In the preface to my research project, which is not included here, I talked about seeing my work in this class as a journey. I've thought a great deal about that metaphor as I compiled our materials here. I titled the sourcebook, "finding the way: navigating research methods", because much of what we did was try to find a path that worked for our studies. In looking back on the work we've done, it is easy to see that each of us has journeyed. I think our research projects share a quality of yearning. Though we all strive to discover something particular to our interests, there are many connections among our projects.
Sarah Parlier and Val Perry focus on teacher feedback and responses to students' writing. Perry studies her fiction writing students at Eureka College while Parlier explores students in her eighth grade class. Yao Cui looks at revision practices among second language learners. Kyle Jensen explores situation in student reading practices. My research examines the influence of technology on writing teachers' pedagogies.
Each project represents our own journeys into research. Some of us have completed such projects before, others like myself, are new to research methods, data collection and research articles. As a class, we also find our way, supporting, encouraging and offering suggestions to one another. My research benefited greatly from workshopping and sharing my difficulties with classmates who helped me discover new possibilities and approaches.
The sourcebook is a compilation, a map of our journey this semester. I hope that it serves a guide for others who will navigate their way through research methods in courses to come.
