Educational Research Methodology Research Articles

Understanding and Encountering the Ethics of Self and Others in Autoethnography: Challenging the Extant and Exploring Possibilities

In cultural and institutional contexts, autoethnography examines personal and professional experiences. While conducting and representing autoethnography, these considerations raise ethical challenges for self and others. This expository paper examines and explores the various forms of the ethics of self and others in autoethnography in South Asian contexts. Furthermore, ethical positions in an autoethnographic inquiry are presented and explored by challenging the extant and exploring the possibilities. Moreover, ethical standards are maintained based on the first author's experiences. We also realized that the emerging challenges of the ethics of self and others in autoethnography are ongoing and real. Likewise, we brought the first author’s lived experiences of conducting autoethnographic inquiry in his personal, professional, and cultural contexts (i.e., South Asian contexts) as a guiding principle. Above all, following the foundational understanding of ethics in autoethnography, one may engage with others in the account of self-experiences. The paper concludes by highlighting possible procedural and situational ethics pertaining to Dharma and Karma in autoethnography as a transformative educational research methodology (Luitel & Dahal, 2020) that might be demonstrated while conducting an autoethnographic inquiry.

The next generation of researchers: One-year outcome data from the SAEM Advanced Research Methodology Evaluation and Design in Medical Education (ARMED MedEd) program.

As the field of medical education evolves, there is a need to increase the quality of education scholarship and develop a cadre of research scholars; however, clinician educators (CEs) considering this career transition have limited formal training in education research methodology to heed this call. Therefore, a program that provides more advanced training in education scholarship for CEs without the financial and resource barriers of fellowships and masters programs is needed. The SAEM Advanced Research Methodology Evaluation and Design in Medical Education (ARMED MedEd) program is a longitudinal program for the beyond-beginner CE, seeking advanced training in education research. The program was created using a comprehensive needs assessment and included longitudinal training; small-group projects; dedicated project mentors; and integrated diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Program participants applied for a grant upon program completion. Twenty-one participants completed the course with 100% completing the baseline survey and 67% (14/21) completing the end-of-program survey. Participants reported improved perception of knowledge across all of the topics with a medium to large effect size, ranging from 0.40 to 0.62. When asked about impact on their network of potential collaborators, participants reported a median of 7 (interquartile range [IQR] 5-8) out of 9. When asked about the impact on their community of practice, participants reported a median of 7 (IQR 5-7) out of 9. When asked about the impact on their professional identity, participants reported a median of 7 (IQR 4-9) out of 9. Participants also reported an increase in both the quantity (mean of 2 ± 1 new mentors) and the quality (median score 7 [IQR 5-8] out of 9) of new research mentorship as a result of the program. Open-ended feedback was generally positive, with 100% reporting they would advise others to take this program. The SAEM ARMED MedEd program represents a proof of concept for an advanced education research program seeking to fill the research training gap for the beyond-beginner Clinician educators.

Fielding Fractured Masculinities: Implications for Nonrepresentational Educational Research Methodology in the Philosophy of Erin Manning

In this paper, I put Erin Manning’s philosophical project into conversation with gender theory and consider possibilities regarding what it means to theorize masculinities in educational research methodology. To do this, I first speak to the urgency for reconceptualizing masculinities in education, outline how educational researchers have previously theorized the field, and problematize previous work that theorized masculinity as a relatively stable and monolithic identity marker. Following this, I consider what Manning’s process philosophy might offer educational researchers in the field of masculinities. In thinking with masculinities, the ongoing and lived experiences of gender, and Manning, I offer “fractured masculinities,” which theorizes masculinities as multiple, mobile, relational, contextual, intersectional, and fractured.

Lessons Learned from Using Twitter Chat for Educational Research

The current pandemic has allowed us to tap the resources we might not have explored otherwise. While we were under lockdown in Saudi Arabia, we considered how Twitter could be used as a part of potential research methodology in educational research. We used the Twitter chat to explore, from pharmacy students’ point of view, how the suspension of on-campus learning activities and shifting to online mode affected their learning experience and how they would like to see their education shaped in the future. Due to the wide use of Twitter, we could reach out to a significant number of respondents from different regions of the country, inviting different perspectives. The pros and cons we have derived from our experience can be applied to a wider context for utilising Twitter chat in educational research.

