As many of my classmates agree, as an educator, I identify with the qualitative approach to research. I feel that many of the fragments characterizing qualitative research correlates with that of a classroom teacher.
Logic in practice, “is relatively messy, with more ambiguity, and is tied to specific cases and oriented toward the practical completion of a task” (pg. 122), while reconstructed logic is highly organized, systematic and idealized. When reading these two descriptions, I was brought back to my teacher training. Upon entering the classroom, I felt I could accurately plan for every incident and question that would arise during a lesson. What I didn’t realize, that when developing lessons outside of the classroom, one could assume a utopian environment where every child has the same resources, ability and interest. My planning was highly organized, systematic and idealized now I tend to exemplify a logic in practice approach.
Also the means by which qualitative researchers learn their craft parallels many teacher training programs. “Many qualitative researchers learned how to do research by reading many reports, by trial and error, and by working in an apprentice role with an experienced researcher” (pg. 123) Teacher mentor programs are essential tools for teachers to learn how to be an effective teacher. Likewise aspects of qualitative research are difficult to learn from textbooks and depend on experience and the experiences of others.
Also in chapter six, I found many of the topics and information valuable for those embarking on a research journey. Something as simple as choosing a research topic takes on new meaning when it determines the depth of the project and can affect the effectiveness of the study. The techniques described such as narrowing a topic, effective questions, and details of research pitfalls are beneficial to any new researcher about to take the plunge into a research project!