Quantitative methods

I really enjoyed the readings on quantitative research methods. My previous notion that research is boring has been completely shattered! I’m metamorphosing (is that the right word?) into a Research Methods Butterfly! J

In the Luker reading, I found it very interesting to read about her example of how not only do institutions differ in their definition of rape, but so do individuals. I suppose I never realized the impact that one’s values and preconceptions could have on how one responds to survey questions. This is incredibly fascinating! And so I learned that researchers must operationalize their research idea over and over again so that they can then go out and analyze what others think about their idea/question. (Luker, 2008, p. 123)

I also found Knight’s discussion on piloting quite helpful. Personally I would appreciate the opportunity to test-drive the questionnaire I plan on using to pinpoint and fix any problems before the actual interview process. As my research proposal question involves having children complete a questionnaire about their reading habits, ideally I would ask a fellow teacher and perhaps even some children from the grade I’m researching to comment on those characteristics Knight outlined especially readability (age appropriate) and presentation, i.e. plenty of white space on the page, large enough font, etc. (Knight, 2002, pp. 93-94) Admittedly, I sometimes write a lot because I don’t want to leave anything out. My fear is that they will become overwhelmed and just fill out the survey without actually reading the question, just completing it to “get it over.” So that is where the piloting could come in handy.

The comparison chart where Knight distinguishes the characteristics of self-administered questionnaires using fixed-response/open-ended questions and interviews using open-ended questions/prompts was extremely helpful. (Knight, 2002, pp. 89-90) For my research question, I decided that I would incorporate both types. Specifically, before the actual reading experiment starts the students will be able to complete questionnaires about how they feel about reading and then after they participated in it they will complete the same questionnaire to see if their attitudes have changed. The other aspect is a separate face-to-face interview with each child, where I’ll ask more open-ended questions. From the readings, I learned it can be difficult for some people to discuss their feelings. (Knight, 2002, p. 89) However, I believe that by interviewing each child separately, hopefully they will feel less apprehensive in sharing their ideas. It will also ensure all children, especially those who are shy, are able to discuss their feelings.