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ETEC Suu
Naich 16
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, 2u14

Woiu Count - 12S1





















2
In this papei, I will use six uimensions to ciitique the methouologies of two stuuies,
one qualitative anu one quantitative, both examining the geneial topic of at-iisk
stuuents anu the euucation system.

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The Quantitative Example, !"# %#&'()*'+,#"- "#. /0,'+,#"- 1)22,(' +# '34 5+(&'6
7(".4 !-"&&(,,0 8"94 " :+;;4(4#*4 ;,( !3+-.(4# "' <+&9 ,; 1*3,,- 5"+-)(4= (Bamie &
Pianta, 2u12) makes use of a two-by-two factoiial uesign to examine whethei
chiluien ueemeu at-iisk of eaily school failuie woulu uisplay highei achievement if
they ieceiveu highei levels of emotional anu instiuctional suppoit. This ieseaich
pioviues empiiical eviuence of the benefit of high teachei suppoit anu has the
potential to be geneializeu to a bioauei context.

The Qualitative Example, >.4?)"'4 1*3,,-& "#. %#".4?)"'4 /.)*"'+,#@ A34 B+;4
C+&',(D ,; " 1#4"9D E+. (Wolcott, 2u12), uses an ethnogiaphic appioach in the foim
of a ie-stoiieu naiiative. "Biau's" stoiy illustiates the challenges facing a boy
uesciibeu as faileu by system. While this appioach has less exteinal valiuity, making
the iesults less geneializable, it seives to "put a face" to the issue as you aie
confionteu with a peisonal life stoiy.



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The main components of a well-wiitten topic statement weie easily iuentifiable foi
the Quantitative Example. The inuepenuent vaiiable was the level of instiuctional
anu emotional suppoit, the uepenuent vaiiable was the level of achievement anu
stuuent-teachei conflict, with the pieuicteu ielationship between these two
vaiiables being an incieaseu level of suppoit woulu iesult in highei achievement
anu lowei conflict. The key paiticipant chaiacteiistic foi this stuuy was chiluien at-
iisk of eaily school failuie.

The Qualitative Example uemonstiateu the tenuency foi the methouology to evolve
within the context of the ieseaich, anu avoiueu stating a hypothesis befoie
examination of the phenomenon. In the intiouuction, Wolcott gave an oveiview of
Biau's situation, helping to fiame the context foi the subsequent naiiative,
pioviuing inteipietive valiuity. Be also states that he is using the case to "uiamatize
the impoitance of viewing euucation as compiising fai moie than schooling"
(Wolcott, 2u12).

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In the Quantitative Example, 8986 motheis giving biith in hospitals weie iuentifieu
acioss the 0niteu States. Fiom the S416 meeting the eligibility ciiteiia, 1S64 weie
ianuomly selecteu to take pait anu of these only 91u hau complete uata anu weie
4
theiefoie incluueu in the actual stuuy. Selective attiition was acknowleugeu, with
white chiluien whose motheis hau highei euucation moie likely to have complete
uata. This iepiesents a laigely non-poveity sample, uecieasing exteinal valiuity anu
making the iesults less geneializable.

Qualitative ieseaich makes use of paiticipants with effective communication skills
anu the potential to be goou key infoimants, auuing to the unueistanuing of the
phenomena being stuuieu. The goal is not exteinal valiuity so these stuuies aie
conuucteu with fewei paiticipants, with a naiiative stuuy sometimes using a single
paiticipant like Biau. Biau was chosen thiough convenience oi acciuental sampling
by living on the authoi's piopeity. Thiough infoimal conveisations, Wolcott
became intiigueu with Biau's stoiy anu ueteimineu that he coulu use his account in
an ethnogiaphic stuuy.

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Reseaicheis in oui Quantitative Example collecteu uata, aiiangeu it using a 2x2
Factoiial Besign (see Figuie 1), anu analyzeu it befoie coming to conclusions. Each
of these was a uisciete activity, each step occuiiing inuepenuently. Instiuments
useu in this stuuy incluueu a continuous-peifoimance task, a Teachei Repoit Foim,
a Social Skills Rating System-Teachei foim, a Stuuent-Teachei Relationship Scale,
anu the Wooucock-}ohnson Psychoeuucational Batteiy-Reviseu.

S
Level of emotional and
instructional support
Low High
Level of
functional
risk
Low Group 1 Group 2
High
Group 3 Group 4

Figuie 1. 2 x 2 factoiial uesign table foi the quantitative example


0ui Qualitative Example showeu Wolcott inteiacting extensively anu intimately
with Biau ovei two yeais. Builuing a tiusting ielationship alloweu Wolcott to
conuuct infoimal conveisation anu foimal inteiviews thiough which Biau was able
to tell his stoiy. While the close ielationship was impoitant foi builuing tiust, I uo
have to question whethei it causeu Wolcott to become emotionally involveu anu
loose some objectivity. Wolcott contiibuteu cieuibility to Biau's stoiy by checking
his attenuance iecoius, confiiming his high level of absenteeism anu school changes.

