Comprehensive Instruction: Research-Based Best Practices - Dissertation Example

? Methodology The methodology will consist of a mixed study which combines qualitative studies of questionnaires and observation through primary and secondary sources. The methodology will follow a two part questionnaire, one which will be given to a sample of students and the other to teachers. The main objective will be to look at enterprise and entrepreneurship as well as how this plays into the ideologies of design education. This can provide deeper insight into the importance it has as well as how it affects other aspects of those who are looking at the framework for study. This is furthered by understanding how the design is taught at KSA universities and how the formalities with the UK approach compare to KSA, specifically because of the foundational and cultural differences which are attributed to both. By examining these various objectives, there is the ability to build a deeper understanding of how entrepreneurship relates to design study and how it can be improved for new aspects in educational systems. The methodology that is based on primary sources with the questionnaire will be followed by secondary resources. The main focus will be to fill in any gaps that would question the relationship between entrepreneurship and the design studies which are currently being implemented. The secondary studies will examine a wide variety of areas, including journals and books for current theories with education. This will be furthered with looking into the trends and statistics through websites and newer publications, specifically to identify the trends and the government expectations. The changes which are currently being made are consistent with expectations that are related to the government policies in various regions of the world. Combining this as a main aspect of the study can then close the gaps with the questionnaire while developing a well – rounded approach to the study for a deeper understanding of the various issues that are surrounding entrepreneurship and design studies. Research Structure The research structure will consist of two questionnaires, one which is given to the students of KSA, DeMont University and Leicester University. The questionnaire for students will consist of 15 questions related to the design studies and to the entrepreneur designs. The students will be chosen at random after determining if they are design majors in their main area of study. There will be an average of 20 students chosen from each university, with 60 questionnaires that will be given to each of the universities. This will be done to look at the diversity of opinions and samples and to look at the potential of entrepreneurial relationships when examining this from the perspective of design students. To proceed with this, the universities will be contacted in reference to the study. This will be followed with the random sample of students being gathered either from the university or by random sampling with data bases with the questionnaires following. The second component to the methodology will be based on questionnaires handed to the teachers of design studies in all three universities. This will also take place after retrieving permission from the universities in relation to the questionnaires. The questionnaires will be given to all instructors that are teaching in design studies, specifically because of the direct relationship to entrepreneurship and this form of study. It is expected that there will be an average of 10-20 questionnaires which are given to the teachers which have a relationship to this particular subject with their teaching styles. To carry out with this portion of the methodology, a consent form will be sent to chosen universities. If it is agreed that the study can include the universities, then the procedures will continue. If not, a substitute university will be found within the same region until consent is reached. The questionnaires which are analyzed will then move through an analysis and comparison of responses. Most questions will be formed with the ability to retrieve statistical data, specifically with the capacity of analyzing the general trends and expectations which are in the three areas. This will give an overview of the expectations of both students and teachers while noting the basic gaps that are in both regions. The third component to the research structure will occur after gathering data from students and will consist of looking at other primary sources for information. The approach will be observation that will consider the responses of students as well as the responses which are given. The areas observed will include primary sources of: Blogs (found through random search with the keyword combinations of entrepreneur and design studies) Forums (found through random search with the keyword combinations of entrepreneur and design studies) Social networking sites linked to the Universities Random social networking sites (found through groups and pages related to entrepreneurs and design studies) Other website areas where discussions are taking place about entrepreneurship and universities (to be found through keyword searches) The observations which are made through these sites will include the expectations and beliefs that students have before, during and after courses. The data will be placed according to the number of responses, concerns and wording which is similar in all instances. This will be combined with the problems and challenges which have arisen and how individuals have responded to this. There will be an understanding of the main concerns as well as how many students have related to the same difficulties as well as specific responses that are linked to this. The observations will be related to human behaviors of the students and how this links to the expectations within universities. The observations will be done within a one week time frame. While there cannot be a determination of the responses, it is expected that an average of 20 blogs and forums