Krista Bresock: Qualitative Research, Theoretical Frameworks, And Piaget’s Theory of Structuralism
Presenter: Krista Bresock- Graduate
Student Seminar Series
Title: Qualitative Research, Theoretical Frameworks, And Piaget’s Theory of Structuralism.
Abstract: Mathematics education research relies heavily on qualitative studies that can provide descriptive and explanatory information that quantitative research can miss. To conduct qualitative research, the investigator must make decisions concerning how to collect and analyze data. The theoretical framework provides this structure and serves as the lens through which the data is examined. In this talk, I will discuss Jean Piaget’s learning theory of structuralism, which I used as the theoretical framework for a study I conducted on student understanding of calculus topics. I will explain the general concepts behind Piaget’s theory, and I will also discuss the specific ways in which I used this theory to analyze the data collected from student interviews.