Writing the Dissertation- Part 2: TRANSCRIBING and ATTACKING WRITER'S BLOCK

OK folks, here are my lessons for the week:

1- TRANSCRIBE YOURSELF-As painful as transcribing 30 hours worth of interview recordings may seem, DO IT YOURSELF. Plan accordingly, because it takes a looooooooooonnnnnnnnnggggg time!!!! However, doing it yourself allows you to begin raw analysis and "thinking through the data".  To me, transcribing served the purpose as the first read recommended by many qualitative researchers (Mchatton, class lecture, spring 2011), which leads me to my next lesson and time saving trick- write as you go.

2- WRITE AS YOU GO- If your brain works anything like mine it is on super power idea flow at all times, especially when I am reading.  This is a beautiful, bittersweet, thing. For, if I do not capture my ideas as they zoom past, I loose them, or worse yet, when I try to re-create them on paper later, they are a garbled mess with no organization (almost like a flow of consciousness that only I can follow) bc I've lost the higher order connection that sparked the idea in the first place- and that, my faithful readers, leads to HORRIBLE writing.  SO..... ALWAYS have your ms.doc chapter 4 (and even Ch. 5 if you're that good) notes open and ready for action. Then, type away- put in place holders with all caps, "WRITE SOMETHING HERE" if you can't remember exact quotes or data points.  Also, try to keep it organized based upon your pre-decided structure (see dissertation part 1 post) and even allow for sub-headers to sneak their way in as they emerge/fit. You can always change them later.  This will save you from the feared "writer's block" when you attempt to write the final chapter.  Heck, I already had more than 15 pages, organized by research question, theme, and participant sub-group before analysis was  complete. I, of course, need to fill it in to make it smooth, but that's a pretty good start if you ask me!

So that's it for now- remember: TRANSCRIBE YOURSELF and WRITE AS YOU GO!

Writing the Dissertation- Step 1: ORGANIZE

I'm back...
After a nice long break for the holiday, I'm back and ready to get this thing done.

I will do my best to share the process of how I go from piles and piles of narrative data to a well organized, thought provoking and relevant manuscript that makes sense to someone other than myself!

YIKES!

First things first- ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE

(1) Organize your data- if you're anything like me your data is all over the place with crazy file names and chaotic structures that don't align to much of anything, let alone systematic analysis.  So find a tricky process of how you like to name the files, and put them all in one place on your computer.  A lesson learned here: DO NOT have separate folders that categorize the data for you. When you go to upload them to your qualitative software, it is easier if they are all in one folder together.  Thus, the importance of strategic and systematic file naming comes into play.
I did this- DATATYPE.PARTICIPANTID#.STUDYNAME.doc
For example:
GE.AD1.CW.doc

KEY-
GE- general ed. interview
AD- participant ID
1-first interview
CW-name  I have my dissertation on my computer

I did this for each of my files and put them all in one file.

(2) Organize your Chapter 4- Before I could even wrap my head around how the heck I was going to convey this mound of qualitative data to my audience via a dissertation manuscript I needed a plan.  Therefore, I read four similar dissertations and noted how they organized their presentation of data/findings.  I then came up with my own plan, which ended up being a mixture of all. I tweaked this plan a lot over the course of a few weeks and multiple dreams of how it will or won't work (literally, I dream this stuff now) with my final "aha" coming to me at 5:00 AM one day.  I put the organization into my manuscript with as chapter titles, section titles and filed in research questions and other topic headers as appropriate.  I decided upon this framework

RQ1
   Sub Group1 of Participants Summary of Themes
   Sub Group2 of Participants Summary of Themes
   Sub Group3 of Participants Summary of Themes
   Cross-Case of all groups Summary of Superordiante Themes

RQ2
   Sub Group1 of Participants Summary of Themes
   Sub Group2 of Participants Summary of Themes
   Sub Group3 of Participants Summary of Themes
   Cross-Case of all groups Summary of Superordiante Themes

RQ3
   Sub Group1 of Participants Summary of Research Propositions
   Sub Group2 of Participants Summary of Research Propositions
   Sub Group3 of Participants Summary of Research Propositions
   Cross-Case of all groups Summary of Superordiante Themes related to each Research Proposition

Given the in-depth and personal nature of my case study design, I decided to do sub group versus individual participant summaries to increase the level of confidentiality promised to my participants.

