Category: LDRS591 (Page 1 of 3)

https://create.twu.ca/charliemable/2018/11/22/unit-10-bringing-it-all-together/

I enjoyed your last paragraph of your post where you discuss what it takes and all the steps involved between pharmaceutical research and products being approved for human consumption in Canada. Your question at the end was psychologically fascinating to me because this course has awakened my need for credible factual information. I have always been (for the most part) a naturally accepting individual and I have turned into this skeptical, question everything ‘researcher’.  Is anything ever fully right or true?  I was genuinely shocked by Ben Goldacre’s talk and some of the revelations he shared about research reports and the actual credibility of people who report and share incorrect information to large populations of people as being factual. It’s scary!

My role as a teacher enables me to be viewed as a credible source of information to my students. I feel a huge responsibility to ensure that what I share is free from bias and factual. I want them to question, to be skeptical and to learn what constitutes a reliable source.

Thank you for causing me to reflect so deeply about this!

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Part A

According to Strong (2018) in the Unit 10 notes and Goldacre (2011) in his TEDTalk on Battling Bad Science; in order to determine the credibility of an article and the research findings presented I need to examine the article carefully and check for/be aware of the following:

• Check to see if the article  is scholarly and has been peer reviewed
• Research the journal’s reputation and look at what “the requirements for document submission” (Strong, 2018) are.
• Check the author’s reputation. As Goldacre (2011) points out, not every Certificate or Degree comes with the same academic rigour behind it.
• Check to see if the research has been funded by sources that, “meet or exceed those for prestigious journals” (Strong, 2018).  Strong (2018) provides a list of sources in Unit 10 notes that meet these requirements.
• Ensure that the data being collected is transferable to a larger population and generalization of results (Strong, 2018).
• Both Goldacre (2011) and Strong (2018) discuss research bias and the importance of researchers not having any personal bias towards favourable results. Examples shared by Goldacre (2011) referenced pharmaceutical company studies that were biased towards that companies products.
• If a study to cannot be replicated by someone else, the results and methods have been significantly skewed.

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Part B

I think that evidence-based decision making is important for the Transformational Servant leader because Transformational Servant leaders “create trust in their organizations by making their own positions clearly known and then standing by them” (Northouse, 2019, p. 175).  In order to make trustworthy decisions, the decisions need to backed by evidence. They also need to help create a shared vision, be able to be a role model,  and enable others to act (Northouse, 2019) and to do so effectively, leaders need to ensure that they have credible and ethically produced evidence to draw upon.  Evidence based learning must be present in a Transformational Servant Leader in order to help members of their team grow and succeed, to conceptualize a plan, to promote healing and reconciliation and to create value for the community (Northouse, 2019).

As part of a District team that is helping to create and implement new courses that correlate with the redesigned curriculum, it is imperative that I refer to and use scholarly evidence to back up suggestions that I share with the team. A recent example is my Administrator has asked for my assistance in helping him prepare for a presentation that he will have to make to the District Leadership Team next week to address some concerns around moving a certain course from Grade 12 to Grade 11. I need to prepare evidence for him to present that will help demonstrate that keeping the course in Grade 12 is what’s best for students (not what may be best for timetabling or course funding). As someone who is striving to help students grow and succeed, I need to conceptualize an ethical plan that creates value for the school community that centres entirely around making evidenced based decisions.

References

Goldacre, B. (2011). Battling bad science. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/ben_goldacre_battling_bad_science

Northouse, P.G. (2019). Leadership: Theory & Practice (8th ed). Sage Publications.

Strong, H. (2018). Unit 10 Learning Activities. Retrieved from https://create.twu.ca/ldrs591/unit-10-learning-activities/

Part A

According to Plano Clark & Creswell (2015), the discussion/conclusion section of a research paper is where the researcher reflects on their findings and comments on their interpretations of the results (how the study answered the original research question(s) and the strengths and weaknesses of the results).  The interpretations shared are not a summary of what the study revealed, but rather a deeper look at the “meaning, importance, and implications of the specific results that were found” (Plano Clark & Creswell, 2015, p.466).  This reflective discussion allows for researchers to share areas of improvement for future research studies, to examine how the results can affect current and future practice as well as compare the results to existing literature.

In Qualitative research studies, researchers focus on discussing limitations surrounding data collection procedures (questions, participants etc.,) as “rich sampling data sources” (Plano Clark & Creswell, 2015, p.469) are crucial to a quality qualitative paper.  In Quantitative research studies, researchers share limitations that also focus on data sampling however it is more likely due to smaller number of participants than desired and difficulties with measuring of variables as well as analysis of the data.

