Individual Journal Assignment:

Both qualitative and quantitative research methods are valuable – one is not superior to the other. The author of “Introduction to Educational Research,” states that, “the primary goal of all educational research is to describe, explain, predict, or control educational phenomena” (Mertler, 2015). The various research methods can produce different views of reality. Both approaches to research are scientific and contribute to important research findings that help us better understand educational phenomena. “The combination of both qualitative and quantitative data tends to provide a better understanding of a given research problem than can one type of data in isolation” (Mertler, 2015). Rarely do teachers examine the research methodology used to collect data; instead, we take the given information as facts. With this being said, educational problems should be investigated using whatever method or methods appropriate for the research question. The goal of any research study is to generate new knowledge, gain a better understanding of some issues, or to develop some sort of innovation that will positively benefit our students.

As the field of research methodology is continually changing, the views held towards the research methods used to analyze the relevance, value and validity of research are also constantly changing too. Norman K. Denzin’s article “The Elephant in the Living Room” (2009) argues that the politics and bias involved in the collection of qualitative evidence affects objectivity and neglects the issues of equity and social justice. Kadriye Ercikan and Wolff-Michael Roth’s article, “What Good is Polarizing Research into Qualitative and Quantitative?” (2006) argues that both qualitative and quantitative research styles limit their effectiveness and usefulness, “rather than focusing on the construction of good research questions and conducting good research” (Ercikan & Roth, 2006).

The two articles address flaws in the current accepted standards of research methodology. Ercikan and Roth state that the polarization of research is problematic because “it focuses on certain types of data collection” (Ercikan & Roth, 2006) taking the focus away from the research question; whereas, Denzin states that “when researchers collect data, the evidence is inherently biased” (Denzin, 2009). From an educational perspective, when considering and assessing the value of the different methods of research regarding educational topics, one must step back and remember the sole purpose of the research. “The purpose of research is to generate knowledge rather than to concretely realize one method or another” (Ercikan & Roth, 2006). Regardless of the method chosen, the importance lies within the research question and the purpose of the research.

Ercikan and Roth disagrees with Denzin in suggested ways to mediate the challenges to collect meaningful and useful research. They propose adopting a new model in education research that produces results with both high and low inference levels, as well as various forms of generalization, linking together the different aspects of knowledge to help address the varying needs of different members of society (Ercikan & Roth, 2006). On the other hand, Denzin suggests that randomized, experimental designs are appropriate for some fields of research. He posits that “this model should not be applied to all research despite its’ success in some fields” (Denzin, 2009). Ercikan and Roth advocates for the new model because aspects of quantitative research exist within qualitative data collection, and alternatively that qualitative research data collection has quantitative measures as well. The idea of the ‘mixed-method approach’ should be considered. Using a mixed-method approach to studies in education, similar to Ercikan and Roth, may give researchers the contextual foundation and evidence-based validity that they need to assist educational professionals and organizations in the education field.

For example, it would not make a lot of sense for a researcher studying bullying in elementary school to spend a lot of time preparing narrow case-study specific information that is solely on statistics. Instead, the researcher may want some broad contextual information about the school and home life in the community, and would like more statistics about child health, poverty, mental health, etc. By mixing both quantitative and qualitative research and data, the researcher is able to provide a more complete and comprehensive understanding of the research problem than either quantitative or qualitative approaches alone. The result from this research will guide parents, teachers and administration on possible interventions to use for children who are being bullied.

On the other hand, Denzin states that the guidelines for qualitative research are differing and always fit within the particular context. He argues that mix-methods inquiries fails to address the bias and subjectivity associated to the collection of qualitative data, allowing the researcher the power to control the evidence collected, which results in flawed data. Ideally, Denzin wants an approach that embraces the usefulness of qualitative research, without the constraints of the quantitative methodology. In order to standardize the collection of evidence process, he suggests that “all research should conform to a set of shared criteria (e.g. internal, external validity, credibility, transferability, confirmability, transparency, warrantability)” (Denzin, 2009). Since qualitative research is a more holistic approach to data collection, there is no fair means to control any variables. Researchers simply take the world as it exists and as they find it. The quality of data that is collected through qualitative research is highly dependent on the skills and observations of the researcher. If a researcher has a biased point-of-view, their perspective will be included with the data collected and influence the outcome. Perhaps the biggest disadvantage of qualitative research is the lack of statistical representation. It is a perspective-method of research only, which means the responses given are not measured.

