Scott M. Graves
ED 588: Qualitative Research: Fall '96
An overview of what I learned in Qualitative Research.

I have gained a lot already in my understanding of the field of qualitative research, and to some small extent recognize that the QR inquiry method resonate with my personal learning style. Even though I was >trained< in the sciences, and in the old school which emphasizes quantitative over qualitative knowledge, I have been drawn more and more lately to alternative learning approaches.

As I shared in my opening for the class early on in the semester

"It begins with a profound sense of restlessness.

the beginning glimpses of an alternative kind of experience

one more inspiring, yet, undefined

incompleteness

*coincidence rethought yields new insight.
it continues with a change of perspective.

a review of current awareness within context of

an expanded sense of historical transitions

of culture

of society

of education

of spiritual understanding

an awakening to review our past and present ages

as ages in a process of growth

an awareness of the present age as one of preoccupation

an awareness of our present position as one of opportunity"

My own synthesis of the major insights in the "Celestine Prophesy"

In QR this semester I have learned that there is extremely valuable mode of inquiry that I had been unaware of. QR as a disciplined and formalized field of research is replete with whole array of theoretical frameworks, metholdologies, methods, its own kind of data, data analyses, interpretation and reporting styles. This field is new to me, but I can see already that it does have things in common with quantitative research.

Namely: a process of research design that includes referencing relevant literature for the establishment of links to previous scholarly work on a topic or in pointing out new opportunities to further the field by elaborating on accepted theory in new situations.

Moreover, QR being so time and human effort intensive (with the development and documentation of field data in >rich and thick< descriptions) there is still much work to be done even in areas that we may believe we already have all the >quantitative< answers.

I am pursuing QR literature for its relevance to Environmental Education and finding the field very ripe for study!