I. Assignment: Factual Questions from Hairston, Article #2
1. Does the research regard teaching as a career that is widely available for African Americans today? Yes, but the author also stated: ôExtreme shortages, however, exist within many teaching concentrations.ö
2. Are there other current studies that focus on increasing the number of African American vocational teachers? No.
3. How many African American respondents met the initial criteria for being included in the study? ôFifty-one African American respondents met the initial criteria for the study.ö
4. According to Patton (1990), qualitative data consists of detailed descriptions of what things? ôevents, situations, interactions, and observed behaviors, as well as direct quotes from individuals about their beliefs, experiences, attitudes, and thoughts.ö
5. Were respondents assured of confidentiality? If yes, how were they assured? Yes, ôverbally and in writing.ö
6. How was triangulation accomplished? ôusing audio taped interviews, video taped observations, and respondent verification of transcribed data.ö
II. Assignment from Creswell Text, Page 85:
1. Draft several examples of narrative hooks for the introduction to a study and share these with colleagues to determine if the hooks present an issue to which readers can relate. Test anxiety leads to decreased test performance; students at a local Jacksonville, Florida high school are continuing to fail the FCAT, which may or may not be due to test anxiety; standardized testing has become an integral part of student learning at all school levels; programs are designed to eliminate test anxiety in students; and effects of test anxiety reduction programs are unclear.
2. Write the introduction to a proposed study. Include paragraphs setting forth the problem in the study, the related literature about this problem, the deficiencies in the literature, and the audience who would find the study of ...