Please
check,
just in
case…
Announcements:
•
Group presentations begin Oct 22 – make
an appointment to see Julia for assistance in
finding resources, questions, or concerns.
•
Oct 15 will be a small group work session. I
can meet groups in my office to share and
discuss resources – let me know.
•
Plan ahead for naturalistic concept research
paper – look at concepts terms in case you
come across them in your readings before
them.
Additional Announcement:
 October 15 is the Jane Blumenthal
lecture.
 It begins at 5:00 on north campus.
 You should plan on attending. You can
earn bonus/make-up points.
Research Methodology Teams:
 October 22:
• Experimental:
• Quasi-experimental:
• Single-case:
• Survey:
October 29:
• Case study:
• Interviews:
• Ethnography:
Questions,
quandaries,
concerns,
conundrums?
TODAY’S TOPIC:
The relationship
between paradigms
and research
methods
APA Tip of the Day: Author initials
in reference list
Include initials for all first and middle
names provided on the title page of the
article, chapter or book.
Initials should take the form of the first
letter of that name, capitalized, followed
by a period, then a space. If there are
two initials, make sure there is a space
between them!
 e.g. de Valenzuela, J. S.
PAIR ‘O DIME?
Pair ‘o dimes
Paradigms are axiomatic systems.
Axioms are “the set of undemonstrated
(and undemonstrable) ‘basic beliefs’
accepted by convention or established by
practice as the building blocks of some
conceptual or theoretical structure or
system.”
(Guba & Lincoln, 1985, p. 33)
Paradigm:
Paradigms represent a
distillation of what we think
about the world (but cannot
prove). Our actions in the
world… cannot occur without
reference to those paradigms:
“As we think, so do we act.”
Lincoln & Guba, 1985, p. 15
A paradigm is a world view, a
general perspective, a way of
breaking down the complexity of
the real world. As such, paradigms
are deeply embedded in the
socialization of… practitioners:
paradigms tell them what is
important, legitimate, and
reasonable.
Lincoln & Guba, 1985, p.15
Why is it important to
understand “paradigms”
in a research class?
Because the researcher’s paradigm
determines what s/he considers
appropriate research questions and
acceptable methods of conducting
research.
The three most commonly
recognized paradigms in
education are:
 Positivism
 Interpretivism
 Critical theory
Positivism
“The truth
is out
there.”
aka: the “X-file” paradigm
Positivism
“The truth is out there.”
There is a truth and the best
way to know if we have
discovered the truth is by
using “scientific” methods.
Interpretivism
“Realities are multiple,
constructed, and holistic.
Knower and known are
interactive, inseparable.”
(Lincoln & Guba, 1985, p. 37)
Critical Theory
“Realities are multiple, constructed,
and holistic.
Knower and known are interactive,
inseparable.”
(Lincoln & Guba, 1985, p. 37)
Who gets to decide which version of reality is
accepted? Who benefits from particular
constructions of reality or knowledge?
Critical theory
According to LeCompte & Preissle
(1993, p. 27) all of the critical theory
approaches “have in common a
rejection of traditional science,
especially the emphasis in positivism
on control, the omission of context,
and the objectification of subjects
being studied.”
Typology of Scientific Paradigms
Heterogeneous – In conflict
Critical
Theory
Nature of reality
Subjective
Interpretivism
Objective
Positivism
Homogeneous - Consensual
From Burrell & Morgan, as cited in and adapted by Mercer, J. (1992). The impact of changing paradigms of disability on mental
retardation in the year 2000. In L. Rowitz (Ed.), Mental retardation in the year 2000 (pp. 15-38). New York: Spring-Verlag.
Whole Group Activity:
Let’s play ‘Name Some Topics’
What questions might be asked on
these topics?
Into what paradigms might these
questions fit?
Quick Write
What do you understand
about paradigms now? How
is this important in
conducting, using, reading,
and evaluating research?
Small Group Activity:
From the Lincoln & Guba reading:
What do you understand about
positivism?
What do you understand about the
naturalistic paradigm?
Why is this important to
understand in a research class?
1. Epistemology/paradigm
2. Theoretical/conceptual
framework
3. Research review
4. Research question(s)/
hypotheses
5. Methodology/design
6. Methods
Paradigm
Theoretical Framework
…..Research review
Question
Methodology
Methods
How do all of these parts interact?
How does paradigm influence the
types of questions asked?
How does the question asked influence
research methodology?
Main Points:
1. Many different approaches to
research, not just positivistic, are
valid, informative, and important to
understanding education
phenomena.
2. There is no one “best” research
method -- the method must be
selected based on the question(s)
being asked.
Main Points, cont.:
3. Different types of research must
be judged by different criteria.
There is not one set of
standards that apply to ALL
research methods.
Looking ahead…
Issues in research
design
Please take a
minute for the
minute paper.
And don’t forget to turn
your phone back on.