Office Chat: Research

The University of Mary Washington (UMW) may not be an “R-1″ university (a designation once used by the Carnegie Foundation for large research universities). But research is very important at UMW nonetheless.  Mary Wash promotes the concept of research in it’s undergraduate programs as well as the graduate professional programs and is an institutional member in the Council of Undergraduate Research. UMW hosts a Student Research and Creativity Day each year which highlights the amazing research and creative talents of our undergraduate students.

In this interview with Dr. Jo Tyler, Associate Professor of Linguistics and Education, the focus is on the importance of research in the UMW graduate programs. Not mentioned in the interview is a very interesting application of research that Tyler used to investigate a childhood family accident. Detailed in an article by Chris Neuberger, Tyler compares linguistic clues from interviews with family members to resolve a long-standing internal conflict. But back to the present interview…

Here, Tyler addresses one of the common questions for graduate professors of education, “Why do I have to learn about research? I just want to be a public school teacher!” The answer involves many facets. First, one should understand that in gaining a “Master’s degree,” a person is becoming a master. And being a “master” in education or other field means that one is both scholar and professional as well as practitioner.   According to the UMW M.Ed. Track II Handbook, the goals of EDCI 590, Individual Research, are to develop the ability to:

• apply knowledge about the field to practical issues
• plan and carry out in-depth, objective investigation of issues, policies and/or problems, including the ability to locate, evaluate and synthesize relevant resource materials
• reflect on the implications of the research and offer practical solutions
• inform others in the field about the outcomes of the research (p. 19)

The process of research, Tyler states, refines the student’s thinking ability as well as the ability to employ effective research skills. The process of research involves finding sources, assessing the quality of the source, analyzing its value in the present study, writing drafts, revising the drafts, and editing the final paper. During each of these activities reflective thought is critical. The student moves up the scale of Bloom’s taxonomy as each step in the research takes place.

Jo Tyler on Research, Part 1 of 3

Practicing teachers can employ research techniques in various parts of their work. Research can be a collaborative process, expanding personal knowledge as well as contributing to academic knowledge in general. It can improve their own teaching with each new class becoming an action research project. IN these rather dire economic times, grant writing becomes a very important skill. And grant agencies must filter through many applications. Those applications showing a knowledgeable practitioner who has done their homework in providing supporting evidence for the grant application will rise above those that do not.

Jo Tyler on Research, Part 2 of 3

And Tyler indicates that research is an important skill in everyday situations. A good researcher must learn to ask probing questions, to ask questions that do not have answers. Such a researcher is a great example of constructivist learning, building for themselves an understanding based on current knowledge discovered via research. And these critical thinking skills are useful in any situation involving controversy or decision making. Being able to examine both sides of an issue, to provide supporting evidence, and to demonstrate a meticulous approach to understanding are abilities needed for civil discourse in governmental, societal, and professional life.

Jo Tyler on Research, Part 3 of 3

Another area in which expertise in academic research will assist both the practitioner and any consumer of information is the ability to discern the value of information on the Internet. The Net contains innumerable assets, some of which are outright false, some misleading, some questionable. On the other hand, there are numerous peer reviewed journals, governmental data warehouses, literary web sites, open source photographs, scientific and medical web sites hosted by professional societies, and many other examples of high-quality easily available information.  With so much information available, it is critical to able to know which to rely upon for decision making. One example, is Wikipedia. Such sources which are comprised of the “wisdom of crowds” are a good sources for a quick overview of a concept. Although not usually acceptable as a primary source in an academic paper, Wikipedia is a very valuable site for starting a research project because the articles usually contain valuable reference citations.

A masters level research course course may be one of the most valuable courses in graduate school. As shown in Dr. Tyler’s interview, research improves critical thinking skills, improves a person’s ability to back up decision making with hard facts, and improves the practitioners teaching skills.

References:

Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. (n.d.). Classification for the University of Mary Washington. Retrieved June 20, 2009 from
http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/classifications/sub.asp?key=748&subkey=16541&start=782.

Neuburger, C. (2008, Fall/Winter). Remember when? The symbiosis of memory and family story telling. Retrieved June 20, 2009 from http://universityofmarywashington.v1.myvirtualpaper.com/university-of-mary-wahington-mag-fall-2008/2008112101?page=24.

University of Mary Washington. (2006, Fall). The track II handbook: The M.Ed. for professional development or added endorsement.