule to be used on a wider scale.

Expected Outcomes

Initially the JARA was devised as a research tool for those in teacher education courses. The methodology identified a disconnect in interpretation of key research terminology. One of the unexpected outcomes of the trials has been the diverse interpretation of the types of RESEARCH METHOD by teacher education academics. Considering the introduction of and emphasis on research methods in undergraduate education courses, identifying creative ways of addressing the barriers to understanding is important.

References

Babbie, E. (2007) The Practice of Social Research (11ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomas Wadsworth. Best, J. & Kahn, J (2006) Research in Education (10ed.). Boston, Pearson Education. Gay, L., Mills, G., & Airasian (2006) Educational Research. Competencies for Analysis and applications. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, Pearson Prentice Hall. Punch, K (2003) Introduction to Social Research, Quantitative & Qualitative Approaches. Thousand Oaks, California, Sage Publications. Walter, M (2006) Social Research Methods; an Australian Perspective. South Melbourne, Victoria, Oxford University Press. Wiersma W, Jurs S. (2005). Research methods in education: an introduction (8th ed.). Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.

Author Information

Knipe Sally (presenting / submitting)

Charles Sturt University, Australia

Botrell Christine (presenting)