Conducta autolesiva e ideación suicida en la adolescencia: desafíos en la Educación Profesional y Tecnológica

This article aims to communicate the results of the research entitled “Pedagogy of presence applied to the prevention of suicidal ideation and self-harm in adolescence”, developed at the Federal Institute of Rondônia. The objectives of the study were to contribute to the pedagogical management of the problem of suicidal ideation and self-harming behavior in adolescents, through theoretical reflection and transfer of two educational products. The research was developed in a qualitative approach, based on the Educational Action Research methodology. The results indicate that the school is both a factor of stress and illness and it has the potential to contribute to the promotion of students' mental health, self-care and care for others. It is argued that an omnilateral training, supported by the Pedagogy of Presence is capable of favoring the understanding of the structural and conjunctural factors of our time - which favors the reduction of personal frustrations, the flexibilization of the notions of failure and success among adolescents, and the development of cognitive and socio-emotional skills, in addition to what has been stimulated by neoliberal education reforms.

“The Secret Weapons to be a successful teacher researcher": A Book Review of Inquiry and Research Skills for Language Teachers by Kenan Dikilitas and Ali Bostancioglu

The authors of the book, Inquiry and Research Skills for Language Teachers, Kenan Dikilitas and Ali Bostancioglu, present a comprehensive account of how to integrate exploratory practice (EP) concepts into the research process, including step-by-step processes and general criteria to follow. This book guides pre-service teachers' research comprehension and utilization in a pleasant, engaging, and non-overwhelming manner. It includes introspective inquiries, research projects, and the experiences of pre-service teachers. In different parts of the book, the authors explain how this book can help future teachers learn how to do research and ask questions that they can use in the classroom. Research is shown to be a tool that teachers can use to satisfy their own curiosity, encourage an investigative perspective, and strengthen the connections between theory and practice, rather than a burden they have to add to their already busy lives. This excellent, user-friendly monograph is a valuable resource for teachers all over the world who are frustrated by the complexities of publications on educational research methodologies written by academics for academics. This book will help teachers improve their classrooms through inquiry-based pedagogical reflection, exploratory practice, and research skills and methods.

Prospective Science Teachers' Skills in Exploring Reference Sources of Scientific Articles through Science Education Research Methodology Course

Prospective science teachers' research proposals are still weak in reference sources because citations from national or international journals are still lacking. The main weakness comes from the reference sources and citation methods. This study aims to measure prospective science teachers' skills in exploring reference sources for scientific articles. Exploratory skills in this research are limited to organizing a theoretical review for a thesis proposal. This research uses mixed methods. Quantitative data is obtained from the score of research proposals prepared by 34 prospective science teachers as research targets, while qualitative data is from analyzing reference sources in research proposals. Each prepares one proposal so that there are 34 research proposals studied. From the results of the proposal assessment, prospective science teachers are still weak in using references that meet the criteria of >80% of journals and reference publication years that meet the criteria of >80% of publications in the last ten years. The study concludes that learning that equips prospective teachers in preparing research proposals requires a curriculum review. Students need more profound knowledge about references, starting from getting to know journals, selecting articles, looking for articles' findings, citing, and compiling a bibliography.

“ACTIVE VALUES”: An Interdisciplinary Educational Programme to Promote Healthy Lifestyles and Encourage Education in Values—A Rationale and Protocol Study

Numerous investigations show the need to intervene with school children and young students in order to mitigate socio-educational difficulties such as social conflict, and public health problems such as sedentary lifestyles and childhood obesity. This study seeks to explain the rationale and protocol of an educational programme called “ACTIVE VALUES” as an intervention strategy for the reduction of sedentary lifestyles and the promotion of education in values in schools. The present research used a mixed methods approach with a quasi-experimental design of repeated measures (pre-test and post-test), with a non-randomised control group (CG) and an experimental group (EG). The sample was composed of approximately 250 students and 30 teachers from different autonomous communities in Spain, divided into EG and CG. The EG implemented a teaching methodology based on the incorporation of Active Breaks (AB) into the structure of the Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) model, during one academic year, while the CG used conventional teaching based on the direct instruction teaching technique. A specific two-stage professional development procedure was followed: (1) initial training and (2) continuing professional development (CPD). The fidelity of the programme was checked by observational analysis of the sessions which were analysed by two observers with expertise in educational research and active methodologies. Currently, “ACTIVE VALUES” is the first study that examines the effectiveness of an educational programme that integrates into the teaching methodology, elements that foster education in values and promote healthy lifestyle habits through physical-sports activity within the classroom.

