Methodological Decision Making in "Autism and Behavior: General Educators' Perspectives"
Affiliation
University of South Florida
Department or Program
Special Education
Start Date
15-4-2017 4:00 PM
End Date
15-4-2017 4:30 PM
Presentation Keywords/Areas
Challenges in Qualitative Research
Abstract
As a doctoral student, the world of academia demands, you must publish to be marketable after graduation, leading to doctoral students being urged to translate any research activity to potential publication. I understand the demands of academia but admit It feels rushed and focused on publication output. For this presentation, I plan to step back and reflect on my own development as a qualitative researcher and scholar.
I crafted my research project “Autism and Behavior: General Educators' Perspectives”, with the intent to explore general educator’s understandings of behaviors displayed by students with autism in the inclusive elementary classroom. The project adopted a series of iterative classroom observations and follow up interviews. However, this presentation is the story that will not be in the article findings about general educators’ perspectives of behavior. Rather, I ask you to put on your constructivist glasses and join me as I take you through a part of my journey as a young qualitative researcher. You will see how I respond to quintessential methodological decision making. What paradigm should I employ? How will I build my research design? What types of data collection tools will help me gather information to answer my research questions? How do I authentically capture the perspectives and voice of the teachers? How will I analyze my data? What ethical challenges arose? This presentation becomes a platform for how I, as a developing scholar, grappled with methodological decision making in a small qualitative research project.
Key Words: Methodology, Data, Research Design, Ethics, Decision Making
Methodological Decision Making in "Autism and Behavior: General Educators' Perspectives"
As a doctoral student, the world of academia demands, you must publish to be marketable after graduation, leading to doctoral students being urged to translate any research activity to potential publication. I understand the demands of academia but admit It feels rushed and focused on publication output. For this presentation, I plan to step back and reflect on my own development as a qualitative researcher and scholar.
I crafted my research project “Autism and Behavior: General Educators' Perspectives”, with the intent to explore general educator’s understandings of behaviors displayed by students with autism in the inclusive elementary classroom. The project adopted a series of iterative classroom observations and follow up interviews. However, this presentation is the story that will not be in the article findings about general educators’ perspectives of behavior. Rather, I ask you to put on your constructivist glasses and join me as I take you through a part of my journey as a young qualitative researcher. You will see how I respond to quintessential methodological decision making. What paradigm should I employ? How will I build my research design? What types of data collection tools will help me gather information to answer my research questions? How do I authentically capture the perspectives and voice of the teachers? How will I analyze my data? What ethical challenges arose? This presentation becomes a platform for how I, as a developing scholar, grappled with methodological decision making in a small qualitative research project.
Key Words: Methodology, Data, Research Design, Ethics, Decision Making
Presentation Type and Comments
I would like to participate in a 20-minute paper presentation.