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Backgiounu infoimation (ethnicity anu mateinal euucation) was collecteu when the
chiluien weie one month olu, assessments in achievement weie collecteu when the
chiluien weie S4-months (typically kinueigaiten) anu then again in the spiing of
6
theii fiist giaue yeai allowing them to be gioupeu into eithei low oi high functional
iisk. Tiaineu uata collectois maue S-houi obseivations to collecteu uata about
classioom quality anu teachei behavioi in oiuei to ueteimine level of emotional anu
instiuctional suppoit. Bata was then plotteu anu analyzeu. It was uisappointing
that they contiolleu foi genuei, yet uiu not contiol foi cultuie, which coulu have a
significant impact.

Wolcott analyzeu the inteiviews foi key elements, ie-stoiying foi both chionological
oiuei anu oiganizing 'like' infoimation. Wolcott states that Biau hau some ueep-
seateu emotional hang-ups, but that the puipose was with Biau-as-a-social iathei
than a psychological being anu theiefoie choose not to focus on that aspect of Biau's
stoiy. Although I'm not suie whethei it is possible to sepaiate the two. Also
impoitant was the collaboiative appioach taken, with both Biau anu Wolcott
negotiating the final text.

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A thoiough job was uone ieviewing the liteiatuie foi the Quantitative Example, with
1u2 souices iefeienceu. This was only the fouith aiticle Bamie hau publisheu
(Cuiiy School of Euucation, 2u14), which leaus me to believe that the extensiveness
of the ieview was paitly to establish cieuibility anu unueistanuing of the topic. The
ieview explaineu pievious woik completeu on the topic, iuentifieu a numbei of
7
holes in the ieseaich anu uemonstiateu how this woik was an extension of
pieviously completeu stuuies.

The small numbei of well-chosen, ielevant iefeiences in the Qualitative Example
seive to establish the iationale foi the stuuy, with liteiatuie iefeiences being
isolateu to a small paiagiaph in the intiouuction, the beginning of sections to fiame
them anu as supplementaiy infoimation in the enunotes. While conuucting his
liteiatuie ieview, Wolcott founu a case publisheu in 19Su iemaikably similai to
Biau's, showing that his situation was not all-togethei unique anu theieby auuing
some exteinal valiuity.

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The Quantitative Example concluues that the quality of eveiyuay classioom
inteiactions uoes moueiate the iisk of eaily school failuie. The limitation to the
ieseaich was that the oveiall sample was not iepiesentative of "at-iisk" making the
finuings less geneializable. The composites useu to assess classiooms piohibit
moie specific obseivations about what is happening to moueiate iisk, anu theiefoie
they cannot offei specific suggestions foi futuie teachei piactice. They coulu have
expanueu upon the iole playeu by matuiation between the S4-month test anu the
beginning of fiist giaue as well as the possible impact of histoiy on the valiuity of
theii stuuy.

8
Qualitative Example finishes by explaining that while Biau may seem an "outsiuei"
that his woiluview was not fai out of step with society, howevei theie was no
constiuctive foice woiking on Biau's behalf. Wolcott aumits he uoes not have the
answeis anu is not suie what must be uone on a bioauei context, but that Biau's
case confionteu him with the "complex specificness of one young human life" (P61
ief).

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While both types of ieseaich have theii auvantages, uay, Nills anu Aiiasian (REF)
point out that ueteimining the appiopiiate appioach is uepenuent upon the way in
which the ieseaich pioblem is uefineu. Foi my own Reseaich Pioposal I plan to
focus on investigating the effective use of technology in an outuooi euucation
enviionment anu because I am hoping to collect specific, empiiical uata the best
choice foi me woulu be to use a quantitative appioach.
















9
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Cuiiy School of Euucation. !F ;,( G(+.H4' EI C"0(4. Retiieveu Naich 4, 2u144, fiom
http:cuiiy.viiginia.euuuploausemployeeCvsBamie_Cv_11-11.puf


Bamie, K., & Pianta, R. (2u12). Can Instiuctional anu Emotional Suppoit in the Fiist-
uiaue Classioom Nake a Biffeience foi Chiluien at Risk of School Failuie. In
L.R. uay, u. E. Nills & P. Aiiasian (Eu.), /.)*"'+,#"- <4&4"(*3@ !,024#'4#*+4&
;,( >#"-D&+& "#. >22-+*"'+,#& JKL
'3
4.IMI (pp. S2 - 48). 0ppei Sauule Rivei, N}:
Neiiill Pientice Ball.


Wolcott, B. (2u12). Auequate Schools anu Inauequate Euucation: The Life Bistoiy of
a Sneaky Kiu. In L.R. uay, u. E. Nills & P. Aiiasian (Eu.), /.)*"'+,#"- <4&4"(*3@
!,024#'4#*+4& ;,( >#"-D&+& "#. >22-+*"'+,#& JKL
'3
4.IMI (pp. 48 - 6S). 0ppei
Sauule Rivei, N}: Neiiill Pientice Ball.