Once this was in place I felt I was ready "enough" to get dig in and get busy (just know that you never really feel "ready"- a lot of this dissertation/Ph. D. stuff is learn as you go).

(3) Organize your life- This might sound weird, but really, to be able to devote the amount of focused time necessary in order to get this thing (your dissertation) done you need a good amount of devoted writing/analysis time each day.  And, if you're like me anything and everything that "needs" (need also becomes a much broader defined term) to be done around the house, for the kids, the laundry, cleaning the litter box, organizing the pantry and making sure all my socks are color coded and put away according to texture will pull me away from working on it.  My kids closets have never been so organized! SO, I say to you, embrace your need for order and ORGANIZE your life.  Hire or enlist help if need be, but embrace this need for control and order in your life during a time when choas seems to take control of your mind, and organize it.  Then you can really focus!  This is a bounded period of time in your life so celebrate your anal self and get do whatever it takes to get this thing done.

That's it for now folks.

I'm off to organize... maybe there are some cereal boxes that need to be categorized!

Dissertation Draft Take 5- The Proposal Defense

Well folks, it's done.  That's right.  I proposed and I passed.  Like my good friend/ colleague/ mentor/ major professor told me, "you have another marriage to prepare for now- your dissertation!"

I must add, in my uncensored fashion, "it was really no big deal".  The actual defense that is, not the getting ready for it- now THAT was a big deal.  However, once it was time to defend the proposal, the one I spent what felt like half of my life writing and planning, man was I ready.  I nailed it and you will to!

Data collection already began.  I have two more rounds to go, both of which are scheduled.  I'm on track for my May 2013 graduate, just as planned.  Man it feels good when things flow.  But no celebration yet, I still have to do what I said I'd do in that "no big deal" proposal.

The real work has just begun and I LOVE real work. Really, I do.  It beats out what I deemed meaningless/unauthentic coursework (which, unfortunately for me and those around me, is what my PhD program of study was often filled with) ANYDAY!!!!

Happy Monday y'all.  I'm off to concurrent data analysis session 1- woohoo!!! (There's nothing like "real" data)!

Stayed tuned for updates on the trials and tribulations of my final days as PhD student- yikes!

Dissertation Draft: Take 5- The adrenaline is running high

As I round the corner to turn in my proposal draft by 12:00 today I can feel the adrenaline surge through my body.  It is something I desperately need right now, adrenaline that is, because I've felt a lull in my commitment to this thing lately.  A typical feeling I'm told, but de-motivating none the less.  Thus, I share this rush with you if only to document, for your future endeavors as doc. students (should you be the ones reading this) that in the final hours, when all hope seems to have left you, YOU CAN DO THIS and YOU WILL DO THIS!!!  Just as I will complete my proposal by the deadline, so will you, because our bodies are amazing and give us a natural surge of energy precisely when needed.  And remember, due to the new addition of baby Emily to our family, I'm doing this on an average of 4 hours of BROKEN sleep a night- I have a 3 month old at home and love every minute of it, but as can be expected, she is taking a toll on my sleep!!

POWER THROUGH UNPLUGGED- YOU CAN DO THIS!

Dissertation Draft: Take 4- The Executive Summary

Here it is folks:

With the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2002) and the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA, 2004), the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classrooms has become more prevalent within our public schools (DuFour & Eaker, 1998; Mcleskey et al., 2010).  Collectively these laws have been the impetus toward inclusive school reform that has not only increased the number of students with disabilities receiving special education supports in general education classrooms, but also significantly shifted the capacities demanded of both special education and general education teachers and leaders.

The literature on school reform is replete with research results indicating a history of failed school reforms if instructional capacity does not substantially change. Elmore’s (1992) mixed method work in the 1990’s and Fullan’s (2011) more recent international mixed methods work on school reform found that if reform efforts do not build the capacity of teachers and systems to change instruction in the classroom, the positive qualitative (socialization and parent satisfaction) and quantitative (test scores, behavior referrals and graduation rates) outcomes of reform, if any exist at all, will fail to sustain past a few years.