Woman of colour feminisms as a vehicle for racially-just methodologies in educational research

ABSTRACT There is an overwhelming presence and dominance of white-centric methodologies in educational research. To create necessary re-envisionings, we theorize how approaches to methodology can be disrupted and rethought through Black feminisms, Chicana feminism and Womanism. While each are distinct in their standpoints and contours, they have strong points of affinity, such as their focus on the generation of theory through lived experiences, interrogating various forms of oppression, coalition building and spirituality. From these intersections, we begin by discussing how Black feminisms, Chicana feminism and Womanism, as theories in the flesh, can re-envision methodology, generally. We then provide specific examples of putting Chicana feminism and Black feminisms to work in order to foster authentic relationships in collaborative inquiry and incite ruptures and renarrativizations through life story inquiry. We end with a discussion of how working in solidarity among women of color feminists can enact coalition building as a site of methodological revolution.

Service user involvement in social work education: a scoping review

ABSTRACT Service user involvement in social work education is well-established in some regions and a new developing approach in others. For instance, since policy reform in 2002, it has been customary for service users and carers to be involved in critical aspects of professional social work education in the UK. Yet, expansion in North American contexts has been limited. The scope and extensiveness of service user involvement are increasingly varied, regardless of mandatory or voluntary educational standards. This scoping review mapped and synthesized literature from 2010 to 2018 on service user and carer involvement in social work education to identify innovative approaches and their effectiveness in practice. We used a scoping review protocol to select 35 studies and assessed the studies using a framework for the evaluation of educational programmes. Although most studies were published in the UK, there was greater representation from other regions than previously reported. The findings suggest that social work programs are adopting various approaches to integrate service users in social work education and innovative research methodologies for evaluation. The implications for social work education and practice are discussed.

Didactical modelling – an outline of a research methodology

ABSTRACT This article is about utilizing the process of building and exploiting models as a framework for inquiry in mathematics education research. We introduce and discuss a model of such a process and compare this model with key methodological features of design research in mathematics education. We argue that despite several communalities, educational design research and our model of the modelling process offer fundamentally different concerns related to an educational research process and that the research process is structured in fundamentally different ways. Hence, we conclude by positing that the distinct structure and concerns offered by the modelling process makes it worthwhile considering it a research methodology in mathematics education, which we will label didactical modelling.

Humanizing Methodologies in Educational Research

XINYUE ZUO is a doctoral candidate in Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her research focuses on language and literacy development of English language learners, second language acquisition, and educational bilingual interpreting. Email: xzuo@umass.edu.

Experiencia, actitudes y percepciones hacia la investigación científica en estudiantes de Medicina en el contexto de una estrategia curricular de formación de competencias para investigación

IntroductionThe strategies to generate scientific competencies in physicians can be curricular or extracurricular, compulsory or elective. The objective was to describe the trend of attitudes towards research, motivations and perceived barriers to research, and research experiences among medical students in the context of a compulsory strategy curriculum based. MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study using an online survey. The strategy has two components; "research-oriented teaching" and "research-based teaching", which are implemented in all the years of the undergraduate degree. The attitudes towards research (17 items), motivations (7 items) and perceived barriers (11 items) to research were measured on a Likert scale, while the experience was measured with the number of research projects and the participation in research activities measured dichotomously. We evaluated the proportions trend over the years of study with a Chi-square test for trend and the number of research projects with a Kruskal-Wallis test. ResultsWe enrolled 311 students, there was an increase in the number of research projects according to year of study (H = 152.4; p < 0.001). The proportion of authorship of original articles increased from 6.0% in the fourth year to 36.4% in the sixth year (p = 0.001). The percentage agreeing with "the teaching of research methodology should be part of the curriculum" increased from 69.0% in the first year to 100.0% in the sixth (p < 0.01). ConclusionOur mandatory curricular generated positives changes in participation in research projects and their related activities, mainly in the formulation of research protocols, as well as in the performed and publication of their research results.

Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science (MPEES): A Summary of MPEES-related Activities in 2021

ABSTRACT Purpose The purpose of this manuscript is to provide a summary of Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science (MPEES)-related activities in 2021. Manuscripts submitted In 2021 original submissions (i.e., not counting revised manuscripts) increased by ~20% as compared to 2020. Fifty-eight countries were represented across the 464 original manuscripts submitted to MPEES in 2021. MPEES continues to welcome high-quality submissions from around the world in 2022. Manuscripts submitted by section The seven sections of MPEES are: (1) exercise science, (2) physical activity, (3) physical education pedagogy, (4) psychology, (5) research methodology and statistics, (6) sport management and administration, and (7) tutorial and teacher’s toolbox. More than three-fourths of the manuscripts submitted to MPEES in 2021 were submitted to one of three sections: exercise science or physical activity or research methodology and statistics. MPEES continues to welcome high-quality submissions within each of the seven sections that comprise the journal in 2022.Review process: Each of the original manuscripts submitted to MPEES in 2021 had received an initial decision by April 4, 2022 (i.e., 464 of the 464 manuscripts received). When an immediate decision (e.g., desk-rejection) was rendered by the editor-in-chief it always (i.e., for 369 of 369 manuscripts) occurred within 10 days of receiving the manuscript. When a manuscript was assigned to a section editor by the editor-in-chief it typically (i.e., for 91 of 95 manuscripts) received an initial decision within 90 days of receiving the manuscript. Twenty-four countries were represented across reviewers for the original manuscripts sent out for external review by MPEES in 2021. We gratefully acknowledge, and list in the Appendix, the many scholars (N = 151) from around the world who served as a reviewer for MPEES in 2021. Manuscripts published Volume 25 (i.e., the volume published in 2021) of MPEES published a total of 37 manuscripts. More than two-thirds of the published manuscripts were submitted to one of two sections: exercise science or research methodology and statistics. MPEES continues to strive for publishing high-quality manuscripts within each of the seven sections that comprise the journal in 2022. Fourteen countries were represented across the manuscripts published in Volume 25 of MPEES. MPEES continues to strive for publishing high-quality manuscripts written by one or more authors from around the world in 2022. Impact factor The 2020 impact factor for MPEES was 2.30 representing an increase of ~31% compared to 2019 when the journal’s impact factor was 1.75. The value of the 2020 impact factor placed MPEES in the second quartile (i.e., ranked #131 out of 265 journals) within the Education & Educational Research category of Clarivate Analytics. The 2021 impact factor for MPEES is expected to be released in ~June 2022.

Science Concept Formation During Infancy, Toddlerhood, and Early Childhood: Developing a Scientific Motive Over Time

A substantial number of empirical studies in the field of Early Childhood Science Education have explored science concept formation in early childhood educational settings. Most of these studies focus on the process of science concept formation during a teaching intervention or a school year period. However, less is known about how children form science concepts over the first years of their lives. This longitudinal study aimed at studying the process of science concept formation during the first five years of children’s life within educational settings. Following a cultural–historical approach, the study explored how children develop a science motive from infancy, toddlerhood, and into early childhood and how teachers create the conditions for the development of a motive orientation towards science over time. A cohort of 50 children in Australia participated in the study. Indicative case examples are presented. The research design drew on the Conceptual PlayWorld model, a collective form of practice for learning and development through imagination and play. Digital visual methods were used for data collection and analysis. The findings illustrated that a science motive is developed when the motive of play and the motive of learning in science are dialectically interrelated over time. It was also shown that teachers create a motive orientation towards science by introducing, maintaining, and transforming an ideal form of science in the children’s environment and by stimulating children to interact with mature forms of science. The study concludes with insights into early childhood science education research methodology, and implications that inform practice are discussed.

Towards an African education research methodology: decolonising new knowledge

South Africa has a number of policies to protect and promote indigenous knowledge (IK). The increasing interest in research into indigenous knowledge and science education in southern Africa has led not only to the production of publications, but also to numerous conferences, seminars, research centres, projects, learning materials, and postgraduate courses. However, research methods that are aligned to indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) are yet to develop to the extent that IK policy, publications, and interest groups have. Notwithstanding some authoritative texts (Chilisa, 2012; Odora Hoppers, 2004; Smith, 1999), there is a need for research-based examples from the southern African context that can offer authentic and nuanced suggestions for IK researchers of what an African research methodology might be. In this paper we present a brief overview of arguments for research methods that are consistent with IKS, propose features of such research orientations, and some examples of research processes. We synthesise some of the knowledge we have gained in this field in South Africa and offer considerations and reflections that will contribute to the conversation and exploration of creative, culturally relevant, and ethical ways forward for participative IK research.

