8113mod3dissc

Joseph Karpinski 

RE: Discussion - Week 3

COLLAPSE

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Week 3 Initial Post 

This week’s Discussion post read the first few paragraphs of each of the following sections of the dissertation of Schofield (2020) (referred to as the Study in this Discussion post).

· The Local Problem

· Purpose of Study

· Research Questions

· Conceptual Framework

· Data Collection

Afterward, we are to analyze the alignment of the paper.

Local problem  (page 16)

The Study claimed there was an instructional achievement problem in mathematics in the school districts under study. Specifically, students at the elementary school level were not being given adequate preparation in mathematics. This claim was supported by an analysis Florida Department of Education (2017).

Purpose Study  (page 178)

The Study’s purpose was to have elementary school principals develop a protocol for the hiring and assignment of mathematic teachers over 3 days of professional development. This purpose is aligned to the local problem of poor preparation of elemental school students in that elementary school principals are the hiring managers of mathematic teachers. By helping the elementary school principals develop the principles for the hiring and assignment of mathematic teachers, the goal is to improve the performance of the elementary school students in mathematics.

Research Questions  (pages 78, 99, and 113)

There were three research questions in the Study:

1) What human capital management practices and specific factors do elementary school principals perceive to be important with regard to making teaching assignments in mathematics?

The answer to this question is aligned with the Local Problem and Purpose Study as it allowed the researcher to identify how the principals assigned teaching assignments and to use that information to assist the principals in improving their teaching assignments.

2) What were the preparedness, background and experiences of the elementary school principals with regard to both human capital management and with math instruction?

This question was used in the interview process to determine the educational backgrounds of the principals, the consistency in the job interview process, and the understanding of the principals of the characteristics of the applicants. These determinations were aligned with the purpose of the study as they provided the researcher information necessary to design the professional development program.

3) How do constraints in budget, salary scales, and applicant pools influence the ability of the elementary principal to recruit highly qualified teachers of mathematics to place in mathematics classrooms?

The interviewer identified a deficiency in experience and training in the human capital management process. This summary of the interview findings, while useful for the study, is not quite aligned with question #3.

Conceptual Framework (page 31)

The conceptual framework, supported by the work of Odden and Kelly (2008), was focused on two area: 1) identify the most talented individuals for open teaching positions and 2) implement the use of a strategic human resources management process.

The conceptual framework is aligned with the other components of the study as the outcome of this framework would improve the classroom experience for students through increased instructional improvement (Schofield, 2020).

Data Collection  (page 62)

The data for the study was collected by an open-ended interview protocol of elementary school principals in the district.

The use of an open-ended interview process provides an ideal data collection method. This qualitative method provided adequate data and allowed the researcher to obtain in-depth and detailed information (Schofield, 2020).

I would consider the components of this study to be aligned per the Design Alignment Tool (Walden University Office of Research and Doctoral Design, n. d.) and the video by Laureate Education (2016d).

References:

Florida Department of Education. (2017). FSA Algebra I EOC. Retrieved from

http://www.fldoe.org/accountability/assessments/k-12-studentassessment/results/2017.stml  

Laureate Education (Producer). (2016d). Dr. Research: Ensuring alignment[Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Odden, A., & Kelly, J. (2008). Strategic management of human capital in public education. Madison, WI: Consortium for Policy Research in Education

Schofield, K. (2020). Elementary principals’ constraints and considerations when hiring and assigning mathematics teachers.  https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=9853&context=dissertations

Walden University Office of Research and Doctoral Design. (n. d.). EdD doctoral study.  https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/research-center/program-documents/edd

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7 days ago

Janet Mcknight-Frost 

RE: Discussion - Week 3- Main Post Question

COLLAPSE

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     According to Walden University Office of Research and Doctoral Services (n.d.), all research study components must be carefully aligned to make sense. The necessary elements of a research design include study problem and purpose, research questions, data collection tools, datapoints yielded, data source, and data analysis.

    Due to the quality issues in mathematics instruction in elementary classrooms in Florida, a study was conducted to explore the matter further. The author indicated that the purpose of the study was to understand the factors considered by elementary school principals when hiring and assigning mathematics teachers. Additionally, it was noted that the study also analyzed the possible budgetary and other constraints that may have affected the applicant pool and other staffing decisions. A qualitative approach was used, and data were collected by conducting interviews with a sample of 10 elementary principals from 7 districts in Florida. The study's findings suggest that there were inconsistent applications of human capital management practices due to the lack of experience, formal training, and a lack of self-efficacy towards mathematics.

    While analyzing this study, it seems that it was carefully aligned and included the necessary components mentioned in the Design Alignment Tool (DAT) (Walden University Office of Research and Doctoral Services, n.d.).

References

Schofield, K. (2020). Elementary principals’constraints and considerations when hiring and assigning mathematics teachers  https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/8581

Walden University Office of Research and Doctoral Services (n.d.) doctoral prospectus resources.  https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/research-center/program-documents/prospectus-resources

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