I commenced my project in 2010 with a view to developing a teaching model that would make the experience of learning mathematics and statistics fun for university students enrolled on a variety of degree programmes. These students are compulsorily required to study mathematics and statistics courses as core modules of their degree work.…

Data in the social sciences often do not conform to what a researcher would like in order to have an unproblematic analysis using some form of linear regression. Especially, when data reflect counts, a number of potential problems arise. This case study discusses challenges that occurred when applying the models and examines the results. Finally,…

In 2005, I taught a distance learning course on current issues in rural education. Teachers shared stories concerning their teaching experiences that included challenges in attracting and retaining qualified teachers, operating budgets, regional consolidation, long-distance bussing, distance education, and multi-grading. From these discussions…

The topic for my PhD project is assessment of music performance by social moderation in upper secondary school. My aim with the study is to develop knowledge of how teachers perceive and meet the challenges of performance assessment, with specific focus on the intersubjective teacher team. Research in the field of music performance assessment has…

Having made the move from a professional practice role to an educator position, I decided that it would be beneficial to improve my understanding and capability to support student learning in the higher education setting. As such, I made the choice to take up doctoral studies. While working with students and other instructors, the subject of…

Research in the engineering field is often entrenched in the quantitative paradigm. Recent literature and studies have realised that not all research questions in engineering can be addressed through quantitative approaches. These areas include studies in engineering professional development, education and gender issues. This article describes one…

How do topics such as race and ethnicity "play out" in the preschool classroom? Are conversations surrounding these topics celebrated or discouraged? Do teachers actively engage young children to facilitate exploration and discussion of such topics? Do children naturally do this of their own accord? My first foray into qualitative…

This case provides an account of the use of the repertory grid interview technique as one aspect of my PhD study. The doctoral thesis documented the development of a holistic approach to redesign an introductory programming course to enhance learning and teaching of object-oriented programming to novices. Starting with the premise that it is not…

The research design of a study involves continual refinement through experiential processes. This case study demonstrates the importance to novice researchers of conducting a pilot study to test the feasibility of the study's research design and practice data collection (in this instance, interviewing skills). The case study is based on an…

'Everybody can quickly collect data using questionnaires'--this is an incorrect assumption among not only students but also veteran researchers. As a researcher and lecturer for research methods, I have more than once came across carelessly conducted studies using poorly constructed questionnaires meant to inform the implementation of…

Survey research in education is a popular quantitative research design and is used to determine opinions, attitudes, behavior, habits, and perceptions on a wide variety of topics. While many people are familiar with survey methods, it is often used in a 'quick and dirty' way to get information. This case aims to describe some of the challenges of…

In 2014, we, the above authors and others on our research team, embarked on Phase II of an examination of how teacher educators were implementing diversity concerns in literacy teacher education courses and programs. The electronic survey data used in Phase I did not allow us to adequately address our research questions: What are the beliefs and…

My PhD research asks why UK high school mathematics teachers who probably love mathematics do not always fully share this with their students. Currently, I am completing my data collection at the end of my second PhD year. I think that researching this might inform new teachers and classroom practice. There is research in mathematics education…

In 2003, I began a doctoral research case study of the role of collaborative early intervention teachers as change agents implementing differentiated instruction in an intermediate school setting. Previous studies had focused largely on change theory in general, change in schools, early intervention programs, collaboration, or differentiated…

Video-stimulated verbal recall is becoming an increasingly popular method for examining a broad range of research topics across academic disciplines. One of its major appeals is that it makes it possible to capture and investigate the dynamic nature of task performance and has the potential to provide a wealth of information on the cognitive…