CI 6313 Fall 2023 - Crafting a Research Question Project Michael Caldwell

What is my idea of research and creating a research question?

Concept Map Graphic

Keywords: Transformative research, conceptual framework, cultural competence, ADDIE,

multicultural

My Idea

When performing research on any topic, category or subject of interest, be it for

work-related matters, a school assignment, or personal agenda one is wanting to find information
on, there is a need to come up with a manner or method of gaining information on the subject
matter, either by brainstorming on the matter to create basic sub-categories that can potentially
lead one to viewing and understanding the grander picture of the main topic category, as a whole,
that can allow for a way towards gathering the desired information. Or through a common,
broad literature review, one can search academic research databases with a topic query, locate
relevant or associating material, and assess the written or completed material on the category or
topic of interest and learn methods to discover ways of obtaining the information necessary to
help find answers on the topic’s question.
CI 6313 Fall 2023 - Crafting a Research Question Project Michael Caldwell

The authors Mattick, Johnston, and Croix (2018), on the topic of writing decent research
questions, mention how through performing a literature review or by using an internet search
engine database, one can generate learning through query, discussion, and potentially allow
others to take different viewpoints on a topic of interest or concern for educational purposes.
The idea behind making query on a research topic appears as if, by learning about the topic’s
elements and what makes the topic grow, function, and/or persist, one can begin to see how the
topic or issue is formed and can figure out how it operates, and possibly presume how to change
or cancel its formation or operation, if necessary.

Then, eventually, upon perceiving how a topic or issue deleteriously maneuvers through a
place or environment, e.g., the issue of bias impacting particular employees in a work-setting or
the issue of obesity affecting a distinct group of individuals in an environment where the
majority of people are deemed relatively healthy, one can begin constructing a research question
that allows for topic dissection, analysis, re-development, and potential implementation of
needed changes for adjustment or amendment of the topic or issue in question.

Mattick et al. (2018) mention further how, upon gaining an initial research question for a
study on a topic or issue, one has to uncover if topic/issue solutions require creation of new study
data from the methods and results or can answers be obtained from the corresponding literature
reviewed. Ultimately, on developing research questions, Mattick et al. (2018) make the point of
saying one’s determined research approach or methodology, which tends to attach to one’s (the
evaluator’s) worldview on a topic or life’s happenings, may have the greatest measure in how
one composes a study’s question toward either a quantitative, mixed, or qualitative framework.

Positionality

In considering the current research topic and environment of study, which in this study is
the military domain, a qualitative methodological framework will be the optimal approach in the
study due to potential constraints relating to military employee/personnel access, gaining military
leadership approval to interview and query military members on socio-politically controversial
topics, e.g., issues of racism and marginalization - configured to be perceived as essentially
neutral, and possible multiculturally diverse study participants (who are outside of the primary,
more accessible training management participants who will discuss military training pedagogy)
facing reprisals or disciplinary actions if they are exposed as having violated rules or policies.
Hence the culturally diverse, LGBTQ+ military members who would potentially provide
first-person accounts and narratives on possible encounters faced with bias, discrimination, and
marginalization in the military setting, due likely to their skin color or shared personal identity,
becomes a significant research gap in not having direct access to these members because of the
potential comeback and retaliation they may experience from military colleagues or leadership.
An alternate participant source may have to be searched for and found with culturally diverse
military retirees or those who have already separated from military service.

If, while interacting and communicating with volunteer training management participants
during the study, information or data is observed to fit within a mixed methodology, the research
approach may change from a qualitative focus to a mixed approach to include quantitative
features. But, more so, the goal will be to interview military training managers, curriculum
developers, and instructors on the background and relevance of military training management
CI 6313 Fall 2023 - Crafting a Research Question Project Michael Caldwell

and instruction through ADDIE training processes and how these training methods can enhance
the knowledge gain of military members on particular subject matters, e.g., racism and cultural
competence, throughout.

Background of the Topic

The topic of the study is to perform a literature review on the socio-historical and
socio-political systemic issues, e.g., racism and discrimination, claimed and reported to have
taken place within the uniquely confined and structured military work environment by culturally
diverse employees. The goal is to correlate how counseling-oriented, cultural competence
techniques used in military clinical therapy can become incorporated within the military’s
primary, formal training and instructional framework referred to by the acronym ADDIE, which
is Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation, for essentially all military
member training purposes.