Evans (1996) writes about school change, or educational reform, explaining that the key factor in educational reform is its meaning to those who must implement it: teachers and administrators.  Further, historical research found teachers’ expertise and knowledge and their individual capacity to translate reform policies into practice as critical to the sustainability and effectiveness of school change (Tyack and Cuban, 1995).  Thus, it is critical to understand school change, or reform, from the inside out through the lived experiences of the teachers and administrators themselves. Surprisingly, research that examines a school’s capacity for initiating and sustaining inclusive education through the eyes of the actors themselves is limited to date (see for example- ADD EXAMPLES- DO I HAVE ANY??).  Therefore, research that examines how school leaders, defined as teacher leaders and the administrative team who are involved in initiating an inclusive education reform, perceive their own and the school’s capacity to include all students with disabilities in age-appropriate general education classrooms and curriculum is needed.

Accordingly, systems change for inclusive education, as one type of school reform, and the school capacity knowledge base, together comprise the foundation for this study. Capacity is understood as the potential of material, a product, person or group to fulfill a function if it is used in a particular way (Newman, King and Young, 2000). Thus, explain Newman, King and Young, school capacity is the collective potential of the group, the school’s full staff, to fulfill its function. Viewed this way, school capacity is best understood as a multi-dimensional organizational framework for examining how a school collectively utilizes their resources to effectively initiate and sustain systemic educational innovations.  When applied to systemic inclusive education reform, it is a frame to guide the understanding of a school’s process and ability to initiate and sustain quality inclusive education.

Current research on inclusive education tells us of the increased rates at which students with disabilities are educated in general education environments, as well as the positive outcomes associated with such placement.  Mcleskey et. al. (2004,2010)’s research results, as well as the Annual Report To Congress in 2008, both show quantitative increases in the number of students with disabilities who spend most (80% or more of their school day) with peers who do not have disability labels.  Further, researchers have documented the positive results of inclusive education since the early 1980’s. Qualitatively, positive social gains associated with inclusive education such as increased language skills (CITATION), feelings of membership in the greater school community (CITATION) and an expanded peer group (CITATION) abounds in the literature.  And more recently the national longitudinal study of post school outcomes found both graduation rates and the percentage of students with disabilities who are gainfully employed post high school to be positively related to inclusive versus segregated education placements (CITATION).

Study Purpose and Rationale

Current research on inclusion focuses on student outcomes and the procedural change process rather than on the contexts, capacities, and capabilities of schools and education leaders who are implementing it.  Thus, empirical research that examines how schools have moved toward inclusion and built the capacity for sustaining these models is limited to date.  Limited also, is the voice of those who are implementing inclusion as a reform.  Therefore, the purpose of this study is to give voice to school leaders and teacher leaders by qualitatively examining the process by which a school moves towards inclusion and builds capacity to implement and sustain an effective inclusive education reform. Specifically, this study seeks to (1) explore how school leaders perceive their own capacity in initiating and implementing inclusive education reform; (2) explore how their capacity to improve and implement inclusive practice is aligned with the school capacity literature; and (3) explore how leaders perceive the school’s capacity to include all student sin age-appropriate general education classrooms.

Study Overview

            The qualitative research tradition to answer how and why questions, and the epistemological perspective of constructivism, assuming that knowledge is situated in a particular context or locale, is multi-voiced and is constructed and shared through the interactions and interpretations people have with themselves and one another underpins this research (LeCompte and Schensul, 1999; Denzin and Lincoln, 2005). Case study methodology as described by Yin (2009) will be used to make meaning of the multiple voices represented in the study and weave them into an integral whole. The unit of analysis for this study will be the school with school leaders as the sub units.  School leaders are defined as (1) teacher leaders, those being the first to implement inclusive education in their classrooms, and (2) the school’s administrative team.  Yin (2009) tells us that case study research is an in-depth examination of one particular case within one particular locale, or specific context, to deeply understand a social phenomenon.  This case study will be used to uncover and give voice to the multiple perspectives and meanings that school leaders place on their capacities to initiate and sustain an effective inclusive education model.

One goal of a case study is to test a pre-developed theory or framework.  Thus, propositions derived from the literature are the driving force behind the design (Yin, 2009; Hocutt & Fowler, 2009). The literature that will serve as a guide to the research propositions in this study includes the inclusive education and school capacity literature detailed below. The critical case rationale, based upon the criterion detailed in the literature review, will be used for purposive sampling to select (Bogdan & Biklen, 2005; Merriam, 2009; Yin, 2009) one school and six or more leaders within that school. Six participants were determined as the minimum sample size based on Yin’s (2009) recommendation for six participants to drive theory testing. The following sources of evidence for theory testing were used: a researcher reflexive journal to address bias (Denzin and Lincoln, 2005); a study data base to build internal reliability (Yin, 2009); two to three one hour semi-structured interviews per participant following a protocol and Spradley’s (1980) three step interview guidelines; a minimum of two informal participant observations with accompanying field notes occurring on the same day as each interview (Carspecken, 1996); two years of preexisting case study data including twelve leader interviews and twelve informal participant observation field notes; and a case study protocol consisting of a research design overview, guiding questions, data collection procedures and an outline for reporting results (Hocutt and Fowler, 2009; Yin, 2009).