Comparative Evaluation of the Qualitative and Quantitative Research on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Policy at Primary Education in Indonesia and Other EFL Contexts

The two dichotomous theories of positivism and interpretivism, respectively, underpin quantitative and qualitative methods to social research. Despite the fact that there are many other research paradigms, positivism and interpretivism are more commonly used in social research than other paradigms. These paradigms appear to be at odds not just in philosophical ideas, but also on a practical level, particularly in relation to research findings that are significant to educational policy-making. In this sense, there are still heated discussions about the research method that is more useful and transferrable to policy development. This study will look at the benefits and drawbacks of using qualitative and quantitative methodologies in educational policy research, specifically in the setting of English as a foreign language (EFL) in elementary school. The research begins with a philosophical introduction to social research, followed by a look at paradigmatic contestations between the two views, as well as their strengths and limits. The discussion continues with an explanation of current EFL policy developments, followed by a comparison of papers from respective quantitative and qualitative approaches, an assessment of the dominant research approach in EFL policy, and the ethical difficulties that must be addressed. The findings of this study show that no single approach can adequately address all facets of social processes. Each approach is tailored to certain goals and focuses, and neither can be used in place of the other. As a result, the most important consideration in deciding which technique to use in social research is the nature of the topics that will be explored.

Teaching, teachers, and teaching resources in mathematics education research

ABSTRACT We address two of the challenges that were recently raised in APJTE editorial. The editorial aimed to encourage the APJTE research community, and the field of teacher education broadly, to engage in research, in which a complex view of teaching is assumed, explored, and proactively supported. We offer a perspective on the standing of two of the outlined challenges in mathematics education research and notes on what pursuing these challenges may entail. Specifically, we comment on the challenges of (1) reclaiming a practically meaningful, intellectually rigorous and politically astute conception of teaching, and (2) dealing well with and rigorously theorising the complexity of education, teaching, and teacher education. We start with a brief (and necessarily reductive) account of the history of mathematics education research domain and highlight how the conceptions of teachers and teaching were shaped through the research endeavours. We bring to the fore the implications that the dominant research approaches had for resources for teaching school mathematics. In this context, we turn to design research methodology in mathematics education and illustrate how the methodology, when coupled with the orientation of designing for teachers, can assist in the researchers’ pursuits of the outlined challenges.

The Role of Research Methodology in Enhancing Postgraduate Students Research Experience

Postgraduate student research experience is key to understanding the quality of postgraduate education. This article presents the critical factors that can enhance postgraduate students' research experience. The research explored postgraduate students' research experiences (n=116) at a research-intensive public university in New Zealand. The aim was to inform the development of a more personalised and scalable research methodology programme. The study identified several factors that can significantly enhance the postgraduate research experience, including the quality of supervision, institutional and department support, personal investment, and financial support. Also, the study found that courses on research methodology play an essential role in improving the postgraduate experience. In particular, providing research methodology education to students during candidacy enriches postgraduate research experience and contributes to the timely completion of postgraduate education. Despite the demonstrated significance of research methodology in postgraduate education, findings revealed that students are generally dissatisfied with the design and teaching of current courses on research methods. Students said courses on research methods are pedagogically monolithic, conceptual challenging, and inflexibly adaptive to individual future career trajectories. Findings also suggest that the way research methods are taught is disengaged from practical problems, with some teaching focused on the higher level of abstraction, with less opportunity to apply what is gained from research methods courses. This research contributes to the growing need to transform the way we design and teach courses on research methods, and the importance employing a research-led approach to inform the transformation.

Knowledge management in the classroom using Mendeley technology

Research in higher education institutions is present in all courses, and academic instruction in research methodology is vital, with educational technologies being an essential component of this process. With the Covid-19 pandemic, there were changes in teaching, learning, and in performing scientific research in undergraduate courses. Among the technologies, the Mendeley reference management tool has become increasingly helpful in these contexts. Therefore, this manuscript is an account of workshop experiences for the use of the Mendeley tool in the teaching of Research Methodology and Scientific Methodology offered in the distance education modality in undergraduate courses at the Universidade do Contestado, Brazil. After basic instruction on Mendeley, students participating in the workshops were guided to apply the tool using Bardin's content analysis technique. This technique is usually laborious and seldom involved in literature reviews by undergraduate students; Mendeley technology makes it more accessible. From experiences with the 2020 and 2021 workshops, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is suggested that the content analysis method combined with the Mendeley technology can help students present better literature reviews, especially for final graduation projects such as course completion monographs.