Day 3 Reflection: The Purpose Driven Side Road

EDUC 5410 - Defining Purpose continued …

After a brief discussion with David today, it became clear that the answers I had initially given to questions 1 and 2 were more research based than assessment based.  The next challenge I had was to craft a way to approach faith-based schooling not so much on a philosophical level but rather in a way that would look at the results of this type of schooling.  Though I am not nearly confident that I am on the right track, I believe I am more so than I was before this morning’s class.

I believe I have successfully changed number one, although I still may revise this before the weekend is over.  I am also much happier with number two although I am still unclear what the constructs for number one should be.  The question I currently have is have I written four constructs already for number two and am scratching my head for nothing, or am I still out in left field on what a construct is?  And if I am, can I get an example of what a construct for my chosen topic is?  (Please?)

Heuristic questions revised:

1.     What are the information needs about students, teachers, or administrators that you need to fill?

• ·      What are the indicators demonstrating that students who attend various Christian schools benefit from a faith-infused curriculum?

2.     What do you want to know?

• ·      To what extent does faith manifest itself as a result of the learned curriculum?

o   How do students, as a result of learning from a Christian worldview, articulate that worldview?

o   Are students able to interpret their faith-based learning to make it personal and long lasting? 

o   Do students show empathy for, and understand, perspectives other than their own?

o   Are students able to apply their faith-based learning to diverse contexts in their lives?

EDUC 5400

Now that our groups are set for the presentation, and our topic has been chosen, I am excited to explore the method of phenomenology.  As a Social Studies person and a storyteller, I am always interested in the human experience, particularly when it is firsthand.  While I know that if I were to use this methodology myself in my future research, I would be very good at summarizing people’s stories.  The challenge that I believe exists in this sort of methodology is how does one remain 100% neutral or detached from the stories one is being told?  If the results are to be unbiased, and assuming the researcher has some type of personal connection to the topic (otherwise why would he/she want to study it?), this would be challenging indeed.  It makes me wonder if the type of methodology that one uses to research should be carefully chosen depending upon one’s emotional attachment to the topic?