At this point in my research, I am leaning towards a mixed methods approach. For this reason, I would say that the pragmatic worldview connects the best with my proposed research. The pragmatic worldview "[uses] pluralistic approaches to derive knowledge about the problem" (Creswell, p. 11). Both quantitative and qualitative methods are used to analyze data and develop a better understanding of the research question(s) at hand. "Pragmatism opens the door to multiple methods, different worldviews, and different assumptions, as well as different forms of data collection and data analysis" (Creswell, p.11).
Another worldview that also relates closely with my research project is the constructivist worldview. I hesitate to embrace this worldview completely due to the fact that it is primarily used in qualitative studies. However, I am interested in how teachers' perceptions of technology affect the way the technology is integrated into the classroom. My goal is to "understand the historical and cultural settings of the participants" through the qualitative data so that I can determine correlations between teacher perceptions and student posttest achievement (Creswell, p. 8).
Another worldview that also relates closely with my research project is the constructivist worldview. I hesitate to embrace this worldview completely due to the fact that it is primarily used in qualitative studies. However, I am interested in how teachers' perceptions of technology affect the way the technology is integrated into the classroom. My goal is to "understand the historical and cultural settings of the participants" through the qualitative data so that I can determine correlations between teacher perceptions and student posttest achievement (Creswell, p. 8).
Molly, I want to say "ditto" to all your comments about your worldview. We are very much in tune - not just in terms of research interests but also in terms of worldviews and methodologies. I'm glad we're critical friends!
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