EPSE 595 Introduction to Qualitative Research SYLLABUS
EPSE 595 Introduction to Qualitative Research
Sandra Mathison
sandra.mathison@ubc.ca
Course Objectives:
This course will provide experiences that will help you
➢ understand theoretical and methodological traditions that guide contemporary interpretive and critical research in education
➢ think creatively and collaboratively about interpretive/critical research design and analysis issues
➢ critically examine your own personal and professional values as an aspect of your work as a researcher
➢ learn how to engage in fieldwork and other data collection activities in an ethical and defensible manner
➢ learn about and practice data collection techniques
➢ learn about and practice strategies for analyzing and interpreting qualitative data
➢ develop an awareness of technologies for data analysis
➢ learn about a range of knowledge representation forms
Required Books:
Crotty, M. (1998). The Foundations of Social Research. Sage Publishers.
FInklestein, M. (2005). With No Direction Home. Wadsworth Publishers.
Pascoe, C. J. (2007). Dude, You’re a Fag. University of California Press.
Richards, L. & Morse, J. (2007). README FIRST for a User’s Guide to Qualitative Research, 2nd Edition. Sage Publishers.
Walcott, H. (2005). The Art of Fieldwork. Lanham, MD: Altamira Press.
Other readings as assigned, which will be available at http://mathison.edublogs.org/
Highly recommended:
Schwandt, T. A. (2007). The Sage Dictionary of Qualitative Inquiry, 3rd Edition. Sage Publishers.
Denzin, N. K. & Lincoln, Y. S. (2005). The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research, 3rd Edition. Sage Publishers.
Course Requirements:
1) Students are expected to attend all classes, complete all assigned reading, and participate in class discussion and activities. (10% of grade)
2) Reading interpretive research workbook (10% of grade)
You will have a chance to discuss Pascoe’s study (Dude, You’re a Fag) in class.
who is doing the investigating, what is the role of the researcher
what is the purpose of study, what are the research questions
why has Pascoe structured the narrative as she has
what type of research is it and what perspective is taken
who are the participants
what is the context, setting of the study
what data were collected
are the conclusions of the study credible, why or why not
DUE: Written answers to these questions are due on 2/11.
3) Qualitative Research Knowledge & Skill Portfolio (60% of grade)
Select a context in which you can practice research skills. It is helpful to choose an easily accessible context (i.e., public and not requiring permission—like a library, coffee shop, bingo hall) and you will likely learn the most if this setting is one with which you are not intimately familiar (being an outsider will help you shed prior assumptions and experiences that often get in the way of doing research). This portfolio should be a collection of work that demonstrates the knowledge and skill you have developed in interpretive/critical research methods in this course. You may choose the format for your portfolio.
Your portfolio should include an organizer (table of contents, map, schema) that indicates what evidence demonstrates your knowledge and skill in the areas listed below. Your portfolio as a whole is due at the end of the course, APRIL 8th but you are encouraged, although not required, to submit drafts of the following components. Note that due dates for drafts are provided and if you wish to submit drafts for feedback you must submit them by the dates indicated. Feedback, but not grades, will be given for drafts.
• Articulation of epistemological beliefs (draft due 1/28)
• Demonstrate ability to ask appropriate research questions in an interpretive and/or critical tradition (draft due 2/4)
• Demonstrate ability to use empirical data collection methods
o participant observation (draft due 3/4)
o interviewing (draft due 3/18)
o identify and collect relevant artifacts
• Demonstrate ability to code, analyze and interpret data (draft due 3/25)
• Demonstrate an understanding of ethical issues relevant to interpretative and critical research
• Demonstrate reflexivity and the ability to analyze your growth as a researcher
In general, I will look for the following in portfolios:
➢ thoughtfulness (evidence of metacognitive reflection and productive habits of mind)
➢ growth and development as a researcher
➢ understanding and application of key ideas and skills
➢ completeness, correctness, and appropriateness of products and processes presented in the portfolio
➢ diversity of entries (use of multiple formats to demonstrate knowledge and skill)
4) Analysis of interpretative research (20% of grade)
Using Finklestein’s No Direction Home as an example, identify one main strength and one main weakness in the study and discuss each. Provide evidence from the study and other readings to justify your claims. Do NOT summarize the book or the research. (maximum 6 pages, double-spaced throughout, 1” margins)
DUE: 4/1
ECPS Grading Policy
Expectations Grade
Outstanding Demonstrates exceptional breadth and depth of understanding of the subject matter; demonstrates proficient use of existing research literature and exceptional analytic and critical thinking skills, articulates ideas especially well in both oral and written form, consistently makes strong, explicit connections between theory and practice; shows a high degree of creativity and personal engagement with the topic.
A+ (90-100), A (85-89)
Meets Expectations Demonstrates good breadth and depth of understanding of the subject matter; demonstrates good use of existing research literature and strong analytic and critical thinking skills, articulates ideas well in both oral and written form, at times makes strong, explicit connections between theory and practice; shows some creativity and satisfactory personal engagement with the topic.
