A few ideas about the methodology for my 610 proposal!

Before I forget...

Here are my current, draft research questions:
RQ1: Do pre- and post-information concept maps measure knowledge change?
RQ2: If so, how do knowledge structures change as evidenced in the pre- and post-information maps?

Measurement ideas!
RQ1: Look at the number of:
-Nodes/concepts
-Links
-Labels
Compare the numbers of each of the three variables between the pre- and post-concept maps.
Is there a significant difference?
Do the numbers of nodes, links, and labels increase (one-directional)?

RQ2: Assess the nature of change according to these categories (Todd, 1999):
-Appending
-Inserting
-Deleting
Consider, are these categories mutually inclusive/exclusive?

Question? Do I want to do more than 2 repeated measures?
pre-information map
post-information 1 map
post-information 2 map

Ideas from Creswell chapter 8 (pp. 158-167)
- A pre-experimental design (Study a single group and provide an intervention during the experiment. No control group to compare with the experimental group)
- Compare pre- and post-information concept maps
- A within-group design (Study only one group)
- For example, a repeated measures design (Assign participants to different treatments at different times during the experiment)
- A one-group pre-test-post-test design (a pre-test measure followed by a treatment and a post-test for a single group)
Group A 01----------X------------02
Group A pre-info map---------new information-----------post-info map
-Potential threat to internal validity would be a selection threat (participants can be selected who are more naturally adept at the concept mapping technique)
-Paired t-tests for data analysis? (I'm comparing two paired measures)
-My hypothesis is testing the difference between pre- and post-info concept maps (a test of difference rather than relationship)

Just some thoughts to capture for my methodology section!

Conceptual framework and Research questions (RQ)

Our conceptual framework and research questions (RQ) are due Nov. 3. This is the next big deadline for the 610 proposal!

The assignment (as I understand it):
-Pull out the pieces from my literature review that inform my RQs and hypotheses.
-Write a paragraph(s).
-Explain/justify my predictions based on the evidence of my lit review and theory framework (for me, this is Brookes' fundamental equation).
-Also, this section should lead into the final methodology section.

That's all for now! :)

Today I want to remember these things as I work on my proposal for 610

I am right where God wants me to be today (and this includes studying in this doctoral program!).
He's on my side.
I will do the best that I can and leave the rest to God.

Good thoughts... :)

Research proposals

Okay, so today in 610 class, we talked about "operationalizing" concepts in postivist social science research. How about actually operationalizing the term "operationalizing"? :)

I did get many useful things out of this class. We talked about the first steps of research. I remain unclear about the process, so this was helpful to me. I'm trying to apply these specific steps to my own research proposal. Draft one that I submitted a week ago Monday missed the mark, to say the least. I'm not surprised because I didn't know what I was doing. However, I do feel my thoughts about research are progressing, and I'm beginning to better understand this process. The theory of research is clarifying; the doing remains daunting. I'm not alone, I can tell by the queries in my class.

To capture some of my understanding of the process and possible applications to my research: (note - this follows a positivist, deductive approach to research)

1. General statement of interest - How people use new information to build/transform knowledge, and how we can measure this knowledge change.

2. Reframe as initial question - Do successive (before and after) measure knowledge change?

3. In what ways can I get an answer? - Look at before and after concept maps. Before map --> new info --> After map
Is there a change?

4. Reframe as research question - Does a college environmental science student's concept map change (become more complex) after receiving new information?

5. Operationalize (know what I'm doing; identify, refine, concepts, relationships)

6. Hypothesis

Possible variables: (variables must be observable)
Independent - before concept map
Intervening - new information
Dependent - after concept map

Possible hypothesis(es):
Successive concept maps measure knowledge change.

Null - No difference in before and after concept maps.
Alternative - After new information concept maps are more complex than before new information concept maps. (one-directional change)

Possible method(s):
Five independent judges will evaluate the before and after maps.
Average the five.

Just some ideas I wanted to jot down before losing them!!