INTRODUCTION TO EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIAL RESEARCH - Essay Example

3. Focus/scope The focus is comparing rationalistic and naturalistic paradigms in evaluating student teachers’ reflective practice held at Utrecht University and Trondheim University. 4. Location & Duration The locations of the study are Utrecht University and Trondheim University. The duration is a period of two to four months at the end of the teacher education programme. 5. Research Design & Methods Naturalistic (qualitative) method and mixed methods are used. The researchers have moved away from traditional research methods towards a concern for story-telling. 6. Key Concepts and Ideas The REFLECT project is linked to the postmodern period characterised by Guba and Lincoln or post-experimental enquiry.

It involves two paradigms, rationalistic and naturalistic, in which the reflections of student teachers are compared through the Utrecht study and Trondheim study. 7. Key Findings, Recommendations, & Implications for Your Enquiry Interactions between communicating persons – student teacher, teacher educator, and researcher -are the one creating “voices”. The researchers are part of the story they are telling. The researchers’ interpretation is the true voice of the refection in the study.

The shift from a rationalistic perspective towards a more naturalistic one is mirrored in the Trondheim study. No recommendations are provided. The implications for my enquiry are that the paradigms can aid in evaluatinghow misbehavior of students may be affected on the teacher performance in classroom? Admiraal and Wubbels’ (2012) have focused on comparing two research approaches of reflective practice of two different modes of tele-guidance. This comparison is seen herein as an essential stance for the study in providing a clear view of the methodologies and approaches used.

The purpose of this critical evaluation is to lay down the similarities and differences between two approaches in reflective thinking, aiming to draw inferences on how these approaches may be adopted to my own study, which is how misbehavior of students may affect the teacher’s performance in the classroom. The direction of Admiraal and Wubbels’ (2012) study to take on a storytelling method from the traditional research methods is congruent to its purpose and nature, being focused on comparing two research approaches of reflective practice of two different modes of tele-guidance.

The position of the study is highlighted in the fact that it resulted in two different reports on student teachers’ reflective stances despite the fact that they share some perspectives on educational practices and reflections. Admiraal and Wubbels have emphasised that the different analyses and results are where the differences in beliefs in the Utrecht and Trondheim studies lie, apparently to see any alternatives to viewing the same phenomenon through two different lenses. This direction of the studies apparently seeks to adopt replicability by employing mixed methods and qualitative method respectively, called ‘convergence’ by Gorard and Taylor.

Similarly, my study on how misbehavior of students may affect the teacher’s performance in the classroom shall take on a qualitative method and a case study design, which can be drawn from in-depth interviews and participant observation. The Utrecht and Trondheim studies are focused on adopting two different paradigms to seeing two student teaching practice environments, contrasting each other