Exploring applications of innovative qualitative methods in educational research

This invited symposium will showcase three research projects that draw on qualitative analyses to explore teaching and learning, interaction, and pedagogy. Each project demonstrates how innovative methods offer unique insights into teaching and learning processes. Teaching and learning take place in complex social environments, and the affordances of qualitative analyses provides the opportunity to examine factors related to teaching and learning such as interactions, temporal patterns and non-verbal cues in fine-grained detail. In this symposium, we present the applications of qualitative analyses through illustrative examples from diverse contexts, including technical considerations and the limitations of the analytical methods. This symposium highlights the importance of the use of qualitative data when examining teaching and learning processes, different approaches to interpreting data and applications in diverse contexts. Paper Presentation 1: Title Using video analysis to examine curriculum alignment and developmental models of assessment and instruction Authors: Pamella Stefania Picinin de Mesquita Email: [email protected] Abstract: It is argued that curriculum alignment helps reduce inconsistencies among curriculum elements, making alignment studies both necessary and sought after. This paper focuses on the use of video data to examine curriculum alignment applying developmental models of assessment and instruction. The context of this study was year 7 one-to-one mathematics online tutoring in South Australia, Australia. Tutoring sessions recordings of three cases performing in the lowest level of the pre-assessment Number Interview B composed the data set. Content covered and cognitive demand were the two variables under analysis (Porter and Smithson, 2007), where content coverage is represented by a typical sequence of learning used to create the conditions to teach multiplication and division (Pearn and Ziebell, 2022), and cognitive demand categories refer to cognitive demand of Performance Types (Ziebell & Clarke, 2018). The transcripts unveiled those tutors targeted students' point on learning need according to the progression of developmental outcomes. The method offers comprehensive understanding on how sequence of instruction evolved on the tutoring sessions. References: Porter A. C., Smithson J., Blank R., & Zeider T. (2007). Alignment as a Teacher Variable Applied Measurement in Education, 20(1), pp.27-51. Ziebell, N. & Clarke, D. (2018). Curriculum alignment: Performance types in the intended, enacted, and assessed curriculum in primary mathematics and science classrooms. Studia paedagogica, 23 (2), 176-203. https://doi.org/10.5817/SP2018-2-10 Paper Presentation 2: Exploring The Uses of Embodied Ethnographic Methods in Educational Research Authors: Emily Dobrich Email: [email protected] Abstract: Embodied or sensory ethnographic methods offer an innovative approach to data collection and analysis when conducting qualitative research (Loh, 2016; Pink, 2015). Going beyond mere participant observation, embodied ethnography produces immersive research encounters wherein researchers and participants are sensorily engaged, forefronting both individual embodied experiences and social interactions (Biglin, 2020; Pink, 2015; Turner, 2000). These methods provide a nuanced and multi-dimensional awareness of research contexts and appreciation for interactions within the research environment (Field-Springer, 2019). Educational research benefits greatly from recognizing the value and impact of teaching and learning considered as ‘alternative’ to standard cognitive-based Western academic practices. In this paper, a Canadian research study serves as an illustrative example of the application of embodied ethnographic methods in educational research. While exploring the uses and possibilities of embodied ethnography, this paper takes a critical perspective to shed light on challenges, considerations, and limitations of embodied ethnography for research and practice. References: Biglin, J. (2020) Embodied and sensory experiences of therapeutic space: Refugee place-making within an urban allotment. Health & Place, 62, 102309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102309. Field-Springer, K. (2019). Reflexive embodied ethnography with applied sensibilities: methodological reflections on involved qualitative research. Qualitative Research, 20(2), 194-212. https://doi-org.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/10.1177/1468794119841835 (Original work published 2020) Loh, H. L. L. (2016). The body and senses in martial culture. Springer. Pink, S. (2015). Doing sensory ethnography (2nd ed.). Sage. Turner, A. (2000). Embodied ethnography. Doing culture. Social Anthropology. 8(1),51-60. doi:10.1017/S0964028200000057 Paper Presentation 3: Exploring interprofessional collaborative practice and case-based learning using video analysis Authors: Natasha Ziebell, Lucy Robertson, Jemma Skeat Email: [email protected] Abstract: Interprofessional collaborative practice is essential for supporting students with additional needs. This paper focuses on collaborative interactions during a case study problem-solving task involving Preservice Teachers and Speech Pathology students. A collaborative tutorial was conducted at the Science of Learning Research Classroom at the Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne. This purpose-built facility, equipped with 16 high-definition video cameras and microphones, enabled the unobtrusive recording of student interactions. The tutorial involved 25 students seated in small groups working through a case study, with their discussions captured through video recordings, collective written outputs, and post-implementation surveys. The analysis focused on argumentation, a process of reasoning based on evidence to evaluate claims and counterarguments. Video transcripts revealed variations in participation, with some students dominating discussions. Engle et al. (2014) identified that having access to the conversational floor is a critical factor influencing group dynamics. Furthermore, Ricca et al. (2020) highlight how interaction patterns can shape collaborative learning. To examine this further, sociograms were constructed to map interaction frequencies.This study demonstrates how teaching and learning processes unfold in real-time, providing methodological insights into the complexities of group interaction and student engagement.