In Quantitative research, the focus is on interpreting results as they relate to “relationships among variables” (Plano Clark & Creswell, 2015, p. 472) and are connected directly to the hypotheses examined and existing literature. The goal of the interpretation is to apply the results to as large and broad a population as possible.

In Qualitative research, the interpretation of results focuses on “themes” (Plano Clark & Creswell, 2015, p. 472) that the research has revealed. The goal is to be able to share a “credible, full description” (Plano Clark & Creswell, 2015) of the results.

Some of the similarities and differences in the discussion/conclusion section between qualitative and quantitative research reports are laid out in table format by Plano Clark & Creswell (2015, p.472).

Plano Clark & Creswell (2015, p. 472)

Part B

Link to Servant Leadership Article: Achieving High Organization Performance Through Servant Leadership

Plano Clark & Creswell (2015)

Part C

As a consumer of research reports, the most important aspects that I need to look for in the discussion/conclusion section of a high quality research report are:

• The major results are identified and summarized without introducing new results.
• The results are organized clearly on either themes (qualitative) or hypotheses (quantitative).
• The discussion/conclusion section should take into consider how the results relate to existing literature.
• The researcher reflected upon how the results can impact current and future practice and addresses whom they might benefit.
• The researcher acknowledges the limitations of the study in detail including how data was collected, how participants were selected, how data was analyzed etc.,)
• The researcher indicates suggestions for what future research is required to improve upon limitations identified.
• The interpretations are consistent with the study.
• The information included in the list of references etc., is relevant to the study

An area that I still find a little confusing is just how personal the discussion section can be in a qualitative report when a researcher is sharing their reflections and interpretations. Is being personally reflective opening up the results to being considered biased?

I can apply this knowledge to my work context because as part of my job, I need to collect, provide and interpret the results each year of student surveys for my Department’s yearly Action Plan summary.  Being able to follow the format of identifying the results, examining them as they compare to current literature, applying the results to our teaching practices in our Department, critiquing the limitations of the survey questions or sampling methods for future research and making sure the interpretation of the results is consistent with the study will be very helpful for both myself, our Department, my school Administrator and the School District’s Leadership Team. I have never included any formal back matter in my Action Plan summary before but will do so this year due to what I have discovered and learned in this course.

Question:

In your line of work, how often do you conduct research on your area of expertise in order to be a better practitioner and be better informed about the latest literature’s findings?

References

Melchar, D. E., & Bosco S. M. (2010). Achieving high organization performance through servant leadership. Journal of Business Inquiry: Research, Education & Application, 9(1), 74–88.

Plano-Clark, V. & Creswell, J. (2015). Understanding research: A consumer’s guide. (2nd Ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Link to Charlie Mable’s Research Action Plan

I am greatly intrigued by Charlie Mable’s professional vocation and have been since day one! More education is definitely needed regarding opioid use disorder.  Last summer, it felt like I couldn’t go a single week without hearing about a new influx of opioid deaths, mostly due to Fentanyl laced products. As Charlie pointed out in her introduction, opioid addiction is a major problem in our Country. She stated that in the age group of twenty-five to  thirty-four year olds,  1 in 6 deaths are due to opioid addiction overdoses.

The Problem:  Determining what barriers may be preventing some family physicians from being willing to treat uncomplicated cases of addiction at their clinics through an ongoing maintenance program.

Purpose: Working for a pharmaceutical company that produces a drug called Suboxone that can help treat patients with opioid use disorders, Charlie’s purpose of her research is clear.  If she can determine what the barriers for family physicians are, perhaps through education, she can help reduce/remove some of them so that more patients can receive treatments. In doing so, her representatives can provide more treatment products to more family physician clinics to try and help stem the loss of life due to this addiction that is sweeping our Nation.

Data Collection & Analysis:  Using a Mixed Methods approach,  and by contacting both a family health clinic that is participating already in providing treatments and one that is not, she genuinely would like to research and explore further why some family practice clinics are hesitant or not willing to treat patients with opioid use addictions.  She stressed the need for open ended questions so as not to bias the results due to how her questions are framed. I believe this is very important and essential due to the nature of her work. It would be discouraging and heart wrenching to have her research overlooked due to people thinking that her reasons were maybe financially motivated (being a representative for a pharmaceutical company), instead of genuinely trying to help those who are in need the most.  Through these open ended questions she would like to gather quantitative data through surveys filled out by both the doctors and nurses that work in the clinics. She would also like to collect further qualitative data by interviewing both a doctor and a nurse.  As part of her data analysis she states that she would code the data received into areas such as education, philosophical reasons, the number of patients etc.,

I humbly suggest, that perhaps, Charlie Mable might want to survey more than one non-participating and participating clinics in order to collect as much quantitative data as possible.  Only collecting survey data from one participating/non participating doctor or nurse might not be sufficient. Is it also possible to send out random surveys across a larger geographical area as well? This way the data that is gathered could be viewed as transferable to other parts of the country.  Qualitatively, she would still only need to interview  a small number of individuals.