Diverse, multicultural military members, throughout time as read in the literature review,
have filed formal reports and made personal claims of having encountered bias, discrimination,
and racism while wearing a military uniform. The military domain, just as commonly known to
exist within the civilian environment, has clinical and formal counseling services available to
provide military members therapy and support upon request. In a literature review on the topic
of racism and bias in the military, and on the correctional measures and reparative experiences
available to culturally diverse, LGBTQ+ military members who also make these discouraging
reports, counseling services can provide culturally diverse and all uniformed military members
therapy on cultural competence, which has a framework of instilling into members the life
enhancing values of cognitive growth and socialization development.

As a visionary, viable approach for reformative purposes in countering the ill-effects of

racism and bias toward culturally diverse members in the military, the resourceful method will be
to combine a casual version of military clinical counseling’s cultural competence framework to
the military’s ADDIE formal training process that will include perpetual training for all military
members’ cultural awareness and self-progression.

Theoretical Foundation

Through considering the theoretical framework being proposed in a study on the ADDIE
military training process and cultural competence interconnecting to instructionally quell
reported claims of racism and bias in the military by culturally diverse members, the phenomena
or nature of the concealed, hegemonic military environment and the associating constraints with
military policies and regulations restraining employee/public commentary on socio-political
issues, presents a unique challenge with the study having access to all possible stakeholders, i.e.,
the culturally diverse, LGBTQ+ military members, due to potential disciplinary consequences or
backlash particular military members may encounter if personal experiences on systemic issues
are openly expressed. So, information on encountered systemic issues from culturally diverse
military members will come from literature review commentary/narration.

Due to the above-mentioned constraints with participant access, or lack thereof, the
primary stakeholders focused on will be the military training managers for
CI 6313 Fall 2023 - Crafting a Research Question Project Michael Caldwell

informational/learning gain on the ADDIE military training process and how it correlates with
instructing all military members on the vital knowledge elements required for work development
and mission success.

To assist with the knowledge gain in the study, the relating concepts and variables, and
the associating theoretical (or conceptual) framework that will guide the research process, the
author Kivunja (2018) provides insight on how an issue or phenomena can be comprehended by
examining the associating variables that will interrelate and eventually help to propose,
formulate, and identify a guiding research theory. Particularly, Kivunja (2018) states, “the
theoretical framework is the structure that can hold or support a theory of a research study” (p.
46), which allows for review, evaluation, and decoding of the resulting data. More so, Kivunja
(2018) mentions how a study’s development, implementation, evaluation, and structures, in
totality, become an association of all interrelating concepts, variables, and analytical aspects that
translate into the conceptual framework for a research plan.

So, by using a transformative methodological paradigm to analyze a study’s variables and

concepts when researching a phenomena or issue, the author Mertens (2021) mentions how a
research plan’s transformational progression and resolution occurs within challenged
communities (or environments) through the rich durability, resilience, and empowering
capabilities already existing within the setting. “Hence, the implication of this assumption is that
research should be action-oriented, consciously addressing inequities, and provide support for
transformative change in the form of increased social, economic, and environmental justice”
(Mertens, 2021, p. 2).

The study to be conducted, as mentioned above on discussing the literature review on

reports made by culturally diverse military members who have encountered racism and
discrimination in the military environment, and ADDIE military training processes
pedagogically interconnecting with military counseling services’ cultural competence paradigm
as a perpetual training framework for enhancing the cultural awareness, self-awareness, and
socialization of all military training members, is purposed to inductively align all relating
concepts and variables with the military phenomena in question through a qualitatively-oriented,
transformative methodology for presumptive resolution to the phenomena or issue of bias,
marginalization, and discrimination encountered in military settings.

Final Polished Research Question

How can ADDIE instructional training coupled with cultural competence reduce bias and
discrimination encountered by culturally diverse military members and increase cultural
awareness of all military members?

References

Concept Map Graphic: Miro. (2023). Retrieved from

https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVNVMBv5M=/
CI 6313 Fall 2023 - Crafting a Research Question Project Michael Caldwell

Kivunja, C. (2018). Distinguishing between theory, theoretical framework, and conceptual

framework: A systematic review of lessons from the field. International Journal of
Higher Education, 7(6), 44-. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v7n6p44

Mattick, K., Johnston, J., & Croix, A. (2018). How to…write a good research question. The
Clinical Teacher, 15(2), 104–108. https://doi.org/10.1111/tct.12776

Mertens, D. M. (2021). Transformative Research Methods to Increase Social Impact for

Vulnerable Groups and Cultural Minorities. International Journal of Qualitative
Methods, 20, 160940692110515-. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069211051563