Emily Miles

Dr. Carolyn Doolittle

Research in Education

ED 723

Course Reflection

Albert Einstein, a well-known physicist, once said, If we knew what we

were doing, it would not be called research, would it? At the beginning of

this 8-week course, I struggled coming up with a topic that interested me.

Nothing seemed terribly attractive and it was hard for me to commit to

something that I wasnt passionate about. After many hours of thought,

brainstorming with Dr. Doolittle and writing and rewriting research questions,

I finally came to the topic of character education within the classical school

environment. This paper will serve a means for me to reflect on the research

journey with that, allow me to begin.

Chapter 1: Research Question

During the first two weeks of the Research in Education course, we

learned about qualitative, quantitative, and action research methodologies

and how they are are used to address problems that have come to the

attention of the researcher. In regards to my study, I noticed that the children

in public schools, especially in those that I have subbed for, have little

consistency between their home lives and their school lives. This lack of

consistency leaves children confused on what is right and wrong. Thus, we

problem we face as educators today. (GPO 8)

I began to look at other types of education and eventually landed upon

the classical model. I realized, rather suddenly, that classical schools do not

have the same discipline and academic problems that public schools do. In

fact, classical students do far better than their public or even fellow private

school peers. It was during this process that my research question began to

develop into what it is today. (CLO 6 and GPO 1,8).

Chapter 2: Literature Review

During the middle of the course, Dr. Doolittle gave a presentation on

the literature review. We learned about research genealogies, and how that

information is the basis or for our studies. To discover the research heritage

for my study, I used the DeCloud Librarys database on the University of

Saint Marys website. Moreover, I also used books like Rediscovering the Lost

Tools of Learning and Tending the Heart of Virtue to increase the depth of my

understanding. Through this process, I was able to come up with a rich

foundation of literature to ground my study on the effectiveness of character

education within the classical model. (CLO 6 and GPO 1,8).

Field Experience:

Following the review of literature, I conducted a series of interviews

with classical schools in Kansas and Colorado and eventually ended up at

Whitefield Academy, where I interviewed Dr. James Selby, and Headmaster

Quentin Johnston. For the purposes of this paper, I will focus on the
conversation from the interview with Headmaster Johnston. While visiting

with Mr. Johnston, I gained specific insight into the type of individual that

Whitefield Academy strives to produce and the high priority of scripture

study within the school curriculum. Mr. Johnston explained to me that the

type of education offered at Whitefield is countercultural, meaning that the

education offered in this school is completely different from the curriculum

found in public schools and even in many private Christian schools. This is

largely due to the dedication of the Whitefield teachers to offer and

education that holds tightly to Biblical principles.

After the interview, It became very obvious to me that the reason why

there is a lack of character in public schools is due largely to the institutions

inability to engrave character in students using stories from the Bible. This is

the advantage that Whitefield has over public schools, they are free to teach

the Bible and thus reach both the heart and mind of the child. I will be

focusing on this and other sub topics during the data collection phase.

A Work in Progress

After much thought and a well timed conversation with a close friend, I

altered the research question, ever so slightly, to reflect my findings from the

interview at Whitefield. My question became, Does a classical Christian

Education, as seen at Whitefield Academy, adequately prepare 12th graders

to be critical thinkers, clear communicators, and compassionate leaders?

Through this question, I hope to prove the effectiveness of Whitefield

Academys education and discipline philosophy. Through this process, I heard

that she said those words because they reminded me to be flexible and to be

patient with myself as I learned how to research.

Chapter 3: Methodology

By the time we were ready to write chapter 3, everyone in the class

had much clearer ideas of what they were researching and how they were

going to gather data. We were becoming researchers! In my methodology, I

decided to use many qualitative tools including interviews, observations,

surveys, and school created artifacts.

At one point during the course, we read a portion of the textbook that

talked about triangulation. The textbook mentioned that triangulation is a

method in which multiple forms of data are collected and compared to

enhance the validity and credibility of a research study (Hendricks, 2013).

By triangulating the data from the collection tools, I hope to show how the

parents, teachers, and students work together to produce an individual who

is able to be a productive member of 21st century America.(CLO 3 and GPO

1,6,8).

Conclusion:

After the research project has been completed, I will present my

findings to the University of Saint Marys Institutional Review Board as well

as to the faculty and staff of Whitefield Academy. For now, the data collection

stage of the project is about to unfold and I am eager to begin. My

enthusiasm for the project is due, largely in part, to my end goal: to highlight
the positive impact of Whitefield Academy within the classical education

movement and on generations of future leaders.

References

Fennema, J. (1978). Nurturing children in the Lord: A study guide for

teachers on developing a Biblical approach to discipline. Phillipsburg, NJ:

Presbyterian and Reformed.

Hendricks, C. (2013). Improving schools through action research: A reflective

practice approach. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Johnston, Q. (2016, April 14). [Personal interview].