eJournal Entry 12

The Experience

This week marked a significant milestone as I completed the pilot testing phase of my research instruments (See Attachment F.2). After recruiting seven UPOU undergraduate students and offering a small honorarium for their time, I was able to gather valuable feedback on my survey design. Surprisingly, the participants had minimal suggestions for improvement, which initially gave me confidence but also made me wonder if I should probe more deeply for constructive criticism.

Currently, I'm working on compiling the pilot testing report, which involves more than just summarizing participant feedback. I'm conducting a preliminary analysis to ensure my data collection process aligns properly with my theoretical frameworks. This mini-analysis is proving to be a valuable exercise, as it's allowing me to test my analytical approach before implementing it at a larger scale.

The faculty recruitment process has hit a roadblock. I've reached out to several potential faculty interviewees, but responses have been virtually non-existent. The timing is unfortunate as we're approaching the end of the semester when faculty members are likely overwhelmed with grading and other end-of-term responsibilities. However, it is a good thing that I have set up my study to have the faculty interviews be supplemental only. While I still hope to recruit some professors, my research can proceed with the student data as the primary focus.

For student interviewees, I've intentionally delayed recruitment as I'm still finalizing my interview guides alongside my research proposal. This sequential approach feels right methodologically, but I'm aware it's creating time pressure as deadlines approach.

The recent announcement of the townhall schedule has added a layer of anxiety to my work. Knowing I'll need to present my progress publicly has made the timeline feel suddenly more urgent.

Looking Forward

The pilot testing experience has reinforced the importance of building in time for unexpected delays. Moving forward, I plan to apply a more strategic approach to faculty recruitment by reaching out earlier in future research phases and being more explicit about time commitments in my initial communications.

If I were to approach this phase differently, I would have started faculty outreach earlier in the semester when their schedules might have been less compressed. I might also consider offering more specific time slots rather than open-ended interview requests to make it easier for busy faculty to commit.

Several questions have emerged that I want to explore further: How might the limited feedback from the pilot test participants affect the robustness of my instruments? Should I conduct a second round of pilot testing with more targeted questions about the instruments themselves? How can I better time my research activities to align with the academic calendar and avoid end-of-term bottlenecks?

For the coming week, my priorities are clear: complete the pilot test report, submit my proposal, finalize the interview guides, and formally launch the online survey for students. While the townhall presentation creates some anxiety, I'm reminding myself that it's an opportunity to receive valuable feedback that will ultimately strengthen my research.