Category: LDRS591

How can I know that I can trust what I am reading?

You can trust what you are reading in two simple steps:

Step 1. Enroll in LDRS591.

Step 2. Read Understanding research: A consumer’s guide.

In all seriousness, it is difficult for one to trust what they are reading and be 100 percent certain in the truthfulness or reliability. For example, I know I parked my truck outside my house, and it is likely it is still there. But, I cannot be 100% certain it is still there without physically seeing it or touching it. Even then, I cannot be 100% certain as one could argue my senses are deceiving me and the truck is in fact not where I believed I had parked it. However, when it comes to research there are some things one can do to increase the likelihood that the research studies they are reading can be trusted:

1. Examine the authors of the study.
2. How was the study published? Research the journal. Was it peer reviewed?
3. Who funded the study?
4. Are there any known biases?
5. Use your mind – think critically and learn how to evaluate arguments and research methods.

How do I know the research has been performed competently?

Can I copy and paste my first answer?

Plano-Clark and Creswell, provide an excellent guide to evaluating research studies. I would pay close attention to the introduction and methods section. Did the authors choose an appropriate research design? How did they collect their data? How were participants selected? How was the data analyzed? These are just some of the questions I would ask myself insinuation with the tables provided by Clark and Creswell in Understanding Research: A consumer’s guide.

How do I know the research is reported honestly?

I don’t. I wasn’t there recording the answers. I haven’t seen the original surveys. But I can examine the method of the research. What research design was used and why was it chosen? Who were the participants and why were they chosen? Did the authors explain and justify their tools of analysis? These are just some of the questions one can ask when determining the reliability of a research study.

How do I know the findings presented are consistent with what other researchers would conclude?

Complete a literature review of the topic you are studying. Is that why are final assignment is a formal literature review? It is all making sense now! : )

Discussion Question:

We can all agree LDRS 591 will leave a lasting impression on our professional lives, but how has LDRS 591 affected your personal life? For example, have any long-held personal beliefs you thought to be true were being supported by faulty evidence or a lack of evidence altogether?

One final question. How many times did you spell “Learning Activity” incorrectly as your prepared your blog posts?  I’ll confess it was a 50/50 chance I would type “LEArning Atvity.”

But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.  1 Peter 3:15 (ESV)

The Bible is clear, as Christians we must not only have reasons that support our beliefs but also be prepared to defend our faith. In other words, our faith is based on evidence and fact, not on subjective feelings. Likewise, as a someone that strives to be a transformational servant leader, my decisions must be rooted in evidence.

If your beliefs and decision are based on evidence, it will increase your credibility not only as a leader but also as a person. As a result, it will increase the trust others place in you, which will improve your influence and ability to lead effectively.

Why re-invent the wheel? Many leaders had come before us and solved many similar problems we are currently facing. If there is a proven solution supported by evidence, you would be foolish not take it into account. I find far too often people waste their time trying to find a solution to a problem that has already been solved.

There was something else, but it slipped my mind so I will continue with some unfiltered thoughts of evidence-based decision making. We assume our doctors are making decisions rooted in evidence. If we care about our followers and developing those around us, then we ought to base our decisions on evidence as well. Finally, don’t try to be a hero. As I mentioned before there are already a ton of solutions available to many of our problems, if our decisions are founded on evidence then it is more likely you’ll find your choices are aligned with best practices.

Everyday everyone makes decisions imagine what the world would look like if everyone made those decisions based on evidence instead of emotion. What a world it would be.

In unit 1, I discussed the factors that influence my decision-making process as a leader. I explained how my personal beliefs and values, the mission, vision, and value statement of the organization, research, and the examining the big picture all play a role in my decision making.

First, I would ask myself, “Is my decision consistent an faithful to my faith in Christ?”.

Second, “Does my decision align with the mission, vision, and values of the organization?”

Third, “Is my decision aligned with best practices? Does evidence support it?”

Finally, “Does my decision support the overall growth of the organization?”

