As I think about how I would want my children “researched,” I would want them to be observed, questioned, evaluated through words and scores, not just test results. I think as teachers, even those of us who do not have our own children, we need to think of what we would want for our own, and strive to fulfill that wish through the way we interact with our current students. Qualitative research allows for teachers to get to know their students on a more one-to-one basis, which creates relationships. Personal relationships can create self confidence among the students, which can result in better interactions, leading to better test scores, but the focus is creating an atmosphere conducive to personal interactions. As teachers we tend to naturally do qualitative research, we have whole class discussions, small group discussions, one-on-one talks with students, which give us the opportunity to listen to them as well as observe their body language, and analyze test scores. I think if we don’t encompass all aspects of qualitative research, we are not evaluating our students based on their complete abilities as a person and student, only on how well they can find answers. Qualitative research allows us to see our students as a whole person and not just pick and choose what we will evaluate based on what is easiest, it takes time, but in the end I think it is the most beneficial for students.
Sources:
Data collection strategies II: Qualitative research. (n.d.). Retrieved September 8, 2015, from http://web.csulb.edu/~msaintg/ppa696/696quali.htm
Merriam, S., & Tisdell, E. (2016). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (Fourth ed.). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.
QRCA. (n.d.). What is qualitative research? Retrieved September 8, 2015, from http://www.qrca.org/?page=whatisqualresearch