All data points will be analyzed using both deductive and inductive analysis following pattern-matching logic (Anfara et al., 2002; Merriam, 2009; Yin, 2009).  Initially, raw codes will be assigned to segments of texts and repeated patterns will be organized/cataloged around each of the seven dimensions (principal leadership, district support, human/staff, organizational, structural and material/technical) of school capacity. The search for negative cases that refute the school capacity and inclusive education frameworks will be employed during the final stage of analysis (Yin, 2009; Anfara et al., 2002). The triangulation of findings (Bogdan & Biklen, 2005) by converging all participants’ interview data, observation data and reflexive journal data around each proposition and participant member checking will occur before any final conclusions are drawn.

Research Questions and Methodology

            Three research questions guide this study and have been addressed in the analysis phase:

1.     How do school leaders perceive their own capacity in initiating and implementing inclusive education reform?

2.     How do school leaders perceive the school’s capacity to include all students in age-appropriate general education classrooms?

3.     How do the school leaders’ perceptions of their own capacity, and that of the schools, to improve and implement inclusive practice align with the school capacity literature?

While federal laws and past research has pushed for inclusive education reform, they have failed to address a school’s capability and capacity to engage in such reform.  Thus, this study will provide school leaders with a more comprehensive understanding of capacity building for systemic inclusive education reform. The findings from this case study can inform educational leaders, both teacher leaders and administrators, with detailed information about the types of human and material resources, as well as the organizational and structural conditions that promote sustainable inclusive education.  Educational leaders can draw upon the results of this work to be more strategic and purposeful when implementing inclusive education reform initiatives.

Dissertation Draft: TAKE 3- You better LOVE your topic

This is the advice I remember hearing years ago.  Advice, I must admit, that I brushed off  and stored in the "useless suggestions" part of my brain.  WELLLLLLL, let me tell you something: It has been re-assigned to the "CRITICAL INFORMATION" section of my brain.  Here is why:

I am SO FREAKIN' sick of the word capacity.  School capacity.  Human capacity.  Material capacity. capacity, capacity, capacity.  I am living, sleeping and breathing this word.  I mean how many different ways can one use this term???????  SERIOUSLY.

They, whoever they are, were right, "you better LOVE your topic" because you will live with it for A LONG TIME and if you don't love it, you may just throw it away out of shear BOREDOM.  And then you'll never finish.  What a shame that would be.

So, good for me, I do LOVE my topic.  And even with this love I am SO SICK OF IT.  The thing that worries me most is that I haven't even started collecting data yet.  This means that I have to live "capacity" for another 7 or 8 months. AND, I have to get others, my committee and proposal panel to be specific, to LOVE capacity too!!!!  Lord, help me!

OMG, I have a date!

Borrowing the slang, OMG (OH MY GOD), from my seven year old I share with you that I have IRB approval to collect data AND a proposal defense date set: September 10th at 3:00 PM.

YIKES!!!

It's time to get serious folks.

If all goes well I'll collect data in October and November, analyze in December, write in January, edit/revise in February, defend in early March, edit/revise AGAIN in late March, submit in April and WALK in May.

That keeps me on track for May 2013 graduation.

WOOHOO now THAT is just the motivation I need!

Dissertation Proposal Draft: TAKE 2

This is just a project. This is just a project.  This is just a project.  It's not the culminating point of my career.  JUST FREAKIN' DO IT.

(my mantra to keep me moving forward without paralysis brought on by being overwhelmed)

I CAN DO THIS!!!!!!!

