The last couple of weeks, we have been focusing on our methodology in class. Listening to the professor, I realize that there are three things I must keep in mind as I am working on my dissertation:
- How does the work support the field of learning technologies?
- Can the work be completed in about a year?
- Do the methods make sense for what I am trying to learn through my research?
I always knew that I wanted to focus on education reform for my dissertation, but I worried that the work may not fit within the field of learning technologies. As other students shared their dissertation topics and proposed methodologies, I wondered if I was going to need to focus on something more technology-based like online learning, artificial intelligence, etc. However, after sharing my dissertation ideas with the class and my major professor, I feel better about how my topic supports the field of learning technologies. Learning technologies are driving force behind the need for education reform. As society embraces the use of technology, the way we work, learn, and play changes. With those changes, there is a need for a different education system…one geared for the digital, rather than the industrial age.
Although my dissertation will not be enough to change the entire system, it will provide valuable information about the work being done in various states to support and modernize the teaching profession. I believe that my dissertation project can be completed in a year. However, it will take much longer to produce the research needed to change the education system in the United States. I anticipate that my research agenda will focus on education reform for most of my career post-doc.
Based on discussions in class and feedback from my professor, I feel confident that my research methods are appropriate for my dissertation and should provide insight into the political, social, and economic factors that drive various states to modernize the teaching profession. The first step is to determine which states have made strides to change the laws, rules, and regulations that shape the teaching profession. Once states have been identified, the real work begins with document analysis, interviews, and focus groups. Although the work will be challenging, I can’t wait to get started!
