As I have previously shared on the blog, I am not as comfortable designing research studies and selecting research methods as I would like to be. As I have worked through my coursework this semester, I have become more confident in my abilities to design research. When I started working on chapters 1-3 of my dissertation, I expected to struggle with the methods section. However, for the last couple of weeks, I have been working on my literature reviews (chapter 2) of my dissertation, and it has been a challenge.
I thought I had a good collection of books and articles related to my dissertation topic, yet, I don’t feel as though the resources I have collected support the need for my study. One problem with the literature I have collected is that it is made up largely of literature reviews and discussion/thought pieces. Very few of the references I have collected contain any type of study related to modernizing the teaching profession. I have plenty of references related to the need for educational reform in the United States as well as references pertaining to professional development of in-service teacher and the preparation of pre-service teachers as it relates to technology integration. However, I am lacking references of actual studies that support the need to modernize the teaching force in America. Also, I need to find more references related to career pathways and licensing, evaluation, compensation, and retention.
At this point, I can continue writing my literature review using my existing references, or I can stop writing and delve deeper into the research. I feel like any writing I do now will have to be completely redone once I have a more complete picture of how to approach my literature review. I wonder, given my topic, if it is unrealistic to expect to find empirical research that supports the need to modernize the teaching profession. Is it enough to discuss education reform and the major role that teachers play in preparing students for the future? Do I need to cover all six areas (preparation, career pathways, professional development, evaluation, compensation, and retention) in my literature review? How long is too long for literature review?
Based on these questions, I feel that my best course at this point is to stop writing and return the library to locate references that better support my topic. I know that I will eventually compose a literature review that I am proud of and that supports the need for my dissertation study.
