Improving Research Practices through User Insights of Qualitative and Mixed Methods Data Analysis Technology

This study examined current social science qualitative and mixed methods research practices in the adoption and use of data management and analysis technology with three questions: 1) who uses technology for qualitative and mixed methods data analysis? 2) what can be learned by knowing who these researchers are? and, 3) how might current perceptions inform improvements in future research practices? A mixed methods design encompassed a two-stage process for data gathering. A select group of international experts in the use of technology were recruited. Feedback from the experts informed the refinement of a survey instrument which was distributed to participants representing 29 countries (n=355). Results from the study identified a critical need for the combination of greater technological and methodological support from universities. Such support and advanced research training can enhance our understandings that technological confidence should not be confused with methodological competence. This call for improved methodological training in the appropriate use of digital tools in turn will benefit educational research quality and the teaching of higher education research

Evaluation of blended learning: analysis of qualitative data

When we implement changes in learning, such as blended learning, we wish to judge the impact of the reform. Evaluation is a process by which we make judgments about the worth of an educational development. The difference in learning is subtle and deep and may be unexpected by those implementing the changes. Ways to explore these deep processes in learning include interviews, observations and open-ended questionnaires targeting all concerned in the process such as students, teaching, administration and technical staff. This generates a mass of qualitative data that many are unaccustomed to analysing. This paper will discuss the process of evaluation; give an example of evaluation and show how to analyse qualitative data. We will discuss the use of the software tool NVivo to assist with the analysis. Papers that use results of qualitative analysis of student learning in mathematics and statistics include Petocz and Reid, (2001); Petocz and Reid, (2003); Reid, Petocz, Smith, Wood and Dortins (2003). These papers show that students in classes have qualitatively different ways of experiencing mathematics and statistics and that this affects their learning. Kaczynski and Kelly, (2004) describe a course that incorporates qualitative methodologies and analysis

Don't Blame the Software: Using Qualitative Data Analysis Software Successfully in Doctoral Research

In this article, we explore the learning experiences of doctoral candidates as they use qualitative data analysis software (QDAS). Of particular interest is the process of adopting technology during the development of research methodology. Using an action research approach, data was gathered over five years from advanced doctoral research candidates and supervisors. The technology acceptance model (TAM) was then applied as a theoretical analytic lens for better understanding how students interact with new technology. Findings relate to two significant barriers which doctoral students confront: 1. aligning perceptions of ease of use and usefulness is essential in overcoming resistance to technological change; 2. transparency into the research process through technology promotes insights into methodological challenges. Transitioning through both barriers requires a competent foundation in qualitative research. The study acknowledges the importance of higher degree research, curriculum reform and doctoral supervision in post-graduate research training together with their interconnected relationships in support of high-quality inquiry. URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs160311

University students in USA and Australia : anticipation and reflection on the transition to work

This article discusses two different views of the transition to the professional workplace from university, one based in the United States and the other in Australia. The US case examines upper ] division undergraduate and postgraduate student perceptions related to their participation in a community ] based internship program; the other case in Australia involves employed mathematics graduates reflecting on their work experience and their degree course. Of particular interest in this study is the examination of how university students perceive the relationship of their academic studies with work experience and professional placement.16 page(s

Using radar charts with qualitative evaluation : techniques to assess change in blended learning

When university academics implement changes in learning, such as introducing blended learning, it is conventional practice to examine and evaluate the impact of the resulting curriculum reform. Judging the worth and impact of an educational development is a complex task involving subtle differences in learning. Qualitative methods to explore these deep processes in learning include using interviews, observations and open-ended questionnaires targeting all stakeholders in the process, such as students, teachers, administration and technical staff. These evaluation tasks generate a mass of raw data that many faculty members in higher education are unaccustomed to analyzing. This article provides a framework using radar charts adapted from the field of organizational development. A modified six-zone radar chart was used to assess the extent of blended learning in order to compare changes in the learning environment. Data collection included interviews, classroom observations and electronic records generated during educational delivery over a 1-year period of time. A purposeful sample of online course data was collected by three participating universities in South Africa, Australia, and the United States.19 page(s

The Importance of liminal space for doctoral success : exploring methodological threshold concepts

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Developing culturally competent teachers: An international student teaching field experience

This study offers a theoretical construct for better understanding how experiential learning enables student teachers to acquire social and cultural variation skills, develop cultural empathy in the K-12 classroom, and the transference of these skills to new educational situations. An Australian and United States research team used a phenomenological approach to explore the connections between the skills student teachers acquire and the application of these newly developed skills to professional practices. Participants were a group of United States pre-teachers who enrolled in a 5 week teaching experience in Australia. Findings show that participation in cultural based events is part of a complex decision making process. The variety of cultures that now exist in schools requires new teachers to obtain and apply a skillset that promotes manoeuvrability through, and an understanding of the many definitions of culture. A better understanding of this process may strengthen curricula and improvements in teacher education program delivery and further enhance higher education study-abroad international partnerships