Plan for Today Tool Orientation Administrata Readings Cheque Discussions Epistemology, Methodology &...
Transcript of Plan for Today Tool Orientation Administrata Readings Cheque Discussions Epistemology, Methodology &...
Plan for Today
Tool Orientation
AdministrataReadings ChequeDiscussions
Epistemology, Methodology & Methods
Individual Team Consultations
Tool Orientation
AdministrataReadings Cheque
Discussionshttps://wiki.sfu.ca/summer08/educ894d100/
index.php/Example_Discussion_of_Reading_Questions
Example Discussion of Reading Questions
1. What are the tradeoffs in working in the different traditions?
One of the downsides of working in the objectivist / positivist / quantitative tradition (the one I'm more familiar with!) is that it limits the types of things you can look at to just what can be controlled and measured. There's lots of things, both in the social sciences and the "hard" sciences, that simply can't be examined quantitatively because they resist control or have too many interacting variables. XXX 15:58, 10 May 2008 (PDT)
One weakness of contructivist/qualitative tradition, in my perspective, is the analysis of the qualitative research data is more easily influenced by the researchers' personal bias and epistemological beliefs. Another problem is that data collected in the qualitative research is difficult to be analyzed and quantitatively predicted. It might also be possible the research outcomes are not generalized enough to be applied to a larger group of population than the groups in the research. YYY 16:18, 11 May 2008 (PDT)
Epistemology, Methodology & Methods
Epistemology Personified
Image Sources: http://www.synthstuff.com/mt/archives/bertrand-miner.jpg ; http://www.hmoon.com/garments/cloaks/traveler1-detail.jpg; http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42854000/jpg/_42854125_activist_afp416.jpg
Objectivism SubjectivismConstructionis
m
The Miner The Traveler The Activist
Meaning exists in the world Meaning comes from our interactions with the world
We impose meaning on the world
Contrasting the ApproachesObjectivism Construct-
ionsimSubjectivism
Goal: Explanation Exploration Empowerment
Looking for: Truth Understanding Progress
Subjectivity:
Error Embrace Multiple Perspectives
Specific Perspective
Look at: States (static) , Pieces
Processes (active), Whole
Processes (active), Whole
Design is: Pre-planned Emergent Emergent
Logic: Causal, “hard” Constraining Factors, “Soft”
Constraining Factors, “Soft”
Extrapolation:
Generalization (given representative sampling)
Lessons learned, “petite generalizations”
Lessons learned, “petite generalizations”
Kinds of Questions
“Does…”“What…”
“How…” “How…”
Tradition Assumptions & Implications
Objectivism Constructionism Subjectivism
Assumptions
Looking for truthSubjectivity = errorLook at the piecesDesign is pre-plannedHard logicWant generalization
Looking for understandingEmbrace multi perspectivesLook at the wholeDesign is emergent“Soft” logicLessons learned / petite generalizations
Looking for progressOften has a specific persp.Look at the wholeDesign is emergent“Soft” logicLessons learned / petite generalizations
Implications
Tradition TradeoffsObjectivism Constructionism Subjectivism
Advantages
Limitations
How Epistemology Drives the Research Process
Epistemology
Epistemology
Research Approach
Topic / ProblemTopic /
Problem
Methodology
Methodology
Data Collection
Knowledge Claims
Knowledge Claims
Data Analysis
Research Questions
using the logic of
answer
Examples of Approaches in Each Epistemology
ObjectivismPostivismPost-positivism
Experiment Correlational Studies Survey Research
ConstructionismPhenomenolo
gy HermenueticsEthnographyGrounded
TheoryCase Study
SubjectivismPost-modernist Structuralist Post-structuralist Critical Inquiry
Constructionist Ethnography
Objectivist Ethnography
Objectivist Ethnography
Of Course It’s Not Really that Simple…
Objectivism
Subjectivism
Constructionism
Experiment
Phenomenology
Survey Research
Case Study
Ethnography
Feminist Research
Critical Inquiry
Questionnaires
Documents
Observation
Interviews
Theme Analysis
Thick Description
Inferential Statistics
Descriptive Statistics