eJournal Entry 26

The Experience

It's been a while since I last updated my journal, and these past weeks have been filled with moments of rethinking, problem-solving, and ultimately making peace with necessary adaptations to my research approach. After extensive consultation with my external adviser (See Attachment B.3.4) , I made the difficult decision to abandon the idea of calculating p-values for my online survey data with 241 variables, my adviser explained that building a statistical model for this volume of data would be unnecessarily complex and potentially counterproductive for my research goals. Instead, we've shifted toward an inferential approach that better aligns with my mixed-methods design and the supplementary role of the survey data. 

The irony of this entire experience hasn't been lost on me: here I am, a UPOU student studying the motivation challenges of other UPOU students, and I'm experiencing firsthand the very phenomenon I'm researching: moments of feeling overwhelmed by repetitive analytical tasks, questioning my approach, and needing to find renewed motivation to push through methodological obstacles. During this period, I've managed to complete significant portions of my analysis, including my Data Analysis and Writing Methodology Report (See Attachment I.2), Technical Review of the MyPortal (See Attachment H.1.3), and the Interview Analysis Report (See Attachment I.2.1), which represents about one-third of my total data analysis work and provides a solid foundation for the remaining components.

Looking Forward

This experience of adapting my analytical approach has reinforced important lessons about research flexibility and the value of expert guidance when navigating complex methodological decisions. Moving forward, I'll continue working on the inferential analysis while focusing on integrating findings across my different data sources, and I'm currently in the process of revising my paper to ensure coherence between my methodology, analysis, and findings. The parallel between my research topic and my personal experience as a student has given me deeper empathy for my participants and additional insights that I can incorporate into my Student Motivation Guide, making it more authentic and relatable. I'm also learning to view setbacks not as failures but as normal parts of the research process that often lead to stronger, more focused outcomes.