“An Autobiographical Sketch of a Young Researcher in Search of a Theoretical Stance”

By Paul GruhnFebruary 2017

THE MAKING OF A PRAGMATIST

paul edward boyd gruhn

born: 1956 “baby-boomer”

parents divorced: 1966 “broken home”

7 homes, 6 towns, and 9 schools in 18 yearsthree different high schools “class of 1974”

camera around my neck throughout high schoolmass college of art – photography majorazusa university – bachelors in religionanderson university – masters of divinityasnuntuck – associates in computer sciencemarried to donna (2002) - keara

privileged

middle classeducatedwhiteanglosaxonliberal protestantdemocrat

profession

salesperson, hustler, odd jobsgrocery store, machine shopprofessional wedding & portrait photographerministerdeejaysenior application developer adjunct professor

power

maleeducatedoldest child - 5 younger sistersteacherministersenior application developer (20 years)

out-going strong personality (overbearing at times)

prejudice

american exceptionalistmaterialistsexistracist

project oriented, problem solver, diy

goal, task, to-do list orientedwork on cars – raced stock carsphotography – watching the image appearblack walnut tree dining room tablebuilt 2 stall horse barn remodel house – hardwood floors, tile, electric, etc.computer programmer transfers to my relationships – help/fix people

people

i hate crimei want a better societyi want others to succeedi want to help others where i cani will be there for youi want to know as many people as i can“As iron sharpens iron, so to a person another.” Proverbs 27:17

process

life long learner,i’m not finished growing up yet.

WHO I AM, INFORMS MY RESEARCH DESIGN

MY WORLDVIEW PARADIGMworldview topic the pragmatist my interpretationontologyReality (what “exists”) is that which can be represented. (Creswell, 2007)

Multiple forms of reality. Follow a Deweyan “`What works” action oriented view of reality.

There are times I base my actions on the numbers. Statistics provide a repeatable measure to know which direction to head. However, there are times I ‘go with my gut’ the situation may be more than just the visible number, sometimes actions/change happens because of non-quantitative reality.

epistemologyTheory of Knowledge; Knowledge constructed using various sources of data. Analysis depends on research question, data source and purpose of the study (Crotty, 1998)

Etic & Emic perceptions can co-exist in a single study. Each strand forms knowledge that can be compared and combined increasing the credibility of the studies findings.

Because of my ontology, I can not imagine a world without both. For me it doesn’t exist. Both numbers and words (quan and qual) are here to work together to inform and shape each other.

axiologyValues in research; How the role of values influence the way research is conducted (Creswell, 2007)

Multiple stances: Values brought to the forefront and recognized as influencing the research process.

Who I am, and more important, who the community is to which my research is conducted will clearly shape the direction of my study.

methodProcess of how to collect, analyze, and interpret data. (Creswell 2007)

Mixed Approach: Various forms of qualitative and quantitative data are blend to create a representative model.

For me numbers (quan) set the stage and open the door for questions. The meaning an the answers are found in the narrative/story (qual) where the numbers originated.

Creswell J. (2007). Philosophical, paradigm, and interpretive frameworks. Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (2nd ed., pp. 15-35). Thousands Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing.

Crotty, M. (1998). Introduction to research. The Foundations of social research: Meaning and perspective in the research process (pp. 1-17) Thousands Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing.

MY THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

to be determined, considering …

online collaborative learning theory (harasim)

equivalency theory: an american theory of distance education (keegan)

andragogy (knowles)

theory of transactional distance (moore)

there are many others to research as well

MY RESEARCH METHOD

mixed methods

sequential explanatory quan informs qualsurveysfocus group: session oneinterventionsemi-structured interviewsfocus group: session twoauto-biographical narrative

ROLE OF THE RESEARCHER

participatory, quasi-experimental study…

quansurveys to be designedi will take an etic or outsider perspective

qualthe story of the community research has valuemy online education experience/story is relevanti will take an emic or insider perspective

sequencequan informs qual

MY RESEARCH CONCEPT MAP

purpose improve professional development for online educators

method mixed methods quan informs qual survey focus groups semi-structured interviews auto-biographical narrative

conceptual framework pragmatist worldview foundational theory (tbd)

validity & credibility triangulation of participants & data sources & methods

research question How do we best train online educators?

THANK YOU