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The Qualitative Report An online journal dedicated to qualitative research since 1990 Volume 10 Number 2 June 2005 http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR10-2/index.html |
| Ronald J.
Chenail, Ph.D., Sally St. George, Ph.D., and Dan Wulff,
Ph.D., Editors ISSN 1052-0147 |
Implementation of an Action Research Course Program for
Science Teachers: A Case for Turkey (pp. 190-207)
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Mehmet Kucuk and Salih Cepni
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to introduce an AR approach to a group of science teachers during an in-service AR course program and learn its contributions to their professional development. Data were gathered through an AR project by working with a group of eight science teachers throughout a four-week period. In the content of the course, knowledge on educational research was given to teachers and then the participants were encouraged to conduct small-scale AR projects. During this process, it was found that project teachers willingly participated in all the meetings, embracing the views of doing research based on their own classroom environments, making these research results public, gaining reputation, and increasing the quality of their own practices. Key Words: Science Education, Action Research, Professional Development, and In-service Program
Preparing a Qualitative Research-Based Dissertation:
Lessons Learned (pp. 208-222)
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Glenn A. Bowen
Abstract: In this article, a newly minted Ph.D. shares seven lessons learned during the process of preparing a dissertation based on qualitative research methods. While most of the lessons may be applicable to any kind of research, the writer focuses on the special challenges of employing a qualitative methodology. The lessons are: (1) Read, read, read; (2) Consult the experts; (3) Adhere to university regulations; (4) Pay attention to rigor and trustworthiness; (5) Give details of the methodology; (6) Dont be afraid to include numerical data; and (7) Prepare to publish. Key Words: Confirmability, Credibility, Dependability, Grounded Theory, Inductive Analysis, Transferability, and Trustworthiness
Human Nature and Research Paradigms: Theory Meets
Physical Therapy Practice (pp. 223-245)
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Margaret M. Plack
Abstract: Human nature is a very complex phenomenon. In physical therapy this complexity is enhanced by the need to understand the intersection between the art and science of human behavior and patient care. A paradigm is a set of basic beliefs that represent a worldview, defines the nature of the world and the individuals place in it, and helps to determine criteria used to select and define research inquiry. A paradigm guides scientific inquiry, not only in the manner in which an investigation is performed, but also in how the investigator defines truth and reality and how the investigator comes to know truth or reality. A paradigm guides the types of research questions that will be posed, the methodological approach to the inquiry, and criteria for assessing the trustworthiness of the inquiry. Research plays an important role in enabling physical therapists to fully embrace the values of the profession, including evidence-based practice and client-centered care, in making informed clinical decisions. However, to do so, the research provided must include not only the views of the researchers, but also the lived experiences of the clients as well. This paper provides the reader with a solid foundation in the positivist/post-positivist, constructivist, and critical theorist research paradigms and how they apply in physical therapy practice. Research perspectives in physical therapy are explored, as are implications for future practice in physical therapy. Key Words: Qualitative Research, Post-Positivism, Constructivism, Critical Theory, Trustworthiness, and Physical Therapy Practice
Through the Lens of Postmodernism: Uniqueness of the
Anorectic Families (pp. 246-256)
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Zenobia C. Y. Chan and Joyce L. C. Ma
Abstract: This paper challenges the monolithic assumption of the anorectic families in Hong Kong by blindly adopting the western theoretical framework of family therapy. It is problematic that family therapy lacks indigenous culture-specific knowledge and ignores the voices of these multi-categories of families. It is inappropriate to conceptualize these families as being similar and to stereotype them as experiencing particular difficulties. In order to bridge the homogeneity and address the multiplicity of these families, the paper examines both the ideologies of postmodernism and the process of confession that can enrich the understanding of anorectic families and advance family practice. The paper ends by discussing both reservations and the significance of the postmodernist thought in family therapy. Key Words: Postmodernism, Confession, Families, Family Therapy, and Hong Kong
Maps and Meaning: Reading the Map of the Holy Land (pp.