To some degree, one can argue that almost all research is flawed, and as researchers it is our duty to reduce these flaws. Most educators would agree with Ercikan and Roth’s argument that, “instead of dichotomizing research into qualitative and quantitative, we need integrative approaches that provide the appropriate forms of knowledge needed by decision makers located differently in society and dealing with different units of analysis” (Ercikan and Roth, 2006). Using the new model for educational research allows researchers to make choices regarding data sources, data construction, and analysis methods that best fit their research questions. Each method has its own strengths and weaknesses, but through the use of the mixed-method approach, researchers will be able to produce valuable information stemming from the research conducted, while sharing their meaningful discoveries with humanity.

After considering both articles from an educational standpoint, Ercikan, Roth and Denzin all argue for research methodology that better serves the students’ needs. The polarization of research styles takes the focus away from the creation of good research questions and conducting quality research. By using the mixed-method approach, it allows researchers to “capitalize on the relative strengths of both quantitative and qualitative data” (Mertler, 2015). A mixed-method approach offers the broad and generalized data for educational researchers and organizations who need empirical data and statistics. In combining both qualitative and quantitative measures, not only can one offset weaknesses of each other (Mertler, 2015), it also allows more options and flexibility to addressing the given research question. The ultimate aims of research are to generate measurable and testable data that contributes to human knowledge and better our understanding of how the world around us works. There is no one approach that is used to achieve this; rather, there are certain questions in education that requires the use of both quantitative and qualitative methods in order to get a better understanding of the problem presented.

References:

Denzin, N.K. (2009). The elephant in the living room: or extending the conversation about the politics of evidence. Qualitative Research, 9(2), 139-160.

Ercikan, K., & Roth, W-M. (2006). What good is polarizing research into qualitative and quantitative? Educational Researcher, 35, 14-23.

Mertler, C.A. (2015). Introduction to Educational Research. Sage Publications.

 

 

Assignment #1- Research Proposal

Part A

Purpose of the Research

Grade configuration is an often discussed topic that has created significant dialogue in both Canada and the United States.  A wide variety of different configurations are discussed in the body of research on the topic, mostly due to its focus on the American educational system. Within British Columbia, Canada, however, grade configuration overwhelmingly favours one of two options. A middle school system that contains three phases: elementary (Kindergarten to Grade 5), middle school (Grade 6 to Grade 8), and high school (Grade 9 to Grade 12), or alternatively a high school system that contains two phases: elementary (Kindergarten to Grade 7) and high school (Grade 8 to Grade 12). Eighth grade students are the focus of the research as they are met with the largest change in these two systems, either enrolled in a highly structured middle school setting with little variance in age between grades, or enrolled in a far less structured high school setting with a very large discrepancy in age between grades. The body of research contains a number of studies discussing the decline in measurable academic achievement exhibited in students when entering a middle school system (Schwerdt & West, 2012; Lockwood & Rockoff, 2010; Byrnes & Ruby, 2007). However, the investigation into attitudes toward learning specifically within British Columbia is far less extensive. Therefore, this research’s purpose is to compare the attitude toward learning exhibited by students enrolled in the three-phase model versus those students enrolled in the two-phase model within British Columbia.

Research Question

1. Are there differences in attitude towards learning in those Grade 8 students enrolled in Middle School versus Grade 8 students enrolled in High School?
   1. If so what are the nature of the differences, do Grade 8s in Middle School or High School demonstrate a more positive attitude toward learning?
   2. If there are differences are they present at the beginning of the school year? or do attitudes diverge as the school year progresses?

Hypotheses

1. H1: There will be a difference in measured attitude toward learning between Grade 8s enrolled in Middle School and Grade 8s enrolled in High School.
2. H2: Grade 8 students enrolled in Middle School will exhibit a more positive measured attitude toward learning than Grade 8s enrolled in High School.
3. H3: The differences in measured attitude toward learning will start statistically comparable and diverge as the school year progresses.