will be looked into, as well as three of the top social networking sites both linked to universities and picked at random. The information will be recorded according to responses and categorized according to the main concerns and responses which are accrued. The observations will then be placed into SPSS to see what the main attitudes are toward the universities and the effects which occur with the basis of studying design with entrepreneurial relations. Framework The questionnaires and the main observations will include two questionnaires and a recording of observations which are then organized into categories and placed into SPSS. This will follow with secondary sources that depict theories related to entrepreneurship and design studies. The time frame for this by week will be as follows: Chart 1: Time Frame for Methodology By Week Task 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Planning and Research for Questionnaire – gain permission from Uni. Questionnaire to Students Questionnaire to Teachers Observations Data Retrieval and Analysis Secondary Studies Combined Data of Primary and Secondary Studies Conclusions By using this time frame, there is the ability to follow through with the necessary portals and to find the right number of students, teachers and portals to ensure that there are changes which can be made with the questionnaire. This will ensure that the observations and the combination of secondary sources reach the correct conclusions with the expectations for the study. Use of Secondary Sources The secondary sources which will be used includes research information of academic books, journals, educational sites, newspapers and online secondary sources that offers general information about the topic. The focus will include the keywords of entrepreneurship in higher education, art and design universities, government expectations, policies, Cox Review 2005 and information about the educational changes and status’ that are currently being considered as a main objective with the study which is being developed. The research used with secondary sources is pertinent to the overall study. The objective will be to look at the theories and resources that have been considered in the past toward entrepreneurship and design studies. The objectives are first based on understanding and defining the historical approaches to these issues. This will further be defined by examining the changes and roles that the topic has created in recent years, specifically with the changes that have occurred with the expansion of education. The research method will be used to help identify issues with the topic given while filling in gaps that are associated with the qualitative research through past studies, government expectations, changes in education and the theories that are associated with this (Best, Kahn, 2005). The theories that are provided, as well as the other case studies that have been seen can be furthered with an examination of the current trends and issues that are associated with this concept. Changes in education not only come from the theories and development of curriculum. Outside forces are also known to associate with these specific components, attitudes which occur and alterations in the curriculum. The change begins with the institutional culture that is a part of higher education and which creates different needs and expectations within the educational system. This is followed by other external factors that impact this, including political forces, educational competition and professional responses to the trends and issues that are currently in the economy. The social and cultural expectations also create a sense of relevance to the issues and what is occurring within the environment. Understanding how the culture supports or rejects the impact of these forces as well as understanding the new models that are associated with the values of various educational arenas create a deeper understanding of the requirements for learning (Penuel et al, 2007). The internal changes and theories as well as the external forces that are changing the curriculum can best be examined with secondary sources. This is specific to the expected policies and changes that are associated with various institutions and the relationship to both entrepreneurship and design studies that are in various universities. All universities are expected to comply with these various factors and to create different levels of understanding and implementation with these particular components. This is combined with the understanding that the secondary sources can provide a guideline to the changes that are currently being made, blocks and difficulties which are occurring because of this and why there are responses that are being made. The secondary sources not only offer the background and recent changes for the design study. There is also the ability to combine the theories and changes with the primary data that will be collected. The primary data will work as a microcosm to the overall information which is given, either to support or reject the theories and trends that are currently being displayed through various resources. The secondary sources can then combine with the other elements of the study for an overall view of what is related to the changes that are currently being developed and what the expectations are with the institutions as well as what is occurring as a result. The relationship between primary and secondary data is then able to create a changing force with the context of what is occurring in the study. Use of Primary Sources The primary sources that are to be included are two questionnaires and the observation that will be designed after gathering materials and which will be inclusive of the SPSS analysis. The use of primary sources, specifically with questionnaires and observation, is able to provide insight by collecting data from a smaller number of individuals to reflect the theories and policies that are related to the secondary sources. This works as a reflection of the attitudes and