Teaching Inquiry I Fundamentals of Teaching Through Inquiry

Teaching & Inquiry I: Fundamentals of Teaching Through Inquiry Todd Twyman 9/18(20)

Qualitative Research n Goal: to understand deeply n Intense and/or prolonged contact with life situation n Approach: Interpret as you go; keep questions open so you don’t miss new insights that lead to discovery, be open to emerging themes as you go.

Qualitative Data n In-depth view of the phenomena. n Must be situated in context. n Multiple data sources are important.

How will you make sure your data are reliable? What sort of training will observers/ scorers/ raters receive? n How will you determine if your observers/ scorers/ raters are performing reliably? n How will you check for how your own biases / life experiences might affect your results? n

Validity in Qualitative Studies Use multiple sources of data (triangulation) n Have analyses / interpretations checked by participants (member checking) n Have more than one person conduct analyses; check for common interpretations between those engaged in analysis n n Use ‘double blind’ techniques for all analyses

How will you gather your data? Extant data sources / document analysis n Survey with open-ended questions n Interview / focus groups n Observation n

Extant Data Sources / Document Analysis Read with an open mind. n Look for recurring themes as well as those that occur rarely. n Be creative in searching out appropriate documentation. n Student work. n School newsletters. n Minutes from School Board meetings. n

3 Sources of Data Dependent on Appropriate Questions n Open-Ended Survey Questions n Interviews n Focus Groups

Writing Good Questions Avoid questions that begin with the word “why”. n Avoid questions that can be answered with a “yes” or “no” response. n Avoid ‘tipping your hand’ through the wording of your questions -- try to remain neutral in how you ask them. (both semantically and through tone). n Avoid double-barreled questions n

Survey (open-ended questions) Ask questions that will prompt sufficiently detailed responses. n Focus on what is said, how it is said, and what is not said. n Consider following up especially intriguing responses with an interview. n

Writing Open-Ended Survey Questions Working with a partner, brainstorm some possible open-ended survey questions you could use to gather information about your topic. n Meet in groups of 4, discuss and critique each others’ questions. n What ‘rules of the road’ should folks keep in mind as they write such questions? n

Interviews Be prepared (recording device / paper with pencils; list of questions; on time). n Concentrate on helping the person you are interviewing feel at ease. n Ask open-ended questions that allow the person to provide you with rich insight. n Ask follow-up questions to probe more deeply into topics as they arise. n

Interviews Include information to establish context (setting, atmosphere, emotions -- if any). n Check to be sure you captured their meaning (member checking). n Consider what is not said as well as what is said, and how it is said. n Have your interview protocol ready in advance. n

If you’re going to be interviewing n Have you: n Practiced with your recording devices? n Thought out the types of follow-up questions you might want to ask? n Had someone check to be sure you are not ‘leading’ the people you are interviewing?

Example Interview (Todd) 1. Describe the ESL population at your school. How many? At what grade levels? New Comer/Developing/Transitional? Language backgrounds? Cultural/SES backgrounds? 2. Can you tell me about the goals for the ESL Program? Timeframe for transitioning? L 1 use? Family interaction?

Practice Interviewing n n Focus on drawing out your partner’s thoughts / feelings on what he/she observed outside. Remember to: n Use open-ended questions. n Use your best active listening techniques to encourage your partner to explore his/her thoughts deeply. n Go beyond the surface, using follow-up questions to get at your partner’s underlying beliefs of which he/she may not even be aware. Can you identify certain perspectives?

Practice Interviewing Step 1 n Write your Interview Protocol Step 2 n Interview Step 3 n Debrief

Debrief Interviewing Describe how it felt to be interviewed. Were things the person interviewing you did / could have done to make the interaction more positive? n Short discussion of interviewing experience. n

Focus Groups Make sure you have introduced participants. n Have a facilitator AND a note-taker. n Solicit opinions from all participants. n Ensure all participants are treated respectfully. n Consider your groupings carefully. n

Focus Groups Like interviews, have your focus group protocols ready to go ahead of time. n Provide participants with an abbreviated list of questions; retain the full protocol to guide you in case you get nervous or distracted. n Send ‘Thank You’ cards (more personal than email) to all participants. n

Observation vs Interpretation n Observation: Captures what you see, avoiding interpreting. n n I see a woman with grey hair walking slowly across the quad. Interpretation: Imbues what you see with additional meaning/judgments. n I see an old, tired woman limping across the quad.

Field Observation Take clear notes. n Include both observations of what you see AND reactions / reflections as you go. n Conduct “member checks” to be sure your interpretation makes sense. n Try to remain outside the situation; write down what you observe NOT what you interpret! n

Practicing Field Observations Observation: Go someplace with people where you can do a 15 minute observation. Try to be an ‘impartial observer’. n Take field notes (you’ll be sharing these). n Pay particular attention to the flow of human traffic. Who is there? How are they interacting? Try to capture the experience with rich description. n

Field Observation Time Observations Reflections What I saw What I think about this…