Variables

Independent Variables:

• As researchers we are determining the age group that will be focused on

Dependant Variables:

• Student achievement
• Student performance
• Student well being
• Student behavior
• Student attitude towards learning
• Socio-economic status of neighbourhood

Confounding Variables:

• Student behaviour towards the instructor
• Students previous experience with their grade 7 instructor
• Teachers attitude towards a class
• Students attitude towards learning
• Teacher engagement
• Students access to support services
• Parent support
• Language barrier from a diverse student populations

Continuous Variable:

• Age group

Discrete Variables:

Some of the discrete variables not taken into account are:

Socio economic background of individual students

• Ethnicity
• School size

Ethical Considerations and Assumptions

Ethical Considerations:

1. Participation is voluntary
2. Consent is required from our participants (18+)
3. Consent is required from participants’ parents or legal guardians
4. Assent is required from participants under age of 18
5. We will respect confidentiality and anonymity of all participants
6. We will ensure our participants are protected from any harm
7. We will insure all participation is done according to FOIPPA regulations**
8. A summary of the findings will be available to anyone who is interested

Assumptions:

1. Course content, assignments and class instruction will be the same for Grade 8’s in Middle School and High School
2. The teachers will be trained on how to administer all methods of assessments
3. Students will receive equal access to technology use in classes

* Note: Based on these assumptions, students in the study will be given a questionnaire at the beginning of the school year and again at the end of the year.

**FOIPPA – Freedom of Information, Protection of Privacy Act

Part B

Literature/Internet Search Plan

The Initial Plan

After consulting the strategies discussed by Craig Mertler in Introduction to Educational Research, we began this project with a topic of: Do Middle Schools make sense? We all were interested in why some school districts have Middle Schools and some not. As we began to do some preliminary research using UBC Library-Summons and Google Scholar, we noticed that our question was too broad. Our group shared our common interests as we began to develop our question. Here is the list of common interests:

1. Agreed on focusing our research on Grade 8 students
2. Assessment methods used in each subject
3. Parent and student attitudes towards Middle schools and High Schools
4. Students attitude towards learning
5. Opportunities for electives in Middle Schools versus opportunities for electives in High Schools

After listing out interests, we began to narrow our topic by highlighting specific keywords. After deliberating over Whatsapp and Google Docs, we decided that our topic of interest had changed from “Do Middle Schools make sense” to “what is the difference between a Grade 8 student in Middle School versus a Grade 8 student in High School.” We then began a more comprehensive search for related literature (primary and secondary) in the education field using various databases: ERIC, UBC Library- Summons, Google Scholar (through the UBC Library), Proquest, and JStor. Below is a chart of our keywords and search items:

Keywords: Search Items:

Grade Configuration	Middle School, junior high, high school, k-5, 6-8, 9-12, elementary (k-7), high school (8-12), grade school, secondary
Education	academic, achievement, Canada, United States, public, private,
Attitudes	behaviours, social well-being, engagement, advantages, disadvantages

By developing specific keywords, we were able to create the following topic: “Attitudes of Grade 8 students in Middle School versus High Schools.” We were able to use Boolean’s Logic in which terms were combined using “and,” “or,” and “not” to refine our searches. We focused primarily on research carried out within the last 10 years. However, we did include a few that were within the 20 year range due to their relevance to the topic.  During our searches, we mostly found sources relating to education in the United States of America, as very few sources spoke of education in Canada. To track our resources, we created two main folders on Refworks:

• Folder #1- Elementary (K-5), Middle (6-8), High school (9-12)
• Folder #2- Elementary (K-7), High school (8-12)

The group began to look at the different types of resources we had and categorized them into primary and secondary sources. When looking at the databases, most of the resources we found were peer-reviewed articles, full texts of journal articles and papers presented at research conferences (Primary Sources). We then began looking over reviews of research, chapters from textbooks, and also magazine and newspaper articles (Secondary Sources).

Rationale for Future Literature Search

As we move forward in our research study, we must consider the following to inform our literature review:

Find additional primary sources through Databases that pertain to education in Canada.