Dissertation Draft: TAKE 1- School Capacity Conceptual Framework

_____________________________________
Top circle: Coherent School Structures & Instructional Programs
Center-Right Circle: Individual Staff Member's Knowledge, Skills, Dispositions and Will
Bottom Circle: Organizational/Professional Community
Center-Left Circle: Material, Technical and External Human Resources
_____________________________________


Past research helps us to see that the concept school capacity is not uni-dimensional.  Instead, it should be viewed as a set of dimensions that are coherent and interactive (Century, 1999; Newman, King, and Young, 2000).  These theories of school capacity argue that the greater the alignment and coherence of all dimensions of school capacity (i.e. material/technical, structural, organizational and individual) the more overlap with each dimension would exist, as visually depicted in Figure 1. Alignment of the capacities could be shown in the diagram as overlapping circles.   This overlapping Venn would then cover up more and more of the yellow circle in the background.  Thus, as the principal and district work to align their programs and capacities around common goals for learning, the tighter the four circles representing each capacity would become, depicting alignment.  
     Figure 1 above is an example of a school that is theoretically in the early stages of alignment, but still not fully aligned.  Alternatively, a 100% aligned school would show no yellow and one large circle would appear, depicting that all four dimensions of capacity are interacting at all times with one another, aligned with one common purpose for learning.  Conversely, a school whose principal and/or district has not worked to align the capacities, such as can be the case when multiple school improvement initiatives occur simultaneously, would potentially have 0% alignment.  This school’s diagram would show no overlapping circles, but instead each circle would occupy it’s own space outside of the yellow circle, and even quite possibly appear outside of the arrows all together in a sporadic manner.  Thus, this framework graphically depicts that the greater the alignment/integration of all four dimensions of school capacity around a common  purpose, more concentric overlap/less yellow showing, the greater the instruction for all students and staff (Spillane and Thompson, 1997; Century, 1999; Newman, King and Young, 2000).

         Based upon this framework, the purpose of this study is to examine what the material, human, organizational and structural factors are that influence a school’s capacity to inclusively educate all students within their age appropriate general education, or other naturally occurring, environments. Specifically, I will be examining one school's inclusive education capacity development.  This school has spent the last three years shifting their service delivery model for special education.  They went from from educating all students with disabilities in isolated disability specific special education classrooms in trailers behind the school building to educating them all, including those with significant disabilities (i.e. autism, down syndrome, multiple disabilities), in age-appropriate general education classrooms along side their same age peers with and without disabilities.  Thus, they shifted from being a school with segregated special education to an inclusive school.  I will examine the following dimensions:

1.     Human/Staff Capacity- What shift in knowledge, skills, dispositions and will of the staff occur in a school that moves from segregated to inclusive education?

2.   Organizational Capacity- How is the school community organized both within it’s own building (professional community) and in terms of it’s connection to the district and greater community (external supports)?

3.  Structural Capacity- What school structures exists that foster/support inclusive education

4. Material, Technical and External Human Resources Capacity- What material, external human (i.e. outside trainers, university consultants) and financial resources are utilized within the inclusive education classrooms and school?

Dissertation is taking off

This summer marks two major milestones:
(1) I passed my qualifying exams
(2) I'm officially writing my dissertation proposal.

Developing a Dissertation Proposal Part 4- The importance of focus

Going back to my new friend Maxwell (2005) I’ve encountered even more helpful, but not easily implemented, advice:

Anyone can find an unanswered, empirically answerable question for which the answer isn’t WORTH knowing (p. 15).

And further, 

 A clear understanding of the goals motivating your work will help you to avoid loosing your way or spending too much time and effort doing things that don’t advance your goals (p.15).

Or, as Thoreau said, “it’s not worthwhile to go around the world to count cats in Zanzibar”. 

This insightful reading of Maxwell has come after a friendly hallway conversation with a professor/colleague/mentor/friend who reminded me to GET THE DISSERTATION DONE and not allow myself, just for now, to be sidetracked by my tendency and preference for partnering with schools in their work to equitably and meaningfully educate all students: “It’s a wonderful ability and dedication you have”, he said, “but one that needs to be put on hold just for a moment so you can get your dissertation done.  Then you can spend the rest of your career engaging in meaningful service with the access and legitimacy that the 3 new letters behind your name  [P H D that is] will grant you"- sad but true I suppose (the power of letters that is). 

So my faithful readers- many of which I know are committed to meaningful partnerships and collaboration for change in schools- just for now let’s commit ourselves to staying FOCUSED on a core, but meaningful, research goal/purpose; and never fear, Maxwell is here to help us. 

THANK GOODNESS.

Here is what he says about the function of your reserach goal/purpose:

A research goal/purpose….

