Qualitative and descriptive articles

1. By Estefanía Villanueva.
*

2. *
Linda Van den Bergh Anje Ros
Douwe Beijaard
Abstract
This study focuses on improving teacher feedback during active learning. Changing teachers’
behavior sustainably, however, is very difficult. Several conditions should be taken into
account, and programs should build on teachers’ cognitions and practices. Effects of a
specifically designed professional development program on 16 elementary schoolteachers’
knowledge, beliefs, perceived problems, and classroom behavior were examined via
observations, a beliefs instrument, and a questionnaire prior to and twice after the program
was implemented. Results show that several aspects of feedback during active learning
were improved, both in the short and in the long term. It is concluded that the professional
development of teachers can be effective and sustainable, if certain conditions are met.
• It is qualitative because it says the exact number of participants and the form in what
the experiment was observed; and this study is trying to improve feedback. Although it
says that they also used a questionnaire, so I understand that could be both qualitative
and quantitative. Also I consider it is an a priori knowledge because the study was based
on observations.
• Why do you think the research chose that particular research design and no other?
Because they need to use these instruments for doing the research in a correct way an
also they have to be involved with the classes for collecting the data and be abreast of
the situation.

3. *
William J. Lammers
John J. Murphy
* Abstract
Our purpose was to develop a profile of the frequency and duration with which
different teaching techniques are used in the university classroom. Student
observers recorded the time spent in different teaching activities in 58 separate
classes across a variety of disciplines. Teaching activities were placed into one of
eight categories. Instructors also provided estimates of time spent in each
category. Results showed that lecture continues to be the primary method of
instruction, that males lectured more than females, and that time spent lecturing
was positively related to class size. A significant portion of class time involved no
learning and the profile determined by student observations was generally similar
to that determined by instructor estimates. This study provides both a
methodology and a profile upon which to build further research.
* I think it is descriptive because the study used participants as naturally as
possible and the data was collected by observing and recording classes. I
consider it is an empirical knowledge because the study was based on
observations and experimental studies.
* Why do you think the research chose that particular research design and no
other? Because with descriptive research they used a collection of different
techniques and they describe the problem that they wanted to investigate.

4. *
http://aer.sagepub.com/content/51/4/772.abstract