Field Research in Education is MESSY...

Wow... I am a part of an awesome research team that is involved in an awesome multi-site, mixed methods research study and, wow, it is awesomely plagued with so many snafus!!! It really doesn't surprise me because as I have found many times before: RESEARCH IS MESSY!

Goodness Lawdy! From resistant school officials to weirdness on parental consent forms to overly helpful district folk to a truncated timeline that has the team scrambling to and fro---we have run across so many issues, it's unbelievable!! However...

We are NOT licked yet. We are nearly halfway through with our first phase of data collection and I am here to tell you that there are three major ingredients to a successful research study:

1) Patience, patience and more patience

2) Determination--can't let those challenges stop you from moving forward, and

3) Totally cool research teammates--smart and committed student apprentices (did I mention that we have an awesome team??) and terrific co-PIs, such as Dr. Antoinette Errante, who keeps on keeping on in the face of all the research adversity, and Dr. Lynley Anderman, who helps keep us grounded when we're about to start worrying. Did I mention that we have an awesome team?? :)

OK. Wait. Make that FOUR ingredients...

4) A super duper SENSE OF HUMOR--you gotta be able to laugh your way through!

I am also learning something about myself along the way... mentoring students who are new to the real-world research process is, in some ways, even MORE rewarding than classroom teaching. I feel a special warmth toward my student research teammates. It's exciting to watch them learn and see how much they already know, while gently pushing them to venture out into their own uncharted research waters and stretch their research muscle!!

I've posted this statement on Facebook many times and I'm gonna say it here: I LOVE MY WORK!! OH-IO!! Go Bucks! :)