As the course comes to an end my overall approach to making decisions has changed very little. However, the course has refined my research skills which have allowed me how to be more efficient at locating relevant and reliable sources, it introduced different research designs and provided a thorough overview of APA.

Time is our most valuable commodity, and the course has provided many helpful tips that I can use to maximize my time when attempting to locate relevant articles but also evaluate them. Online databases can be overwhelming, but if one has the right tools to navigate them, then they can become a powerful tool when conducting research. LDRS 591 has not only provided those tools but also allowed each one of us to apply them and witness how valuable they can be.

As I mentioned, time is valuable, and once it is gone, we can never get it back. I often find myself reading and scanning articles longer then I ought to. The course has taught us how to efficiently and effectively evaluate each section of research studies to determine if it is worth the time one must spend to read and comprehend it. There is no point citing a study that is not credible or reliable, LDRS591 has shown me how to determine the credibility and reliability in a time-efficient manner.

Perhaps the most important thing I learned was how I could apply the research in my personal and professional life, specifically action research. I could spend hours upon hours reading a research study about this and that, but what good is it if I cannot apply it to our personal or professional lives? Action research provides a simple model anyone can use in their own lives to solve real problems they are facing.

Unit 10 Learning Activities

The most important part of a conclusion section in high-quality research for me are the following elements:

The results are clearly identified and summarized. It is essential to summarize the results that are critical to answering the original research question. If further results were found because of the research but do not directly answer the research question, they need to be organized and summarized logically.

The results are examined in the literature. It is crucial the researcher notes how their results are related to prior research

that the implication of the findings for practice is identified and justified. Next, it is essential the researcher indicates how their results compare to prior research. I believe it is crucial to include the implications of the study to ensure the study is used and does not sit on a shelf collecting dust, after all, that is why we conduct research.

Thoughtful critiques of the study’s limitation are noted. Another way to contribute to the world of research is to critique your research by examining the limitation of the study to provide a suggestion for future research based not only on the results but also to address the limitations.

Discussion Question(s):

How important do you feel the personal reflection in the conclusion section is? Is it fair to examine researcher’s personal reflection for any biases or presuppositions that may not have been revealed throughout the study? How can personal reflection add value to the study and literature in general?

 

Unit 9 Learning Activities

Are the major results identified and summarized?

The researchers’ results are identified, summarized and organized logically. The results for both the leader’s perspective and followers’ perspective were easy to locate.

3/3

Are the results related to the literature?

The authors compare their results to previous research and provide a personal reflection on their findings. Comparison to other literature is limited because there has not been a lot of research conducted on emotional intelligence and servant leadership at the time the article was published.

2/3

Are appropriate implications of the results for practice identified and justified?

The authors provide suggestions that logically follow from their study while admitting the limitations. They insist organizations could use the results in the selection and development of servant leaders.

3/3

Is there a thoughtful critique of the study’s limitations?

Thea authors identified and acknowledged the following limitations of their study: sample size, common bias, and the type of organization surveyed. A small number of followers were surveyed per leader, and the study only interviewed leaders in the civic field which the researchers note behave differently than those in the private sector.

3/3

Are suitable suggestions for future research provided?

Yes. The authors provide a clear direction for future research which addresses the limitations of their study. First, increase the number of followers per leader surveyed. Second, conduct a similar investigation in the private sector.

3/3

References

Barbuto, J. E., Gottfredson, R. K., & Searle, T. P. (2014). An examination of emotional intelligence as an antecedent of servant leadership. Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, 21(3), 315-323.

 

Unit 9 Learning Activities

I had the privilege to review Ruth’s Action Research. It can be found here: https://create.twu.ca/ruthleong/2018/02/26/learning-activity-8-2/

Before I get into my review, I would like to encourage Ruth to follow through with her action research. I know it would be of great benefit for not only her school but also many if not all schools in the Northwest Territories.

Does the project focus on a real problem in practice?

Yes. Ruth decided to focus on a problem that many teachers across the country can relate to, the lack of collaborations, specifically the lack of collaborations between teachers in the same subject matter in small school settings when there is only one teacher per subject area. From personal experience, the schools within my district face a similar problem as we only have one teacher per grade or multi-grade classes. This research could not only help her district but many across Canada.

