Foundations in Research & Methodology

Quantitative Methods

Skill Represented: "Collecting and analyzing appropriate types of data and communicating results of that research in writing and orally with diverse audiences" are the skills represented in this study.  A particular challenge for me during this course was "getting my head around" the math concepts required to understand the statistical analysis required for this study. As a professional musician, I had not taken a math course in fifteen years before this!  I have since used these skills in my professional practice to examine correlation between our school's two reading assessments and will use these skills again in February 2024 to examine the results of a district-wide assessment of all secondary music students (Grades 6-12) as part of a new initiative. 

Overview: The following research was conducted as part of the required Quantitative Research Methods (EDK 823) course and presented at the Ed.D. Community forum in the Fall of 2021.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine what effects the interruption of in-person learning during the COVID-19 pandemic on elementary students' musical aptitude.  The measurement tool was the tonal component of the Intermediate Measures of Music Audiation (IMMA) classroom assessment (Gordon, 1979).  The data were collected over multiple years by the researcher through convenience sampling.  The data included testing results from the month prior to the COVID-19 interruption of in-person learning and re-test data for the same students following the return to in-person learning - providing a direct comparison.  Student demographic included age at both testing times, English Language Learner status, self-reported race, and gender were 

The following are the hypotheses of the study:

H0(1) - There will be no change between the pre and post COVID closure raw scores.

H0(2) - There will be a change between the pre and post COVID closure raw scores.

H1(1) - There will not be a relationship between student’s age and changes in their raw aptitude scores between pre and post COVID closure

H1(2) - There will be a relationship between student’s age and changes in their raw aptitude scores between pre and post COVID closure

H2(1) - There will not be a relationship between student home language/ELL status and raw tonal post-test aptitude scores.

H2(2) - There will be a relationship between student home language/ELL status and raw tonal post-test aptitude scores.

Connection to future study: The subject of this study does not directly align with the my proposed dissertation research but provides evidence of ability to use quantitative methods.  Should the proposed dissertation study be a mixed-methods study, the statistical approach used within this artifact will be necessary.  

I have since used these methods and statistical analyses in practical use to evaluate district assessments within my current school and have presented the data analysed to the staff and district assessment coordinator.

Qualitative Methods

Skill Represented: The scholarship skills represented here are "Collecting and analyzing appropritate types of data and communicating results of that research in writing and orally with diverse audiences," and "Identifying important/practical questions that can be addressed through scholarship."  I first became interested in the concept of advisory while interviewing for jobs in international schools.  After 6 interviews and 5 job offers, I ultimately accepted the job from a school with an advisory program despite having no knowledge of the country or it's culture.  I saw the priority on advisory as an expression of an "Ethic of Care" that matched my philosophy.  I have since seen this strategy used to varying degrees of efficacy and believe that more research is needed to assist schools to enact these needs-based and care-focused approaches with their staff and students.

Overview: The following research was conducted as part of the Qualitative Research Methods course (EDK 235) and presented at the Ed.D. Community Forum in Summer of 2022.  

This study represents the foundations of my future dissertation study and investigated an advisory structure in its initial stages of implementation at a local high school. This study investigated perceptions of one Wayne County high school’s implementation of a flexible advisory structure to affect change across multiple areas of student and staff needs following the COVID-19 interruption of in-person learning.

The research questions included:

1. Is the unique flexible purpose of advisory perceived by teachers and administrators as effective?

2. What is the primary purpose of this advisory becoming, after initial implementation?

3. What are the teacher’s perceptions of this model of advisory?

Connection to future study: The topic of this study (Advisory Structures) relates directly to the subject of the proposed dissertation study.  The challenges reported within the preliminary results portion lead to the question of developing teacher disposition and skills to act as an affective advisor to students in secondary schools.  The use of interviews will be a consistent strategy carried into the proposed dissertation study.