In my last several posts I have expressed some anxiety about research in general and especially my methodologies. However, I started working on the methodology for my dissertation, and I feel like I really made a breakthrough. After reviewing my previous work using the Qualitative Framework provided by my professor, I was able to narrow my focus and concentrate on specific areas of the methodology: setting, participants, data collection and data analysis.
Once I identified the key components, the setting and participants were easy to identify. My dissertation will focus on state policies related to teaching including teacher preparation, licensing, professional development, evaluation, and compensation. However, I needed to narrow the scope since it would be almost impossible to complete a detailed evaluation of all 50 states’ policies within the dissertation timeline. I needed a way to narrow the number of states reviewed during the dissertation. I started investigating which states have made progress on modernizing their teaching policies. I found various reports, but I wanted a way to select states using specific data. Thankfully, I discovered the National Center of Teacher Quality (NCTQ). NCTQ provides detailed information and analysis about each state’s laws, rules, and regulations that shape the teaching profession in the State Teacher Policy Database. This resource will provide the information I need to systematically select states to review for my dissertation.
Before I could start looking at methods for data collection and analysis, I needed to determine what type of research I would conduct. After reviewing research methods discussed in my PhD courses, I decided on a multi-case, descriptive case study. This research method seems to be the best for what I am trying to learn through my research. After selecting a case-study method, I started diving deeper into this mode of research and related collection and analysis methods such as focus groups and coding. As a part of my research, I have started building my reference library for conducting research. I’ve added three books to my collection so far.
- Krueger, R.A., & Casey, M.A. (2014). Focus groups: A practical guide for applied research (5th ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.
- Saldaña, J. (2021). The coding manual for qualitative researchers (4th ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.
- Yin, R.K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.
Although I still have more work to do on my dissertation methodology, I feel good about the progress I made over the last two weeks. I am looking forward to feedback from my professor about the rough draft I submitted. His feedback and my own reading will help me to develop my research plan and write Chapter 3 of my dissertation.