1. We must begin to determine whether: our research is objective, has the author explained the bias and identifying what are the limitations of the research.
2. We must identify themes in the research and synthesize the material into subtopics.
3. We must analyze the reliability and validity of research in the field.

Steps after Conducting the Research

Our next step in the research includes developing proper assessments for the teachers to use to determine the academic achievements of the students, as well as their attitudes towards learning. Below is the breakdown of our plan:

1. Develop and finalize assessments to be used in this study
2. Design research study and choose the appropriate type of data collection:
3. Select instruments for data collection
4. Establish a method of sampling

Part C

References

Anderman, E. M., Maehr, M. L., & Midgley, C. (1999). Declining motivation after the transition to middle school: Schools can make a difference. Journal of Research & Development in Education, 32(3), 131-147.

Byrnes, V., & Ruby, A. (2007). Comparing achievement between K-8 and middle schools: A large-scale empirical study. American Journal of Education, 114(1), 101-135. doi:10.1086/520693

Carolan, B. V., Weiss, C. C., & Matthews, J. S. (2015). Which middle school model works best? evidence from the early childhood longitudinal study. Youth & Society, 47(5), 591-614. 10.1177/0044118X13478625

Cheryl R. Ellerbock, Sarah M. Kiefer. (2014) Fostering an Adolescent-Centered Community Responsive to Student Needs: Lessons Learned and Suggestions for Middle Level Educators. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas 87:6, pages 229-235.

Feuerborn, L. L., Wallace, C., & Tyre, A. D. (2016). A qualitative analysis of middle and high school teacher perceptions of schoolwide positive behavior supports. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 18(4), 219-229. 10.1177/1098300716632591

Lassen, S. R., Steele, M. M., & Sailor, W. (2006). The relationship of school-wide positive behavior support to academic achievement in an urban middle school. Psychology in the Schools, 43(6), 701-712. 10.1002/pits.20177

Multisite Violence Prevention Project, & Multisite Violence Prevention Project. (2014). Targeting High‐Risk, socially influential middle school students to reduce aggression: Universal versus selective preventive intervention effects. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 24(2), 364-382. 10.1111/jora.12067

Rockoff, J. E., & Lockwood, B. B. (2010). Stuck in the middle: Impacts of grade configuration in public schools doi://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2010.06.017

Ryan, A. M., Shim, S. S., & Makara, K. A. (2013). Changes in academic adjustment and relational self-worth across the transition to middle school. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 42(9), 1372-1384. 10.1007/s10964-013-9984-7

Schwerdt, G., & West, M. R. (2013). The impact of alternative grade configurations on student outcomes through middle and high school doi://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2012.10.002

Shapiro, M. N. (2016). Identifying factors in successful transformations from junior high to middle school: A multi-case study analysis (Order No. 10118380). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1803936938). Retrieved from http://ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/docview/1803936938?accountid=14656

Weiss, C. C., & Baker‐Smith, E. C. (2010). Eighth‐Grade school form and resilience in the transition to high school: A comparison of middle schools and K‐8 schools. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 20(4), 825-839. 10.1111/j.1532-7795.2010.00664.x

Whitley, J., Lupart, J. L., & Beran, T. (2007). Differences in achievement between adolescents who remain in a K-8 school and those who transition to a junior high school. Canadian Journal of Education / Revue Canadienne De l’Éducation, 30(3), 649-669.

 

Assignment #2- Literature Review

In the world of education today school boards and districts are continually looking for changes to facilitate student success, one of which is grade configuration. Shapiro’s (2016) multi-case study illustrates as, “schools that changed their middle grades structures from junior high to middle school did so because they believed the middle school model better met the overall needs of the students.” This study will examine two models of education: Model 1- elementary (k-7) and high school (8-12) versus Model 2- elementary (k-5), middle school (6-8) and high school (9-12). Ultimately, the goal of this study is to determine the difference in attitude toward learning exhibited by grade eight students enrolled in Model 1 versus grade eight students enrolled in Model 2.

Student Academic Achievement

Most of the research surrounding Model 1 versus Model 2 grade configuration centers on academic achievement and contains largely varying results. In a study measuring self-worth and academic adjustment at six-month intervals during the transition year, authors Ryan, Shim and Makara (2013) agree that student achievement decreases during the transition from elementary to middle school. In their conclusion the authors suggest that the developmental age of the students may be a larger determining factor in academic achievement than grade configuration.

