Home - Dr. Patrick R. Turner, EdD.

Program Outcome: Enhance Academic Quality

Narrative and Reflection

David Suzuki from The Nature of Things, and Neil deGrasse Tyson, Astro-physicist both represent continuous advancement of knowledge born out of a drive to know and teach. They are world-wide modern elder statesmen who push us all to better ourselves academically. When I think about academic quality, I equate it with scientific method, rigor, and common context. I recently watched a documentary on David Suzuki who recently turned 80 years old and was amazed regarding who his life-long contributions influenced. Equally, Mr. Tyson's, teach a man to fish-esque statement continues to inspire me.

Enhancing academic quality is about holding ourselves accountable as educators though rigorous and repeatable methods. These methods create a common context for discussion and evaluating pedagogical, administrative, financial and other strategies, processes and methods using two types of study.

The first relates to study of social interactions using words, images, or objects. Our Qualitative Research Methods and Data Analysis class addressed foundational principles, skills, and methods of qualitative inquiry, exploring trend identification, interpretation, and positing conclusions from subjective data. Study components include research questions, study design, data collection, analysis and interpretation, assumptions and limitations, criterion for research quality, and ethical issues (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). These principles guide strategic and directional change by being applied to research practice relevant to community college leadership, like pedagogical,  engagement, technological, equity and justice issues, and more.

The second method studied in our Quantitative Research Methods and Data Analysis class addressed foundational principles regarding testing hypotheses, looking at cause & effect, and making predictions on larger populations than typical qualitative studies, randomly selected. Quantitative studies measure numbers and statistical data types obtained through precise measurements with structured and validated data-collection instruments. Objectively identified statistical relationships are analyzed, desiring generalizable findings for broader populations. Quantitative research tests hypotheses by studying behavior under controlled conditions to isolate causal effects and report correlations, comparisons of means, and finding statistical significance. These precise methods generate results with calculable levels of confidence regarding results interpretation (Trochim, Donnely, & Arora, 2016).

These academic quality enhancing methods help educators control variables for improving things like persistence, retention, engagement, and completion, and much more. When coupled with teaching and learning theories such as Bain's (2004) deep learning, researchers can study factors impacting why students are underprepared, lack motivation, or face equity and justice isolation issues (McClenney & Arnsparger, 2012). Results can impact how educators deliver content making students care on a personal level, helping them ask personally relevant questions; thereby activating benefits, via the likes of deep learning; improving knowledge retention and proper application.  

Literature

Bain, K. (2004). What the best college teachers do. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. ISBN: 0-674-01325-5

Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2016). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (4th ed.).
​San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.

McClenney, K.M. & Arnsparger, A. (2012). Students speak: Are we listening? Starting right in the community college. Austin, TX: Center for Community College Student Engagement.

Trochim, W.M., Donnely, J.P. & Arora, K. (2016). Research methods: The essential knowledge base. Boston, MA: Cengage. ISBN: 978-1-133-95477-4

 
Evidence
1.) I selected my Critical Assessment Paper from the Leadership for Teaching and Learning class as it provides a critical assessment and qualitative review of Schoolcraft College’s capacity for leadership and support for teaching and learning and how such efforts enhance academic quality. Review factors included relationships between faculty and administrators, levels of shared governance with roles and responsibilities, importance of teaching and learning in strategic planning, and importance of teaching and learning with support organizations such as: Human Resources, Information Technology, Student Affairs, Financial Services, Facilities and Legal Affairs.
PO4E1-190227 - TurnerP. Critical Assessment Paper IDSL880 APA - final.pdf
 
2.) I selected my Quantitative Research Methods and Data Analysis class Article Critique paper as it provides critique of a quantitative analysis. The Article Critique of Strayhorn’s (2008) article entitled, How College Students Engagement Affects Personal and Social Learning Outcomes was used to demonstrate familiarization with quantitative methodologies in the field of educational research. The critique evaluates
Strayhorn’s example of quantitative research in terms of goals, methods, limitations, results, and
generalizability 
PO4E3-190714-TurnerP.Article Critique-IDSL845 APA - Final.pdf
References
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