A- (80-84), B+ (76-79)
Adequate Demonstrates adequate breadth and depth of understanding of the subject matter; demonstrates some ability to use existing research literature in general ways, and some indication of analytic and critical thinking skills, oral and written skills are adequate but need some work, occasionally makes connections between theory and practice, but ideas need to be developed further; few creative ideas and/or a low level of personal engagement with the topic.
B (72-75), B- (68-71)
Minimally Meets Expectations Breadth and depth of understanding of the subject matter are minimal; minimal use of existing research literature even in basic ways, and minimal indication of analytic and critical thinking skills, oral and written skills are barely adequate; minimal connections between theory and practice; minimal indication of creative thinking and/or a low level of personal engagement with the topic.
C+ (64-67), C (60-63)
Does Not Meet Expectations Breadth and depth of understanding of the subject matter are far from adequate; shows consistent misunderstanding of core concepts of the course; work is extremely deficient or sub-standard.
F (<60)
Course Schedule:
1/7 introduction
1/14 social constructivism, interpretivism
Readings;
Crotty chapters 1 – 5
1/21 critical Inquiry, feminism, post-modernism
Readings:
Crotty, chapters 6 – 9
1/28 what is the point, what are the approaches
research purposes, questions, methods
conceptual framework for a research study
research design
Readings:
Richards & Morse, chapters 1 – 4, 11, 12
2/4 fieldwork
Readings:
Wolcott, chapters 1-3
Pascoe, Dude, You’re a Fag
2/11 participant observation
Readings:
Wolcott, chapters 4-6
Richards & Morse, chapter 5
2/18 NO CLASS
2/25 NO CLASS
3/4 interviewing
Readings:
Fontana & Frey, Interviewing
3/11 artifacts (photographs, drawings, video, documents)
Readings:
Mathison, Seeing is Believing
3/18 data analysis
coding
computer assisted analysis (Atlas/ti, Nudist, NVivo, HyperRESEARCH)
Readings:
Wolcott, chapters 7-9
Richards & Morse, chapter 6
mathison.edublogs.org/ Click on “data analysis” in the left hand column—chose 2 – 3 articles on the topic to read
3/25 interpretation
validity, justification, verisimilitude, causation, counter-factuals
Readings:
Richards & Morse, chapters 7 – 9
Mathison, Why Triangulate?
4/1 ethics
Readings:
Wolcott, chapters 10 & 11
Nespor, Anonymity and Place in Qualitative Inquiry
Lincoln, Institutional Review Boards and Methodological Conservatism
(these two articles can be found on the blog under ‘ethics’)
If you have not already done so, complete the UBC tutorial necessary to submit an application to do human subjects research
http://www.pre.ethics.gc.ca/english/tutorial/
4/8 representing knowledge
writing, showing, performing
Readings:
Richards & Morse, chapter 10
Look through the blog entries on representation
http://mathison.edublogs.org/category/representation/
ECPS Departmental Guidelines:
Plagiarism
Plagiarism, whether intentional or unintentional, is a form of cheating that can lead to a failing grade for the course and to suspension from the University. As defined within UBC policies (http://www.vpacademic.ubc.ca/integrity/policies.htm), and as outlined in the UBC Calendar, plagiarism is a serious “form of academic misconduct in which an individual submits or presents the work of another person as his or her own”. As a form of intellectual theft, plagiarism involves taking the words, ideas or research of another without properly acknowledging the original author. Students need to become familiar with the many different forms that plagiarism can take, including accidental and intentional plagiarism. For more information see http://www.arts.ubc.ca/Plagiarism_Avoided.373.0.html OR www.library.ubc.ca/home/plagiarism/for-students.doc OR http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml)
Please take care to acknowledge your sources, including the Internet, using APA Style (American Psychological Association).
Non-sexist Language
Please incorporate and use non-sexist language [also called gender inclusive language] in your oral and written language. This language positions women and men equally, it does not exclude one gender or the other, nor does it demean the status of one gender or another. It does not stereotype genders [assuming all childcare workers are female and all police officers are male], nor does it use false generics [using mankind instead of human kind, or using man-made instead of hand crafted]. In addition, this language requires an attention to gender balance in personal pronouns, for example, use “he and she” rather than “he” or balance gendered examples in a paper, referring to both male and female examples. You may also recast subjects into the plural form, e.g., when a student raises his hand Š when students raise their hands.
Person First Language
Please incorporate and use person first language in your oral and written language. Disabilities and differences are not persons and they do not define persons, so do not replace person-nouns with disability-nouns. Avoid using: the aphasic, the schizophrenic, stutterers, the hearing impaired. Also avoid using: cleft palate children, the hearing impaired client, the dyslexic lawyer, the developmentally disable adult. Instead, emphasize the person, not the disability, by putting the person-noun first: the lawyer who has dyslexia, persons who stutters, the children described as language impaired, the teacher with a hearing impairment.
Students with Disabilities
We strive to include all students, including those with special learning needs in this course. Please let us know (or have the UBC Disability Resource Center let us know) if you have a disability documented with the UBC Disability Resource Centre and/or if you need any special accommodations in the curriculum, instruction, or assessment of this course to enable you to fully participate. We adhere to UBC Policy 73: Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities. This information is located at: http://www.students.ubc.ca/access/drc.cfm. We will respect the confidentiality of the information you share and work with you so your learning needs are met.
