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What research methods should I use?

Shortly you will be getting posts from people attending today’s campus session. This will include links to the PowerPoint presentations from Rosemary and Paula. But I want to raise an early issue that seems important to me …

How do I decide what research methods I should use?

One of the principles of research is that the research method should follow the nature of the questions we ask. Let me suggest some practical examples:

Question: I am interested in the values held by dance teachers and how these influence the planning of a dance class?
What research method is implicated here?

In this example we need to consider where the insights and answers to the question reside. For example, do we think the answers lay mostly in the literature? Or with children learning dance? Or dance teachers themselves? Do we think the answers are not actually known by anyone and need to emerge following a development process?

So lets tackle these in turn and see what methods are implicated and why:

a.The answers lay mostly in the literature: Ok how likely is that? It doesn’t sound particularly convincing as a source of insights unless there is a lot written by dance teachers about their values? Perhaps we could do a brief literature search for this example?

b.Children learning dance may be able to provide some insights from their experiences of dance classes, but can they say much about teachers’ values? It doesn’t seem a likely source of knowledge and insight?

c.Perhaps dance teachers themselves can speak about their values? Yes, this seems a good option, as the teachers may be able to speak about their values that then inform how they plan dance classes. However, they may not be used to thinking in terms of their values, perhaps because these are accepted uncritically from their own teachers?

d.Perhaps, thinking about (c) above, that perhaps some ‘processes’ to help dance teachers explore their values might be helpful to draw out insights?

Ok, so what emerges from this is that perhaps we might interview teachers to draw out their views. This might reveal some real insights, but may also indicate gaps or superficial grasp as well as deep and effective values translating into curriculum. If you thought the development process also might help, then a focus group meeting of dance teachers might also help.

So in tacking this question:

‘I am interested in the values held by dance teachers and how these influence the planning of a dance class?’ we can suggest that two methods might draw out useful data and analysis: interviews and focus group informed by a literature review.

I hope that helps you to see how you might link the appropriate method to the type of question or issue you have.

‘Systemising' our thoughts

I believe a key aspect of effective learning is the ‘systemisation’ of information. I believe, well actually we know that our brains are exceptionally well adapted at noticing patterns. I think this means amongst other things that we can use the creation of patterns to enhance our learning. This can happen by forming information into a system. A system can be a list, or map, or diagram or an argument. The act of forming information into a system is to make it easier for the brain to make sense of it and draw it into memory.

OK this is all pretty obvious. But what then if we use it intentionally and playfully to try out different patterns?

Creating lists is to create a hierarchy. This means we intentionally place information into certain locations. These locations sit ‘above’ or are ‘higher’ order ideas than the information, and hence a hierarchy is created.

So try to organise, and reorganise information and ideas into patterns as this will help you to ‘make sense’ of even the most complex material.

An example of a hierarchy is Ciera’s Blog.

And how is this relevant? Well research is information that has been systemised by you the researcher ... so worth thinking about?