changes which are practically occurring, as opposed to theoretically observing the conditions. By changing the scenario to one which offers practical guidance on the attitudes, beliefs and challenges of the expected policies and changes, there is the ability to create different responses and understanding to the overall situation (Ary, et al, 2007). With this particular study, the primary sources will show the trends that are occurring because of the policies, changes and trends that are occurring. The secondary sources work as a way of identifying the policies and expectations related to entrepreneurship and design studies in institutions and educational programs. The questionnaire and the observation works as an example of the responses which are currently taking place because of these expectations and the pressures that are being placed on educational institutions to change and develop the components to the learning system. This provides a different approach to understanding the main trends as well as the challenges which have been created with this. By combining the primary and secondary studies, it is expected that there will be a deeper understanding of the expectations for entrepreneurship in design studies as well as how this is related to the current trends which are occurring. The overview which is given then offers a broad scope of the trends and the challenges which are currently in place as well as the difficulties which are associated with this. By doing this, there is the ability to create different changes associated with educational programs and how this is affecting individuals that are a part of the main educational system, either as students or professors. Ethical Agreements The association with the primary studies will also be inclusive of ethical agreements to ensure that there are no problems with the participants in the study and that confidentiality is met with the universities, students and teachers. Before beginning the procedure, there will be an understanding of what the questionnaire will consist of as well as what the information will be used for. The participation will then be determined by the participants agreeing to participate in the study, combined with a specialized document that is signed for confidentiality and an agreement to participate. All students and teachers will be given the opportunity to leave the survey at any time or to have their information discarded. By determining these various aspects of the study, it will become easier for individuals to determine if they want to participate in the study as well as what this requires in terms of confidentiality, privacy and the nature of the study. The confidentiality and privacy agreement will be done because of ethical reasons relating to the student needs as well as the teacher obligations. It is expected that all information will be divided only by the universities which are selected. There will be no reference to the teacher names or the courses which they teach. There will also be no reference to the student names or courses, specifically with the anonymous responses being the main priority. In this way, the teachers and students will remain unaffected by the study and the opinions that are retrieved will receive the responses which are able to look at the conflicts and problems that may arise. The main objective will be to offer protection and privacy to those who willingly participate in the study (Kuper, Lingard, Levinson, 2008). The arrangements for confidentiality will also be looked into for the universities. Permission will be maintained from the head of the department and / or the main administrative area before beginning the study. This will be done to guarantee anonymous responses with the different university teacher names. While there will be some reference to the chosen universities, there will also be a guarantee that the responses to the programs will remain anonymous in response. This will be done to protect any legal obligations or problems which may arise from the study. However, it is also requested that the universities give permission with recognizing the region of the study, if not revealing the name, specifically because of the specific issue which is being discussed. The confidentiality and anonymous agreement will be followed with the ethics expected with the observation proportion of the study. All information maintained will be anonymous and will be divided according to where it is posted, what type of individual it has been posted by and responses received. No names will be revealed and universities will remain anonymous and divided by region. The information given will be used only with SPSS, meaning that the main behaviors and attitudes toward the given programs will be analyzed, as opposed to looking at the details of individuals in regards to privacy. Since the information is obtained through social networking and blogging, it is expected to remain as public information, making the need for privacy or confidentiality limited. However, all identities will be protected in this portion of the study. Summary The methodology that will be used for this study is one which is based on the ability to understand the entrepreneurship levels and the relationship to students and teachers. The methodology will consist of three different proponents. The first two are questionnaires which will be given to teachers and students, specifically which identify the main problems with the programs and the progress which has been made. This will further be defined by the understanding of what the expectations and changes are within the educational system and how these are currently being identified. The combination of the primary and secondary research is a main component in examining the policies, trends and changes at various levels then furthering this understanding with the example of students and teachers. This will show the changes that are currently being made into the system then will identify what needs to be done to further this. By adding in both of these concepts, there