257-275)
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Noga Collins-Kreiner
Abstract: The research methods of hermeneutics and semiotics were used to analyse maps of the Holy Land. The main conclusion of this study is how those methods could help us to read and understand maps. Other issues of concern are which religious elements actually appear and their form of representation in the range of maps. Narratives identified on the various maps were the holy Christian narrative- which proved the most dominant, the Jewish narrative and the Muslim narrative that was rarely found in the maps, even in those with a Palestinian narrative. A ubiquitous finding was disregarded for political issues, although the maps' messages allow the map-user to draw conclusions about ideology, images, and conflicts. Key Words: Hermeneutics, Semiotics, Narrative, Maps, and Holy Land
Research as Improvisation: Dancing among Perspectives
(pp. 276-288)
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Glenda-mae Greene and Shirley Freed
Abstract: This article captures the way research methods were intertwined with core identities to understand the success development of Caribbean-Canadian women. It highlights the importance of researchers experimenting with a blend of perspectives to fit their problem as well as their identity. Viewing the research process through the eyes of the researcher and her dissertation chair, issues of validity and collaboration emerge. Ultimately both authors listen to family voices as they dance among research perspectives. Key Words: Research Perspectives, Research Identities, and Collaboration
Transformation of Rural Teachers Earning Graduate Degrees
(pp. 289-327)
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Susan A. Santo
Abstract: This study tells the stories of four successful graduate students within a cohort of learners who were earning graduate degrees in technology for education and training by distance. The students were practicing teachers in the Dakota Interactive Academic Link (DIAL) consortium. Courses were offered by the University of South Dakota, using videoconferencing through the statewide Digital Distance Network (DDN) and WebCT asynchronous discussions. Mezirows 1991 theory of transformative learning suggests that adult learners may experience a transformational experience. Results showed that the four study participants experienced major changes in their way of thinking about learning and themselves. Conducting longitudinal studies in which adults are interviewed throughout their graduate school experience is recommended. Key Words: Transformative Learning, Distance Education, Adult Learners, Rural Environments, Cohorts, and Educational Technology
An Evening of Grounded Theory: Teaching Process through
Demonstration and Simulation (pp. 328-338)
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Frances Huehls
Abstract: Grounded theory can be effectively introduced in a survey course through a combination of lecture/demonstration and simulation. The class session presented here illustrates a way to introduce graduate students to the process of grounded theory and gain hands-on experience through simulation. The lesson utilizes concepts that the students are familiar with, allowing them to focus on the research process, and encourages internalization of concepts through immediate application. Key Words: Constant Comparative Method, Grounded Theory, Philanthropy, Qualitative Inquiry, and Simulation
Using Hermeneutics as a Qualitative Research Approach in
Professional Practice (pp. 339-357)
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Margo Paterson and Joy Higgs
Abstract: This paper is targeted primarily at doctoral students and others considering hermeneutics as a research strategy. Research using hermeneutics was carried out with occupational therapy educators and clinicians in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the UK. A total of 53 participants engaged in focus groups and individual interviews over a one-year. The paper explores hermeneutics as a credible, rigorous and creative strategy to address aspects of professional practice that similarly need to be flexible, adaptable to particular needs, and justifiable in the contexts of evidence-based as well as client-centred practice. The hermeneutic study produced A Model of Professional Practice Judgment Artistry (Paterson, 2003) which is briefly described and the connections. Key Words: Hermeneutic Approach, Health Sciences, Occupational Therapy Research, Judgment, and Artistry in Professional Practice
Systematic Metaphor Analysis as a Method of Qualitative
Research (pp. 358-394)
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Rudolf Schmitt
Abstract: George Lakoff and Mark Johnsons theory of metaphor (1980, 1999) provides a basis for describing everyday cognitive structures using linguistic models and thus, making it possible to uncover both individual and collective patterns of thought and action. Lakoff and Johnson have not, however, developed a workable system for carrying out qualitative research. This paper outlines the fundamentals of this approach and proposes a procedure for the reconstruction of metaphorical concepts. As is normally the case in qualitative research, such guidelines can only ever represent the interplay between the ability of the researcher to understand the sense of things and the rules of the methodology. An overview of the typical interpretations that a metaphor analysis allows is also given. Key Words: Metaphor Analysis, Subjectivity, Hermeneutics, and Qualitative Research