•      Guides your research design decisions to ensure that you get something out of the study/time.
•           Justifies your time/study.
•      Shapes the descriptions, interpretations, and theories you create in your research. (taken from p.15)

He also writes in detail about the importance of using personal experience, your own identity and personal goals in deciding on a meaningful research purpose, and suggests the following activity to start the process:

~WRITE A RESERACHER IDENTITY MEMO TO YOURSELF~ 

I will do this now, you should too.

Here is why I appreciate this opening chapter on the importance of the goals: it acknowledges the complex role between researcher and self as partners with the communities studied.  This is the first book I’ve found that holds true to this theme and strategizes for me how to handle it.  All the other research design books have said either (1) acknowledge yourself (great, what the heck does that mean) or (2) separate yourself and remain an objective outsider (NO THANK YOU, I’ll pass on this whole research thing if that is the case).  

SO again, I must thank you Joseph A. Maxwell.  Just when I thought it was too late to save my belief in the institution of educational research, you provided me with a hope that I might in fact fit in the world of research after all.

Off to practice my focus.  Let me know how I do!

Developing a Dissertation Proposal Part 3: IRB advice

If you're like me and have to obtain IRB approval for your dissertation I have one piece of advice- START EARLY.  I mean months and months and months, maybe even years, early.

This is for 2 main reasons:
1- Your major professor/advisor must be on the IRB, requiring that he/she  have all their certifications and approvals up to date with your local IRB.  Thus they are not able to officially be on your study until they pass through each gate; If they're not on it, you don't get approval.  And, if your advisor is as busy as mine, timeliness and follow-through in these types logistical matters is not commonplace.

2- The IRB approval process is slow and out of your hands.

I have witnessed more than one colleague delayed by a semester or more in graduation because they're IRB didn't get approved in time for them to start data collection when planned.

That being said, I don't plan to start data collection until next fall (6 months from now), therefore I started my IRB process 6 months ago. That is one full year ahead of time- IT STILL ISN'T FULLY APPROVED.  After working through each revision mandated by the review board and obtaining their stamp of approval (something I celebrated) I must continue to wait for all study staff to update their certifications with our IRB.

So my advise for you dear reader is this: START YOUR DISSERTATION IRB NOW, even if you have to revise later. It seems to be much faster to amend/revise an approved IRB study than to obtain initial approval.

Just my two cents.  Take it or leave it.

:)

Developing a Dissertation Proposal Part 2- Your conceptual framework: A How-To Guide from Maxwell

It is time to get serious folks. I have been instructed (1) to write my proposal draft and (2) develop my theoretical and conceptual framework.

“Excellent”, I think to myself.  “Directed guidance at last”.  I’ve been yearning for such directedness for quite some time in my studies and here it is laid out for me in two concrete steps. But there is one MAJOR problem; I have no idea what a theoretical or conceptual framework is.  Well, that’s not entirely true.  I’ve read about “these things”, talked about them and probably even written a good number of reflections on what the abstract terms theoretical and conceptual frameworks are according to the various authors I’ve been assigned the last 3 years.  But abstract is where they’ve stayed in my mind.  I can’t begin to “conceptualize” (ha- like the pun) or operationalize them/aka restate meaningfully for myself in concrete terms that my grandma could understand (thank you Dr. Tony Tan for teaching me this skill of clarity in writing- “write it so that your Grandma can understand it”, Tan, class lecture, Fall 2011) what a conceptual nor theoretical framework is and how to develop one for myself.

So, like a good little doctoral student I went searching for books, articles, and lectures- ANYTHING that speaks to DEVELOPING YOUR OWN theoretical & conceptual framework.  ALAS, I found something. A book on qualitative research by Maxwell has a chapter dedicated solely to the term conceptual framework. SCORE!

Maxwell, (YEAR). Qualitative Research Design. Chapter 3:  Conceptual Framework- What do you think is going on?

Maxwell writes that a conceptual framework is  “primarily a conception or model of what is out there that you plan to study, and of what is going on with these things and why- a tentative theory of the phenomena that you are investigating” (p.33). 

OK, so I just need to think about what I THINK is going on here and make sense of this all somehow logically. 

BUT HOW…

Maxwell recommends using a tool: the concept map. Below I outline this process for you- later I will write about how my application of this tool to my own study goes- WISH ME LUCK!

