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M5 Research Design Critique Report

Texas A&M University-Commerce

Milton Algood
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M5 Research Design Critique Report

A scenario where qualitative approaches would be advantageous for researchers

to use would be where the researchers attempt to examine experiences, actions, opinions,

feelings, etc., of what is being observed. An example of where qualitative research

design would be effective is when a researcher attempts to do a case study on the

investigation of fifth graders' views on STEM activities. In this scenario, a case study

would be most appropriate to find the relationship between STEM activities and fifth-

grade student achievement. The researcher could design a case study used to investigate

and interpret a phenomenon within a real-life context.

Ethnographic research consists of using descriptions or any other knowledge over

certain communities, social groups, ethnic groups, cultures, etc. (Mertler, 2019). An

essential factor to consider about this type of research is that the researcher is putting

themselves into the environment they are studying to better understand what is going on

in the setting (Mertler, 2019). An example tf this would be researchers visiting a grocery

store and observing customers interacting with employees. The researchers could place

themselves in the employee's shoes to get a better understanding of the day-to-day

challenges of customer service.

When it comes to narrative research, this research aims to inform others through

the use of dialogue or written text to talk about an experience event, etc. An example of

this is a researcher interviewing a small group of individuals to gather information about

their lived experiences pertaining to a certain event. Giving an example related to

education, a researcher is interviewing a small number of teachers to understand the

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challenges of transitioning from a normal classroom setting to asynchronous learning

while schools were not in session during COVID-19 in 2020. Through this, the

researcher will understand the teacher's experiences, challenges, feelings, etc.

The primary purpose of a case study at its core is to understand something better,

whether it is a person, place, situation, event, etc. In this design, a researcher needs to

collect, analyze, and interpret data to better understand whatever is being studied. From

here the researcher can come up with conclusions based on the collected data and analyze

it. The data collected throughout this case study can be qualitative or quantitative,

depending on what is being studied. An example Mertler gave for a case study would be

"For example, a researcher might study the instructional methods and techniques used by

an exceptional teacher of high school science...."( Mertler, 2019).

When comparing and contrasting the three different research designs, there are a

few similarities that stand out. The first is that each design's purpose is to help

researchers try and understand whatever it is they are studying. Whether this is

behaviors, cultures, experiences, or situations, they all aim to help understand. Between

the three, there is another similarity between Narrative Research and a Case Study

design. The similarity falls in how all the data is gathered. Both of these research

designs rely on the use of interviews, documents, and any other data that is relevant.

Ethnography differs from the two because it relies on the observation of a specific group.

Another way the designs differ is by who/what the researchers are choosing to observe.

When it comes to ethnography, the researcher chooses to observe a group. But when

looking at Narrative Research, the researcher selects a few individuals they want to focus

on. Finally, Case Study focuses on cases that can be observed in their natural setting
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(Mertler, 2019). The data analyzed from the research design also brings up more

similarities and differences between the two. A similarity that is shared between

ethnography and narrative research is how they are organized. Both methods focus on

organizing the data chronologically to be analyzed. Case Studies differ by categorizing

data into different themes and subthemes rather than chronologically (Mertler, 2019).

Article Summary

(Narrative, Ethnographic, or Case Study Design)

The purpose of Esra Verdi and Bekir Yildirim's case study in December 2020 was

to obtain valid and reliable results on the effect of STEM education on fifth graders' and

to investigate their views on STEM activities. This case study is influenced by the fact

countries are focusing on novel approaches to transform their education systems because

they need qualified people with the right skills to face the challenges of - intensifying

global competition. The research questions that guided Verdi and Yildirim in their

research were tailored around the participants' views of STEM activities. The second

research question addressed the challenges of STEM activities. The third research

question looked into how much students thought STEM activities contributed to classes.

The fourth research question investigated how often students thought STEM activities

should be integrated into lectures (Verdi & Yıldırım, 2020).

Summation of Research Literature

The researchers used a study that was done by Pehlivan and Uluyol that focused

on how countries such as the USA, Canada, and the UK have integrated STEM into their

education systems from primary school up to the university level. The researchers

learned through their research that STEM activities started in the students' early years of
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education help develop the students' twenty-first-century skills such as vocational

training, attitudes, and interests towards science and math, and contribute to their

economic development.

The researcher was able to conclude STEM activities would help students to be

able to succeed in their school life, especially during the middle school years when

students begin to lack an interest in the concepts and science and math. Using what he

learned from the previous research, Verdi and Yildirim were able to their research

questions.

Method for Collecting and Analyzing Data

The method that the researchers used to gather data was the use of participants

that were recruited using convenience sampling, which is a non-probability purposive

sampling technique. The sample consisted of ten students (five girls and five boys). The

study was carried out in two phases. In the first phase, science and mathematical

knowledge was introduced to students. In the second phase, students were asked to

design materials by applying engineering design process skills. In the third phase of the

case study, data was also collected using a semi-structured interview questionnaire

having five questions (Verdi & Yıldırım, 2020).

The data was analyzed using content analysis in four steps: 1. transcribing the

interviews, 2) starting the content analysis, 3) developing themes, categories, and codes,

and 4) interpreting them. The researchers assigned two independent experts to perform

content analysis. Each developed themes, categories, and codes (Verdi & Yıldırım,

2020).
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Results and Conclusions

Once the independent experts developed themes, categories, and codes, the interrater

reliability was calculated using the formula Reliability =(number of agreements) /

(number of agreements + number of agreements). The interrater reliability was

( (27/27+5) x 100) = 84.37%. Participants had different opinions on STEM activities.

However, they all talked about the advantages of STEM activities. One student stated

that by using this STEM activity helped him grasp abstract science ideas by doing hands-

on activities with electrical circuits. Another student stated that he liked the STEM

activities because he was helped with choosing a possible career choice in the future

(Verdi & Yıldırım, 2020). Students in the case study also present some challenges.

Participants' views of the challenges of STEM activities were grouped under six codes.

The challenges included the student's inability to use materials, communication problems,

too much noise, and lack of materials.

The researchers had three suggestions about the case study. First, they suggested that

a bigger sample space be used next time because the study could not be generalized to the

whole study. Therefore, future students should be recruited from other grade levels.

Second, the STEM was completed in a short three-week period. Consequently, the

researchers did not have enough data reflecting a long-term effect on the students. Third,

the data was based on self-report. Future studies should adopt different types of research

designs to approach the study from different perspectives. The researchers realized that
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the participants experienced some problems with the STEM activities. In the future, the

researchers will take these problems and use them as a springboard to design better

STEM activities. The researchers also concluded after the study, that STEM activities

should be integrated into the science lectures (Verdi & Yıldırım, 2020).
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References

Mertler, C. A. (2019). Introduction to educational research (2nd ed.). Sage

Publications, Inc.

‌Verdi, E., & Yıldırım, B. (2020). Fifth Graders’ Views on STEM Activities: A Case

Study. Hurrian Education, 1(1), 42–49.

https://www.hurrians.com/index.php/education/article/view/32

‌
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