ED 507 Qualitative Research Methods
Spring 2011
Wednesdays, 4:50 - 7:30 PM
Dewey 2-110E

Instructors:

Joanne Larson Dewey 1-160E 275-0900 joanne.larson@rochester.edu Office hours by appointment

Burke Scarbrough Rush Rhees 310 burke.scarbrough@warner.rochester.edu  Office hours by appointment

Course Objective:
This required doctoral research methods course will introduce PhD and EdD students to qualitative research in education. The course will offer students an opportunity to explore the theoretical and philosophical foundations of qualitative inquiry while applying these principles in a research project.

Warner’s Diversity and Inclusion Goals and Values:
The Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development is dedicated to fostering a learning community that represents and builds on a rich diversity of human experiences, backgrounds, cultures, histories, ideas, and ways of living. Consistent with our dedication to education, leadership, counseling, and human development that can transform lives and make the world more just and humane, we recruit, support, and learn with and from students, staff, and faculty from the broadest spectrum of human diversity. Likewise, we seek the same through our interactions with the broader local and global community (http://www.rochester.edu/warner/warnerataglance/diversity.html). See http://www.rochester.edu/diversity/philosophy.html for the University of Rochester’s statements about diversity.

Classroom Environment:
We share, as a classroom community, the task of negotiating the dual priorities of authentic free speech and active regard for all others. Given the important work of leading social change, we need to have discussions in a safe, supportive, and anti-oppressive environment. In this course, an anti-oppressive environment means that we work against language, actions, interactions and ideologies that hurt people.  It is important that we listen to each other about how our words and actions are affecting one another and that we talk about any class moment in which something may feel hurtful. Therefore, hate speech of any kind will not be permitted. This includes use of racial, sexual, gender, or abled slurs and personal attacks on others’ ideas. We will negotiate other guidelines about classroom discussions throughout the course.

Course Requirements:

1. Research Project (60% of grade): This course will require you to observe four times in a field site and, during one of those observations, to interview at least one local participant. This is an informal observational study for purposes of experiencing the methods of qualitative research only. Sample locations may include tattoo parlors, beauty parlors, wineries, firehouses, sports teams, etc. We do NOT recommend using this project for dissertation studies. Exceptions must be discussed with course professors.

1.1 Site selection prospectus (10%): The site selection prospectus will include a description of the selected site and a rationale for your selection.
1.2 Field note and interview data (20%): Students will observe at their selected site four times for at least one hour per visit and transcribe those field notes. At least one interview must be conducted during one of those visits, audio recorded, and transcribed (one set of field notes will be from this interview).
1.3 Class presentation and final qualitative research papers (30%): The final paper will consist of a report of the research project that includes: a clear statement of the question being investigated, the theoretical context in which the question and methodology are grounded (e.g., rationale for qualitative research and an analytic framework), a description of the context for the project and the methods used, a discussion of what the investigation found, and possible implications of those findings. Presentation of the project to the class will round out this part of the assignment.
Students will be divided into working groups of 3-4 students. Group pages will be set up on Blackboard to facilitate group communications and file exchanges. Four class sessions (coordinated with due dates for fieldnote/interview data) will be devoted to working on research projects in your working groups. Beginning with the second due date, students (one each time; order decided by group) will submit fieldnote/interview data to the group page in advance of the class session. Group members will read over the data prior to class and come prepared to discuss the data during class.

2. Research Journal (30% of grade): Using the blog function on Blackboard, each student will be required to post one entry (2 points each) and respond to one other student’s posting (1 point each) each week for ten weeks. Posts should reflect your understanding of the readings, your developing understanding of qualitative research, and reflections on your research project. Later in the semester, you should use the entries as a space to write “analytic memos” where you reflect on emerging ideas from your data analysis. Each entry should be no less than 500 words.