Exercise 3.1 (p. 52)- Creating a Concept Map for your Study

Here it is, in simplified “unplugged” terms:

Develop a concept map of the major concepts your studying and how they are related- remember “at this point you are trying to represent the theory you already have” in your mind

1-    Brainstorm keywords/terms that you use day to day when talking about the topic your studying/interested in

2-    Practice mapping out something you’ve already written on the topic (the Software Inspriations is helpful for this part)

3-    Take 1 initial term or concept from step 1 or 2 above and brainstorm everything you can that might be related to this term/concept

a.     Go over the brainstormed list from step 3 and highlight those that seem most relevant/connected to your study/topic of interest

4-    Have a peer or advisor interview you about your topic

a.     Have them ask/probe you “what do you think is going on and why”

b.     Tape this, listen to it and write down the main words you talked about

c.      FOCUS ON BOTH THE LITERATURE AND YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE EQUALLY!

5-    Now ask yourself how these concepts you generated on above lists are/might be related.  Look for:

a.     Connections

b.     Start with 1 concept/term and draw lines to others- using arrows

c.      The arrows/not the circles are the key here (your proposed relationships)

d.     Ask yourself, “what do I mean by this particular arrow”/”what does it stand for”

e.     Add a concrete example for each arrow/circle- GET OUT OF ABSTRACTION

(don’t worry if you don’t have an exact word- just use a placeholder)

6-    MOVE ,MOVE ,MOVE- continually ask yourself what you mean and if it makes sense. Keep re-working the concepts/terms (the circles) you choose to use and the relationships among/between them (arrows)

7-    Write a narrative about the map using the following probe: What does this map say about the phenomena I’m studying

8-    TAKE RISKS!

PHEW- a starting point.  I’m off to develop mine. Stay tuned for an update- if you do yours let me know how it goes… misery does truly love company!

Developing a Dissertation Proposal- part 1

Here I go folks..... I have officially entered the last semester of course work during which I take the bittersweet course, Research Design.  This is the course where, in theory, one designs their dissertation proposal- YIKES!

This also happens to be the semester during which I will complete my qualifying exams- double YIKES!

I end today with a favorite quote from my reading this week:

"In the mass detail that goes into the planning of a research study, the writer must not forget that the proposal's most immediate function is to inform readers quickly and accurately" (Locke, Spirduso and Silverman, 2007, p.6)

.....now how's that for hitting me where it hurts right out of the gates.

Wish me luck folks and come back often as I chronicle this journey with you- enjoy the ride (then I can be sure at least one of us will).

________________________

Locke, L.F., Spirduso, W.W., Silverman, S.J. (2007). Proposals that work: A guide for planning dissertations and grant proposals (5th ed). Thousand Oakes, Sage.

Is it possible that I've found balance?

I am away for my annual girls weekend and while talking with some of my closest friends (see earlier post for a recap of how critical these people are in my PhD seeking life) I realized something- I have achieved balance.  Or at least some level of it.

My first year of doctoral studies was all consuming.  The balance was off and all my waking, and one may argue non waking, time was spent on doctoral work: Reading, writing, thinking, talking.  Not to mention engaging in constant internal dialogs around self-doubt. It was truly all consuming.  I remember spending weekends locked in a study room at our local library and becoming close with the local 5:00 AM coffee vendor.

 My kids struggled, my marriage struggled and I am sure my friendships struggled.  Talk about selfish.  I was miserable.  I almost quit.

However, today I am away for a fun weekend.  And I see this as an initial indicator that balance is upon me.  I am not locked in a library study room.  I am not crying over my painful self-induced doubt. I am having fun and am NOT consumed with PhDness. OK, OK.  I know.  I am still working, but I am also  fulfilling another important part of what makes me me: Friendship.

And you know what, I feel good.  I feel good about my studies.  I feel good about my projects.  I feel good about my own developing research (for the first time I am conducting my own- YIKES), my own teaching, my own work with schools, and most importantly I feel good about my family and my friends.  It was nice to hear this weekend that they feel the same way.

You know what else?  I am reflecting. This blog is proof of that.  That feels good too.  I had "no time" for this last year (so I told myself anyway) and now I am making time.  The 24 hour day is still the 24 hour day.  Time didn't happen to me. I made time and I continue to carve time out for all that is important to me.

Balance. It's a beautiful thing!

Maybe I will finish this thing (my PhD that is) after-all: Now that's powerful.