TEL 780: Case Study Research Topic 3
Response 3-1:
I would make the case that I am a good listener and that I am capable of asking good questions. I would argue that I am also adaptable. I don’t think these qualities are necessarily inherent or naturally-occurring for me; rather, i believe they are skills that I have honed over years as an educator and as a leader. I believe that these skills are evidenced by the design work I do, which calls for many of the same skills as a case study researcher. I would also think that I am informed on the issues I’m studying, and familiar with the theory that guides my research.
I think I still need to work on what it means to conduct research ethically, but not because I’m an evil or unethical person. I think I am just inexperienced as a researcher, and so as I conduct my cycles this summer and/or fall, I will need to build those skills.
Response 3-2:
The mission and goals that reflect my interests in the study, as informed by Section A of the Case Study Protocol, are to explore the extent to which aspiring school leaders see value in the programming I am to deliver, with respect to their sense of efficacy toward their future leadership. I believe that their interest will be piqued by my offerings, because I believe that they have a stake in honing their skills to lead in an uncertain world.
The primary goals that I have are to understand their orientation toward the leadership demands the future will make upon them, as well as to gauge their sense of readiness toward that future. While I do not have a funder or sponsor driving my research, my work unit is pursuing future funding that may be informed by my research. So in that sense, I do believe that one of the goals for my team will be to understand the perceived value that my action research innovation has with the leaders I work with.
Response 3-3:
Data collection for my proposed study will include the following methods appropriate for case studies: participant interviews, course observations, documents and artifacts, and my research journal. I expect that the interviews will provide evidence of the students’ perceptions about their leadership demands for the future, as well as their insights and/or perceptions of the Learning Futures Leadership programming I deliver. I also imagine that my classroom observations will reveal insights about the implicit or tacit expectations and/or beliefs they will carry about the future and its demands on their leadership. I believe that my research journal will offer insights into my own thinking about the delivery of the material.
