Partners : Ford/QMSS Summer Workshop

Why improve the quantiative methodologies used in the study of Higher Education?

In many areas of education policy, there is remarkably little satisfaction with both current reforms and with the current state of knowledge of the effects of reforms (Cook 2003; Cook and Payne 2002). A growing group of scholars assert that this state of affairs is due in no small part to the state of educational research, which critics argue is marked by weak theoretical bases, inattention to the processes of implementation, and designs that do not allow for causal inference (National Research Council 2002). The last of these has been accompanied by increased calls for research designs that allow for causal inference – particularly through experimental designs (e.g., Cook 2002; Cook and Payne 2002).

Many of the criticisms that can be made about the current state of research in higher education apply to the field of educational research more broadly. Despite the great numbers of researchers studying schools, teachers, students, and processes of schooling, the overall quality of educational research is held to be relatively low. In part, this may reflect the diverse array of outcomes and processes with which educational researchers are concerned. Another aspect of difficulty in educational research is the variations within the population to be studied. Such variation often becomes an issue because high quality research usually depends on true experimental data. As Cook (2002) argues, the fundamental research paradigms in education are focused on aspects of process or complex constellations of factors that limit researchers’ ability to make strong causal statements, which is key to building a solid empirical body of evidence. Moreover, while some areas of study within the field of education have drawn increased attention from scholars in other fields – such as economists and political scientists studying the effects of various school choice programs – there has been relatively little interest from scholars in the topics and questions of higher education research. We intend to capitalize on the growing interest of various fields within the social sciences to enhance the quality and power of research in higher education.

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Why would I want to attend the workshop?

The components of this program are structured to produce a cadre of education researchers capable of conducting a new generation of methodologically rigorous and educationally relevant scientific research to address the problems and challenges facing higher education. Fellows completing one of the proposed programs will be prepared to contribute to the field of education sciences by conducting rigorous evaluation studies, developing new lines of research, and designing groundbreaking new studies on issues related to higher education. Each of these components is noted specifically in the schedule above and greater detail is provided with the application materials.

*Summer Workshop (up to a $500 stipend for the 7 day course)

* Research Grants: Four grantees (or groups of grantees-preferred) will be granted up to $10,000 for research using techniques taught at the summer workshop. This funding is designed to encourage collaborative research and provide funding for doctoral candidates to submit proposals and present papers at annual education conferences in the spring.

*Data and Licensing: The workshop will focus on publicly available datasets though it will also provide some funding for students who need specific programs or data for their work.

*Short Seminars throughout the year: In furtherance of the goal of creating a cohort of researchers who will work together during their careers we will host one and possibly two short seminars (two-day) throughout the academic year to help participants work toward their presentations at the annual conferences. The first seminar will be in late fall and the second in early spring. An additional analytical short-course will be offered though there will also be a time set up for collaborative meetings and presentations.

Application Information

Application Deadline for Summer 2009 cohort is May 1, 2009.

As noted above we encourage applications from students of Higher Education who are at or soon approaching the dissertation stage of their doctoral candidacy.

Applications should include:

• Transcripts
• Curriculum Vitae
• 2 letters of recommendation (preferably academic)
• Statement of no more than 3 pages describing the current status of doctoral level research and including projected timeline of remaining research, writing and revision. Statement should also include descriptions of relevant past research or accomplishments in field of study
• Completed Application Form (Application in MS Word)

Applicants will be notified by June 1, 2009 about their acceptance to the Ford/QMSS Summer Workshop.

A tentative Summer 2009 schedule is posted below. Please stay tuned for updates.

The Summer 2008 cohort is invited to attend any or the workshops though strongly encouraged to at least attend the final two.

Sample Schedule for the workshop

What types of grants have Ford/QMSS Fellows Received?