 

3. Class Participation (10% of grade): This course is designed as a seminar with both a theoretical and practical component. Class periods will be spent discussing readings as a group and working on projects in small groups. The success of the course will depend upon the quality of your preparation for and participation in these discussions. It is therefore expected that you attend every class and speak to us in advance about any circumstances requiring you to miss a class; absences will affect your grade for the course.

NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED

Required Texts:
Emerson, R., Fretz, R., & Shaw, L. (1995). Writing ethnographic fieldnotes. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Freebody, P. (2004). Qualitative research in education: Interaction and practice. London: Sage.
Saldaña, J. (2010). The coding manual for qualitative researchers. London: Sage.

Additional readings are posted on Blackboard.

Grading:
Research Project:                                             60 points
(Site Selection Prospectus:                               10 points*)
(Field note and Interview Data:                         20 points*)
(Final Paper:                                                    30 points)

Research Journal:                                         30 points

Class Participation:                                           10 points
Total:                                                               100 points

* These assignments do not receive letter grades.

Class Schedule:
(1) January 12
Overview of the Course

(2) January 19
Introducing Qualitative Research
Site selection prospectus draft due; final due Friday January 21 by 5pm
Readings:
Freebody, P. (2004). Qualitative research in education: Interaction and practice, pp. 1-33. London: Sage.
Goldenberg, S. (1992). Thinking methodologically, pp. 321-346. New York: Harper Collins.
Sprague, J. (2010). Seeing through science: Epistemologies. In W. Luttrell (Ed.). Qualitative educational research: Readings in reflexive methodology and transformative practice, pp. 8-94. New York: Routledge.

(3) January 26
Introduction to Fieldwork
Readings:
Emerson, R., Fretz, R., & Shaw, L. (1995). Writing ethnographic fieldnotes, pp. 1-107. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Geertz, C. (1973). Thick description: Toward an interpretive theory of culture. In The interpretation of cultures, pp. 3-30. New York: Basic Books.
Goffman, E. (1989). On fieldwork. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 18, 123-132.

(4) February 2
Qualitative Study Design
First impression field notes due
Film: Farmingville and guest speaker Kerri O’Shea
Readings:
Freebody, P. (2004). Qualitative research in education: Interaction and practice, pp. 34-73. London: Sage.
Nespor, J. (nd). Designing qualitative research proposals
Maxwell, J. A. (1998).  Designing a qualitative study.  In L. Bickman & D.J. Rog (Eds.), Handbook of applied social research methods, pp. 69-100. London: Sage.
Saldaña, J. (2010). The coding manual for qualitative researchers, pp. 1-31. London: Sage.

(5) February 9
Foundations in Data Collection
Readings:
Freebody, P. (2004). Qualitative research in education: Interaction and practice, pp. 74-131. London: Sage.
Erickson, F. (1986). Qualitative methods in research on teaching. In M. Wittrock (Ed.) Handbook of research on teaching, (pp. 139*-161). Washington: AERA.
*Note that this starting page is in the middle of the article. We recommend reading the whole piece, but require you read from page 139 starting with the “data collection” heading.

(6) February 16
Observing in Context
Readings:
Chase, S. (2010). Narrative inquiry: Multiple lenses, approaches, voices. In W. Luttrell (Ed.). Qualitative educational research: Readings in reflexive methodology and transformative practice, pp. 208-236. New York: Routledge
Jorgensen, D. (1989). Participant observation: A methodology for human studies. London: Sage.

(7) February 23
Interviewing
Second Field notes Due
Readings:
Freebody, P. (2004). Qualitative research in education: Interaction and practice, pp. 132-173. London: Sage.
Spradley, J. (1979). Asking descriptive questions. In The ethnographic interview, pp. 78-91. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Seidman, I. E. (1991). Technique isn’t everything, but it is a lot. Interviewing as qualitative research, pp. 56-71. New York: Teachers College Press.

