Session S2A

1-4244-0257-3/06/$20.00 © 2006 IEEE October 28 – 31, 2006, San Diego, CA 36th ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference

S2A-1

Special Session - Fish is Fish: Learning to See the Sea We Swim In: Theoretical Frameworks for Education

Research

Alisha A. Waller Annals of Research on Engineering Education, CASEE, NAE

awaller.ie87@gtalumni.org

Abstract – Every research project is built on one of four theoretical frameworks: positivism, interpretivism, critical theory, or post-structuralism. Research in engineering disciplines, such as Electrical Engineering and Civil Engineering, are appropriately based in positivism. In Social Science research, such as education, however, positivism is frequently not the best theoretical framework from which to operate. The overarching goal of this special session is to introduce the alternative theoretical frameworks of interpretivism and critical theory so that participants can choose which framework is best for their education research projects. The theoretical framework of a research project automatically invokes assumptions about reality, truth, objectivity, and how one can “know” something, as well as about researcher role, ethics, and accountability. Hence, if one is to conduct high quality research in education, then one should be able to choose wisely an appropriate framework and to articulate why it is appropriate. Index Terms – Education research, Epistemology, Research design, Theoretical Frameworks.

PREDICTING THE FUTURE

Dear Colleague, As I sit down to write these required pages, I realize I’m

actually trying to predict the future. In writing a regular paper for a paper session, I could be fairly certain what would happen. I would spend too much time writing a dense, world-shattering work (of course it would feel that way to me after so much effort) and then I would have about 12 minutes at the conference in which to explain it (during those minutes the earth would increase its rotational speed and despite my rapid speech, only a small fraction of the paper would be presented).

Trying to write a description of an up-coming Special Session is not as easy. In these sessions, the organizer has a whole session (which feels like 12 minutes during it) to move more deeply into a subject through active participation of everyone in the room. Who will be there? Folks who have also taken courses in education research methodology? Folks who have learned a bit through conversations and want to pursue the topic more formally? Folks who are simply bored with listening to talks and want some interaction? My experience over the years of Special Sessions says they all will be there.

What kind of learning styles will be there and which ones do I feel a responsibility to plan for? All of them and all of them.

So what do I write now? If you are reading this and the session is already over, I encourage you to find someone at the conference who was there and ask them about their experience. Or give me a call after the conference and relieve my spirit-numbing telecommuting for a while. If the session has not yet happened, here’s a peek at the plan; but I can’t guarantee it will unfold as predicted.

PLAN FOR THE SESSION

In his lovely children’s book, Fish is Fish, Leo Lionni tells a story of a friendship between a tadpole and a minnow. They love their life in the pond as they both grow up. Once the tadpole becomes a frog, he follows his urge to explore the world outside of the pond. When he returns, he regales the fish with tales of brightly colored birds, cows with pink bags of milk, and people who wear clothes. What puts this story on my favorites list is the pictures Lionni uses to illustrate the story. While the frog is talking, thought bubbles of the fish show fish with brightly colored wings and tails flying through the sky; fish with ears, horns and pink bags of milk; and fish wearing clothes and walking upright on their tales. The poignant point of the story is visual: we can not see the sea we swim in. As the poststructuralists say, “We can only think with what we have.”

The goal of this session is to give participants more ideas and concepts to think with. The format of the session will include active learning, mini-lecture, and individual or paired work. Participants will receive handouts and a bibliography to support the learning process. The session addresses the topic of research design and the role of theoretical frameworks.

Every research project is built on one of four theoretical frameworks: positivism, interpretivism, critical theory, or post-structuralism. Research in engineering disciplines, such as Electrical Engineering and Civil Engineering, are appropriately based in positivism; and therefore, faculty members with PhDs in an engineering discipline are very proficient at researching from this framework. In fact, most CSET faculty are positivists because they do not know that there are other options (fish can not see the sea). In Social Science research, such as education, however, positivism is frequently not the best theoretical framework from which to operate. The overarching goal of this special session is to

Session S2A

1-4244-0257-3/06/$20.00 © 2006 IEEE October 28 – 31, 2006, San Diego, CA 36th ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference

S2A-2

introduce the alternative theoretical frameworks of interpretivism and critical theory so that participants can choose which framework is best for a given research project. (Note: we will not engage poststructuralism in this session.) The theoretical framework of a research project automatically invokes assumptions about reality, truth, objectivity, and how one can “know” something. Hence, if one is to conduct high quality research in education, then one should be able to choose wisely the appropriate framework and to articulate why it is appropriate.

In the session, we will use Waller’s Model for Research Design, which is a complete graph on five nodes: Research questions, Theoretical framework, Methodology, Interpretation, and Presentation. This model provides a structure for discussing the interactions between different elements of a research project design. We will compare and contrast three theoretical frameworks: positivism, interpretivism, and critical theory. After considering examples of education research in CSET which use each of these, we will apply these concepts to our own research projects.

I look forward to seeing you there! Alisha