Who the Data Will Benefit:  From the data gathered, Charlie will be able to share the information directly with her representatives and with her company’s medical and marketing departments.  She rightfully questions whether the question of her research is much bigger than just her company and whether or not the information gathered can be shared with medical schools and across the nation.

Thanks for sharing Charlie! I look forward to learning more and wish you the best of luck in your research quest!  It was a pleasure to listen to your plan, as it is obvious how much you genuinely care and wish to help those who are suffering.

Part A – A Practical Professional Problem

A practical problem that I have encountered in my professional life is  the lack of mentorship available to brand new teachers.

Imagine, being a new parent and all of a sudden being responsible for not 1 but 30 children. All of whom who have different needs, at different times of the day.  While there is sympathy and understanding for new first time parents of infants as well as a transition period where people are quick to offer assistance and support; new teachers are expected to step in from day one, and run their classrooms as efficiently and affectively as an experienced teacher.   Oftentimes, new teachers struggle with balancing new curriculum, lesson planning, classroom management, special needs, communication with parents/other staff/administration, report card writing and authentic assessment. The struggle is real.

It is so real, and overwhelming that a large number of teachers want to leave the teaching profession within the first five years.  With our current teacher shortage in British Columbia, we cannot afford to lose more teachers. As a Nation, we are doing a very poor job of supporting new teachers. Why is this and what can we do to change it?

Teachers go to teachers college where they mostly learn the theory of education.  They write anticipatory lesson plans and spend a few weeks of time ‘practicing’ in someone else’s classroom.  And then, they are placed (sometimes with only a few day’s notice) into a classroom of their own.  The classroom is a much different environment than teacher’s college or even their practicum. There are so many variables at play! Often times, new teachers feel isolated, overwhelmed and nervous about admitting that they are struggling for fear of appearing incompetent.

What if new teachers had a support group to turn to? What if they had a mentor they felt comfortable with? Would this help them feel more successful and enable teachers to want to stay in the profession?

Part B:   Please click on the link below. A huge shout out and much gratitude to Dr. Strong who copied my file onto Soundcloud for me.

Soundcloud Recording

Part A

Quantitative and Qualitative Research Debate:

There shouldn’t be any debates over quantitative or qualitative research reports. Each research type plays a key role depending on what it is you are seeking. There is a rightful time and place for each of them. Qualitative data can provide stories that enable people to make personal connections to the information being shared and allow people to explore questions further.  Quantitative data provides numerical information that can help answer questions.   We have the opportunity to learn from both, and isn’t that the point?

Mixed Methods Research and Leadership Studies:

What makes a mixed methods research report stand out when it comes to leadership studies is that not only can it provide a numerical explanation for certain phenomenon,  it can also address more than one question at a time and it enables the stories behind the data to be shared.  Mixed methods research provides more evidence (quantitative and qualitative),  shares more insights (through stories/interviews) and highlights any needs for further explorations in the future.  This allows for a complete picture.

Part B

Article Link: Correlational Analysis of Servant Leadership and School Climate (Black, 2010)

Table 1

Criteria for evaluating the use of mixed methods in a research report

Part C

An  exemplary example of a Transformational Servant Leader in my life is my 86 year old (soon to be 87) Mom! I am so grateful to have her as my mentor and my confidante. The ways in which my Mom demonstrates these qualities is:

• She is sensitive to the emotional well being of others (always willing to listen, she will spend hours connecting with family, friends and members of her church  and our local community).
• She always puts others needs first before her own (she has always sacrificed so much to help others, especially her kids and grandchildren).
• She helps others grow and succeed (she is my biggest supporter, always encouraging me to pursue my  personal and professional dreams and to complete my Masters).
• She behaves ethically (her integrity and honesty is exemplary and she is a true role model).
• She empowers others to have confidence in their own abilities (she has always encouraged her children to be independent and self sufficient. She didn’t shy away from giving the freedom to let us fly on our own).
•  She creates value for the community by giving back to her church group and connecting with local community members to help make our neighbourhood a more warm and welcoming place to be.

I would apply a mixed methods approach to the study of servant leadership by conducting a convergent parallel design study that would enable the reader to “develop a complete and valid understanding” (Plano Clark & Creswell, 2015, p. 391) of the research conducted or by using a multiphase study that was “aimed at achieving an overall objective such as developing and evaluating a program” (Plano Clark & Creswell, 2015, p. 391).  Both of these mixed methods research designs would help assist in providing a clearer picture of transformational servant leadership.