Schwerdt and West (2013) similarly suggest students transitioning into middle schools will experience a substantial drop in their relative performance in Math (0.124 standard deviation) and English (0.148 standard deviation). The article finds, “… students moving from elementary to middle school suffer a sharp drop in student achievement in the transition year. These achievement drops persist through grade 10,” (Schwerdt & West, 2013). Rockoff and Lockwood (2010) further claim that the difference in instructional styles between middle and elementary schools’ results in a negative impact on student achievement. These effects are substantial in the subject areas of Math and English, where both boys and girls experience a significant drop in academic achievement (0.15 standard deviation).

Whitley, Lupart, and Beran (2007), however, noted that within nationally representative survey data there was no discernable difference in academic achievement between students transitioning from elementary to middle school and those students transitioning from elementary to high school. Whitley et. al. took into account the environmental factors that could impact student achievement, such as: socio-economic background, location of the school, student’s home life, adequate educational material and resources, and individual student academic performance prior to the transition.

Conclusions on the subject of academic achievement appear to fluctuate according to the variables inherent within the various studies, location being the most predominant, leading one to conclude that a similar trend may exist in studies on attitude towards learning.

School Climate

In addition to academic achievement researchers often focus on student attitude regarding school environment and student motivation. Malone, Cornell and Shukla (2017) and Rockoff and Lockwood (2010) both agree that students attending middle schools do not perform as well as students who transition from elementary directly into high school.

Malone, Cornell and Shukla’s study compares 7th and 8th grade students’ perception of four key features of school climate: disciplinary structure, student support, student engagement, and prevalence of teasing and bullying, in middle schools versus elementary or high schools. Data was collected using a sample of 39,036 7th and 8th grade students attending 418 schools across the United States of America. The study revealed that “students attending middle schools had a more negative perception of school climate than students in schools with other grade configurations,” (Malone, Cornell & Shukla, 2017). Further to this, Rockoff and Lockwood (2010), suggest that the configuration of ages and different levels of development seen in the middle school system lead students to exhibit increased negativity, demonstrate low self-esteem, and show poor ability to judge risks and consequences of their actions.

Using a five point scale measure established by Jacquelynne Eccles, Ryan, Shim, and Makara (2013) noted similar negative results in student motivation when analyzing self reported survey data from middle school students. This decline, however, began in elementary school lending further evidence to their aforementioned argument that developmental age rather than grade configuration could be the cause.

Conclusion

The predominant results within the literature demonstrate a decline in students’ academic achievement and concept of their learning environment when transitioning from elementary to middle school. Regardless of the results, however, the different number of environmental variables that exist between the bodies of research make generalizing the situation problematic. Moreover, the focus on the American school system, and a very different demographic, leaves questions regarding the British Columbian experience.

References

Malone, M., Cornell, D., & Shukla, K. (2016;2017;). Association of grade configuration with school climate for 7th and 8th grade students. School Psychology Quarterly, 32(3), 350-366. 10.1037/spq0000174

Rockoff, J. E., & Lockwood, B. B. (2010). Stuck in the middle: Impacts of grade configuration in public schools. Journal of Public Economics, 94(11), 1051;1061;-1061. 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2010.06.017

Ryan, A. M., Shim, S. S., & Makara, K. A. (2013). Changes in academic adjustment and relational self-worth across the transition to middle school. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 42(9), 1372-84. http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/10.1007/s10964-013-9984-7 Retrieved from http://ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/docview/1428712549?accountid=14656

Schwerdt, G., & West, M. R. (2013). The impact of alternative grade configurations on student outcomes through middle and high school. Journal of Public Economics, 97, 308-326. 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2012.10.002

Shapiro, M. N. (2016). Identifying factors in successful transformations from junior high to middle school: A multi-case study analysis (Order No. 10118380). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1803936938).

Whitley, J., Lupart, J. L., & Beran, T. (2007). Differences in achievement between adolescents who remain in A K-8 school and those who transition to a junior high school. Canadian Journal of Education, 30(3), 669;649.