Scholarship Seminar: Qualitative Methods for Maths and Statistics Scholarship – Why Bother?

Speaker: Trevor Collins (The Open University)

Title: Qualitative analysis for Maths and Statistics Scholarship - Why Bother?

Microsoft Teams Meeting

Abstract:

In this seminar we will discuss the distinctions between qualitative and quantitative research designs, and why qualitative and mixed methods approaches are commonly used in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Rather than applying a preferred or familiar methodology independently of the research question or problem, we will discuss how the purpose of the research and the form of research question can be used to guide the choice of research design. When gathering evidence to inform teaching strategies or facilitate students’ learning, we are often exploring areas that we do not know much about, such as student perspectives of their learning experiences. At other times, we have a clear understanding of the views of some students, but we need to explore how widespread and representative those views are. These contrasting situations illustrate cases where we might choose to adopt a qualitative or quantitative approach (respectively). By exploring the principles underlying these research approaches we will discuss how qualitative methods can be used in a range of contexts drawing on examples of Maths and Statistics scholarship projects.