Question: Did anyone else find this particular research report (Black, 2010) to not quite meet the same set of rigorous standards as others that we have been looking at in the past few weeks?  I was quite excited to read it and then was left feeling deflated and disappointed by the lack of rigour.

References

Black, G. L. (2010). Correlational Analysis of Servant Leadership and School Climate. Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice, 13(4), 437–466.

Plano-Clark, V. & Creswell, J. (2015). Understanding research: A consumer’s guide. (2nd Ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Link to Edenguessi’s Post

How does one identify biases in qualitative studies considering the level of subjectivity involved in the interpretation of data? (Edenguessi, 2018)

I really liked your question! I guess one has to look at the credentials of the researcher, the participants in the study (how were they chosen and how many), the type of study conducted, whether the data was coded and how it relates to the question being explored.

Is the researcher going to gain profitability from this data? If so, in what way?  Has this research been peer reviewed? Published? In what kind of journal? How credible is the journal in which it is published compared to others?

Link to Kwantlen Brenda’s Post

My question to my classmates I am curious to know is, how you too might have managed your biases when participating in a qualitative research study or when reading a qualitative study? (Kwantlen Brenda, 2018)

I think it is important to be honest, especially about what we don’t know. We need to be open and willing to see things from another persons lens and to ask a lot of questions.   When looking at historical narratives in the classroom there are always differing perspectives depending upon who is recording the documentation. Is it a first hand account? Is it from a reliable source? When studying European Medieval History, it was  helpful to note what was written from the viewpoint of each group involved.

There are also those among us, who are rich in knowledge about certain areas. Not only is it okay to ask questions, it is also strongly encouraged. For example,  I feel very blessed and grateful for the guidance myself and my students have received from our Aboriginal Support worker in helping us to better understand the atrocities of our own history through activities such as holding a Blanket Ceremony representing the loss of land and looking at first hand accounts of  residential school survivors.  Students and teachers are walking away better informed and knowledgable in ways that they never were before.

I believe that when we open our minds, question the evidence presented and can look at multiple reliable and credible viewpoints is when we  are able to learn the most.

Link to Achsahs Springs Post

First, in light of our studies in LDRS 500, is critical thinking a necessary leadership skill?  Is the ability to think critically a leadership trait, or is it a learned behaviour, or can it be both?  How critical is too critical?  For example, if I am critically reviewing someone’s work, at what point does it just becoming an exercise in finding fault and no longer has any value? (Achsah’s Springs, 2018)

I loved your question! You have obviously been reflecting quite a bit on it.

I thought you might find the following interesting as it connects to your question. As part of the new BC Education Curriculum for K-12, there are 6 core competencies that all students are expected to reflect upon and to self-assess where they are at throughout their learning journey.

The 6 core competencies are:

1. Creative Thinking
2. Personal & Social Awareness
3. Social Responsibility
4. Communication
5. Personal & Cultural Identity
6. Critical Thinking

As you noticed, one of the six is critical thinking.  Here is the student friendly language for which they reflect on where they are at.

Student friendly language Core Competencies reproduced with permission from DW Poppy Secondary School

I believe that critical thinking, like other skills is part of our life long learning journey. Some of us are also better at certain things than others. A lot of what is listed here, we do without even consciously realizing we are doing it in our jobs each day.

To answer your question of “how critical is too critical?”, I think the answer lies in what we have learned about Servant Leadership so far. The role of a leader is to help enable others to grow so that they can be their best selves. To do this, we need to focus on people’s strengths and to ask ourselves, “Is this helpful or hurtful?” before responding.  The role of the servant leader is to build people up, not tear them down.  Whenever I am providing feedback to a student, someone wise once told me that a quick way to know if something is acceptable, is to ask myself, “How would I be responding right now, if a TV camera was on me and this was going to be on the 6 o’clock news?”

Link to Charlie Mable’s Post

Do you think that pure qualitative research has a lot of parallels with marketing research? (Charlie Mable, 2018)

A great question! I do believe that qualitative research does have a lot of parallels with marketing research. Both can involve observations, interviews, analysis of documents, historical analysis and  focus groups to name a few. However, qualitative research tends to focus on a smaller number of participants which might not lend a lot of credence to National marketing decisions for the amount of time and effort that would be involved. What works in one city/province might not work in another.  Quantitative studies that are randomly conducted with large numbers of participants might reveal more transferable data.  Qualitative studies might be handy for a company for specific ad campaigns that target a select group of people such as teens, seniors, pregnant moms etc.,.