Undergraduate education majors engage in qualitative inquiry: Professor and students describe the teaching and learning of research analysis to inform novice teacher practices
Location
Session 3 (Room 1302)
Session Format
Oral Presentation
Your Campus
Statesboro Campus- Henderson Library, April 20th
Academic Unit
Department of Curriculum, Foundations, and Reading
Research Area Topic:
Education & Learning - Teaching, Learning & Human Development
Abstract
This timely research describes a framework for teaching undergraduate students how to think qualitatively and become more critical and reflexive educators and researchers. The increasing prominence of qualitative inquiry in educational research has been accompanied by reflection on teaching and learning practices within graduate courses. To date, there is limited empirical articles describing teaching qualitative research approaches to students in undergraduate programs. The present study draws on the experience of one GSU professor and current undergraduate education majors, who will discuss the benefits qualitative inquiry and describe their use of thematic analysis from previously collected interviews with in-service teachers.
The professor will include the practical pedagogical implications for teaching qualitative research, including introducing qualitative research in bite-sized chunks and initiating students to qualitative inquiry through foundational methods. The students will describe exploring the complexities of coding transcripts and crafting themes to answer an identified research question. The research team argues for a holistic model of preparing novice teachers with tools to engage in meaningful research to inform their teaching practice. Despite its usefulness in informing educational practice, teaching qualitative research methods is undervalued and under-utilized in many undergraduate programs. We call for further research to build a profile of evidence-based pedagogical practice for teaching qualitative research, while also acknowledging the need to embrace changing our current programs to better prepare teachers for the field. Qualitative inquiry provides a means of understanding the contextual experiences of teachers and the complex social, cultural, and political issues that influence teachers’ professional practice. Exposing undergraduate students early and often to qualitative research with teachers could provide insight into learning how to navigate tensions within the field as well as increase research skills for professional development.
Program Description
This timely research describes a framework for teaching undergraduate students how to think qualitatively and become more critical and reflexive educators and researchers.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Presentation Type and Release Option
Presentation (Open Access)
Start Date
4-20-2022 2:15 PM
End Date
4-20-2022 3:15 PM
Recommended Citation
Smith, Karalyn and Williams-Johnson, Meca, "Undergraduate education majors engage in qualitative inquiry: Professor and students describe the teaching and learning of research analysis to inform novice teacher practices" (2022). GS4 Georgia Southern Student Scholars Symposium. 48.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/research_symposium/2022/2022/48
Undergraduate education majors engage in qualitative inquiry: Professor and students describe the teaching and learning of research analysis to inform novice teacher practices
Session 3 (Room 1302)
This timely research describes a framework for teaching undergraduate students how to think qualitatively and become more critical and reflexive educators and researchers. The increasing prominence of qualitative inquiry in educational research has been accompanied by reflection on teaching and learning practices within graduate courses. To date, there is limited empirical articles describing teaching qualitative research approaches to students in undergraduate programs. The present study draws on the experience of one GSU professor and current undergraduate education majors, who will discuss the benefits qualitative inquiry and describe their use of thematic analysis from previously collected interviews with in-service teachers.
The professor will include the practical pedagogical implications for teaching qualitative research, including introducing qualitative research in bite-sized chunks and initiating students to qualitative inquiry through foundational methods. The students will describe exploring the complexities of coding transcripts and crafting themes to answer an identified research question. The research team argues for a holistic model of preparing novice teachers with tools to engage in meaningful research to inform their teaching practice. Despite its usefulness in informing educational practice, teaching qualitative research methods is undervalued and under-utilized in many undergraduate programs. We call for further research to build a profile of evidence-based pedagogical practice for teaching qualitative research, while also acknowledging the need to embrace changing our current programs to better prepare teachers for the field. Qualitative inquiry provides a means of understanding the contextual experiences of teachers and the complex social, cultural, and political issues that influence teachers’ professional practice. Exposing undergraduate students early and often to qualitative research with teachers could provide insight into learning how to navigate tensions within the field as well as increase research skills for professional development.