is the ability to create and define the needs that are currently in the industry while building a deeper understanding of what the changes are with entrepreneurship and design studies as well as where the gaps are between the expectations from the external environment of various universities and how responses are being made within universities and among students and teachers. References Ary, Donald, Lucy Jacobs, Asghar Razavieh, Chris Sorensen. (2007). Introduction to Research in Education. New York: Cengage Learning. Babbie, ER. (2007). The Practice of Social Research 61 (2). Bekkers, R. (2008). “Analysing Knowledge Transfer Between Universities and Industry: To What Degree Do Sectors Also Matter?” Research Policy 117 (2). Best, John, James Kahn. (2005). Research in Education. UK: John Wiley and Sons. Block, CC, LM Morrow. (2008). Comprehensive Instruction: Research Based Best Practices. UK: Guilford Press. Creswell, JW. (2003). Research Design. UK: Blackwell Publishers. Elm, E, DG Altman, M Egger. (2007). “The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies.” Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 85 (11). Grossman, P. (2008). “Back to the Future: Directions for Research in Teaching and Teacher Education.” American Educational Research Studies. 91 (5). Head, AJ. (2007). “Beyond Google: How do Students Conduct Academic Research?” First Monday 1 (1). Holmberg, J, M Svanstorm, DJ Peet. (2008). “Embedding Sustainability in Higher Education through Interaction with Lecturers: Case Studies from the European Technical Universities.” European Journal of Education 71 (2). Jarzabkowski, P, J Balogun. (2007). “Strategizing: The Challenges of a Practice Perspective.” Human Relations 16 (1). Johnson, RB, AJ Onwuegbuzie (2007). “Toward a Definition of Mixed Methods Research.” Journal of Mixed Methods Research 82 (6). Lihua, W. (2007). “Domestic and International Research and Practice on Information Literacy Instruction.” Library Journal81 (2). Noor, KBM. (2008). “Case Study: A Strategic Research Methodology.” American Journal of Applied Sciences 57 (1). Kuper, Ayelet, Lorelei Lingard, Wendy Levinson. (2008). “Critically Appraising Qualitative Research.” BMJ (337). Penuel, William, Barry Fishman, Ryoko Yamaguchi, Lawrence Gallagher. (2007). “What Makes Professional Development Effective? Strategies that Foster Curriculum Implementation.” American Educational Research Journal 44 (4). Rubin, A. (2008). Research Methods for Social Work. New York: Routledge. Tashakkori, A. (2007). “Editorial: The New Era of Mixed Methods.” Journal of Mixed Methods Research 71 (2). Tong, A, P Sainsbury. (2007). “Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ).” International Journal for Quality in Health and Research 91 (3). Wenfeng, M. (2002). “Integration of Digital Resources.” The Journal of Library Sciences 15 (1). Appendix A: Questionnaire for Students Questionnaire for Students 1. Age ___________ 2. Area of Study ________________ 3. Year in School ______________________ 4. Have you taken any courses related to entrepreneurship? a. Yes b. No 5. If yes, what were your experiences with these courses? a. Very good b. Good c. Average d. Poor 6. What did you expect to gain before taking the course? ______________________________________________________________ 7. Where these objectives achieved? a. Yes b. No 8. When teaching, was your teacher: a. Interactive b. Informative c. Not informative d. Not able to respond / interact 9. Would your describe your teacher’s skills: a. Excellent b. Good c. Average d. Poor 10. If you needed assistance, your teacher was: a. Always available b. Sometimes available c. Never available 11. After taking these courses, your confidence in starting your own business is: a. High b. Above Average c. Below Average d. Poor 12. The difference between your level of knowledge before and after taking the courses is: a. Higher b. Average c. Same 13. What were the highlights of the entrepreneur courses and design taken? _______________________________________________________________ 14. What were problems you saw with the entrepreneur courses taken? _______________________________________________________________ 15. What would you want to see changed or altered for learning or with teachers for future entrepreneurial courses? _______________________________________________________________ Appendix B: Questionnaire for Teachers 1. Main area you teach_________________ 2. Expected grade levels for teaching a. Freshman b. Sophomore c. Junior d. Senior 3. List background of entrepreneur subjects (e.g. education, experience) _____________________________________________________________ 4. List courses you teach based on entrepreneurial subjects ______________ 5. What are the requirements for taking the entrepreneur courses? 6. What is the general syllabus you follow? 7. Does the syllabus come from university policy and expectations? a. Yes b. No 8. Please explain________________________________ 9. What types of information do you use for teaching entrepreneur skills? _________________________________________________________ 10. Have you been given direction or guidance with expectations and requirements for the design of these practices? Please explain. ____________________________________________________ 11. When teaching, what are the most important concepts you use? a. Interaction b. Giving information c. Giving assignments d. Practical application 12. (From question 10), How do these concepts change results for students learning? _______________________________________________________________ 13. What do you expect students to get from your entrepreneur courses? _______________________________________________________ 14. How do your courses relate to other parts of the curriculum for a degree? Please explain. _______________________________________________________________ 15. Can you link the entrepreneur skills to design skills that students can apply after graduation? Please explain practical applications. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Read More