(8) March 2
Ethnography Across Settings
Readings:
Cohn, C. (1987). Sex and death in the rational world of defense intellectuals. Signs, 12(4), pp. 687-718.
Irvine, P. D., & Larson, J. (2007). Literacy packages in practice: Constructing academic disadvantage. In J. Larson (Ed.), Literacy as snake oil: Beyond the quick fix, second edition, pp. 49-72. New York: Lang.
Saldaña, J. (2010). The coding manual for qualitative researchers, pp. 32-45. London: Sage.

(9) March 9
Getting Started with Data Analysis
Interview transcripts and field notes due
Readings:
Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing grounded theory: A practical guide through qualitative analysis, pp. 42-71. London: Sage
Emerson, R., Fretz, R., & Shaw, L. (1995). Writing ethnographic fieldnotes, pp. 108-141. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Saldaña, J. (2010). The coding manual for qualitative researchers, pp. 45-148.   London: Sage.

(10) March 16
Understanding Data Analysis: Coding and analyzing
Readings:
Emerson, R., Fretz, R., & Shaw, L. (1995). Writing ethnographic fieldnotes, pp. 142-168. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Nespor, J. (2006).  Finding patterns with field notes.  In J.L. Green, G. Camilli, & P.B. Elmore (Eds.), Handbook of complementary methods in education research, 297-308.  Mahwah, NY: Erlbaum.
Saldaña, J. (2010). The coding manual for qualitative researchers, pp. 149-184. London: Sage.

(11) March 23
Understanding Data Analysis: Transcription and Analyzing Talk and Discourse
Readings:
Freebody, P. (2004). Qualitative research in education: Interaction and practice, pp. 174-208. London: Sage.
Keating, E. (2001). The ethnography of communication. In P. Atkinson, A. Coffey, S. Delamont, J. Lofland, & J. Lofland (Eds.) Handbook of ethnography, pp. 285-301. London: Sage.
Mishler, E. (1991). Representing discourse: The rhetoric of transcription. Journal of Narrative and Life History, 1(4), 255-280.

(12) March 30
Ethics
Coded interview transcripts and field notes due
Readings:
Fine, M. & Weis, F. (2010). Writing the “Wrongs” of Fieldwork: Confronting our own research/writing dilemmas in urban ethnographies.  In W. Luttrell (Ed.) Qualitative Educational Research: Readings in reflexive methodology and transformative practice. New York, New York: Routledge.
Smith, L.T. (2010) On Tricky Ground. In W. Luttrell (Ed.) Qualitative Educational Research: Readings in reflexive methodology and transformative practice. New York, New York: Routledge.
Murphy, E., & Dingwall, R. (2001). The ethics of ethnography. In P. Atkinson, A. Coffey, S. Delamont, J. Lofland, & J. Lofland (Eds.) Handbook of ethnography, pp. 339-351. London: Sage.

(13) April 6
NO CLASS SESSION
Qualitative Reflections
Readings:
Freebody, P. (2004). Qualitative research in education: Interaction and practice, pp. 209-218. London: Sage.
Ladson-Billings, G. (2000). Racialized discourses and ethnic epistemologies. In N. Denzin & Y. Lincoln (eds). Handbook of qualitative research. London: Sage.
Lather, P. (2001). Postmodernism, post-structuralism, and post(critical) ethnography: Of ruins, aporias, and angels. In P. Atkinson, A. Coffey, S. Delamont, J. Lofland, & J. Lofland (Eds.) Handbook of ethnography, pp. 477-492. London: Sage.

(14) April 13
Writing qualitative data
Readings:
Emerson, R., Fretz, R., & Shaw, L. (1995). Writing ethnographic fieldnotes, pp. 169-216. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Fine, M. (1994). Working the hyphens: Reinventing the self and other in qualitative research. In N. Denzin & Y. Lincoln (Eds.) Handbook of qualitative research, (pp. 70-82). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Saldaña, J. (2010). The coding manual for qualitative researchers, pp. 185-192. London: Sage.

(15) April 20
Presentations of final projects

(16) April 27
Presentations of final projects

April 29          
Final papers due by 5PM