Does the researcher plan study his or her own practices or plan to collaborate with community members?

Ruth plans to study the practices not only in her own school but the teachers in the entire district. Her focus is collaborations between teachers but depending on her results could expand to collaborations between professionals.

Does the project include careful reflection about the problem?

Yes, Ruth carefully reflects up on the issue and discusses some roadblocks teachers currently face regarding collaborations.

Does the researcher plan gather serval sources o information (e.g., qualitative and quantitative procedures)?

Ruth has decided to collect her data through a survey, thus a quantitative study. Teachers across her district would participate, those from small schools with one teacher per subject area, and those from larger schools with multiple teachers. This would allow a comparison between different work settings. Some questions Ruth will be asking are: Do teachers regularly collaborate? Are they given time to do so? Is collaboration useful they think it is useful?

Does the research develop a clear plan for addressing the problem?

Yes. If collaboration is found to be useful Ruth suggests group multiple small programs together to collaborate, or teachers from small schools are given the opportunity to join the larger school on professional development days. Another option not discussed is the use of technology such as Skype, google docs, etc. to connect teachers across the district. (From personal experience this is easier said than done.)

Does the project include reflecting, thinking, looking, and gathering information and acting?

Overall the action research project includes thoughtful reflecting, thinking, and gathering information. Given Ruth has not actually completed the research project I feel her suggestions are the practical and reasonable solution to the problem her school is currently facing.

Will the results of the project enhance the lives of those involved?

Yes, providing evidence of the value and benefit of collaboration between teachers ought to encourage more teachers to collaborate actively. Additionally, Ruth offered possible solutions to provide teachers in small school settings to collaborate with other teachers that teach the same grade level and subject area.

Like many people, I want to be in control, but far too often I find myself in a situation I can control. The only thing I can control is how I respond to a given situation or problem that I face. With that said, I am a fan of Action Research Designs as it provides a simple model to address issues directly one might encounter in their professional life. In other words, there is no reason to complain about this and that but instead, find a solution to the problem. Here are three problems my school currently faces:

1. Attendance – Student social-emotional learning and academic growth are negatively affected by absenteeism. If students are not absent, then they are usually late. Currently, our school does not have attendance or late policy.
2. School community – The lack of school community and positive school culture plays a part in student achievement, demotivates staff who already live in difficult circumstances in an isolated community. A healthy school community will promote parent engagement and community partnerships, character development, safe and healthy schools, and provide an opportunity to hear our students’ voices.
3. Parent engagement – parents and guardians, are the most important teachers to their children. As a school, we have failed to engage and included parents in their children’s’ education effectively. Parents play a vital role in their child’s education. When parents, teachers, and students come together in a shared vision, everyone will benefit including students, parents, teachers and community members.

I believe all three problems are deeply connected and if you solve one, the other will also improve. Unfortunately, it is easier said than done, but I look forward to the challenge ahead.

As a consumer of research reports, the most important things for me in the methods and results sections of a high-quality qualitative research report are:

–          Appropriate research design that addresses the purpose of the study

–          Appropriate method for collecting data

o   Data collection is ethical and thoughtful

–          The researchers establish the trustworthiness and dependability of their study by:

o   Using at least three acceptable strategies to validate their findings

o   Researchers identify any possible biases

Short but sweet. I feel if a qualitative research study meets the above criteria it is likely to be reliable and could be a valuable resource if it is relevant to your research. I should note, I prefer quantitative studies over qualitative as I find qualitative to be subjective.

Discussion question:

Is there a way to combine quantitative and qualitative research studies that would add value to one’s research?

References

Chan, K. W. C, & So, G. B. K. (2017). Cultivating servant leaders in secondary schooling. Servant Leadership: Theory and Practice, 4(1), 12-31. Retrieved from http://www.sltpjournal.org/uploads/2/6/3/9/26394582/03chan_so_vol_4_issue_1.pdf

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

https://create.twu.ca/ldrs591-sp18/unit-6-learning-activities/