Initial research design idea
To get my 4th blog started, I will briefly reiterate the current idea of my research.
Pre-learning / The process of finding what people want to learn
Why do people choose what they are NOT interested in? What is their journey/method of realising what they crave?
>>> The detailed background on my 2nd post
Through the last interview with Josua and daily conversations with my lovely folks, I have been convinced that my research could be applied not only to my home country but also to other areas. However, I am also sure that the above question is still too broad and includes too entangled backgrounds.
Considering the time and resources available for my research, I’ve narrowed down my scope and evolved the question a bit.
Questions: Are postgraduate students of UOE studying what they are purely interested in? What influences their decision to enrol in postgraduate study? What kind of external factors do they have? If they are internally motivated, why and how could they find your passion?
Target: Postgraduate students in UOE(class of 2023/2024)
The research design idea:
- Surveys from students with as many different attributes as possible
- Life history interview after designating interviewees who have answered the survey
- To identify the person’s motivations and influences that cannot be uncovered by the survey
- ? (The method that would lead the deep insights)
- To detect invisible factors that respondents cannot express just by being asked intentional questions and answering verbally
- To see their pure decision-making process not influenced by the interview
- How about collecting the personal statements that students submitted to the university? Through text mining or another investigation, would I see some factors that have influenced the students?
- I was inspired by the photovoice method* introduced in the Future Learning Organization course.
- How about collecting the personal statements that students submitted to the university? Through text mining or another investigation, would I see some factors that have influenced the students?
Concerns if I implement the above
- Is the question still too broad?
- How do I identify whether they are motivated by external or internal factors?
- I will have to care about the ethical aspect when I collect personal data.
While I am about to finish writing this blog, I’m getting motivated to explore more about the research design!
*Reference
Gravett(2018), Spaces and Places for Connection in the Postdigital University