Paradigm Reflection Paper Education Administration

EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION

Education Administration: (My) Paradigm Reflection Paper

A paradigm makes the foundation of how we perceive the world and define it. Our behaviors toward the information gained from the world around us are created by the observations and experiences while living in it. However, some limitations and misrepresentations are imposed by the socially accustomed nature. This paper aims to reflect on the identified paradigm, certain conceptual frameworks, theories, and models incorporated in my doctoral program. It would play a possible role in my future research.  

I have come across the constructivist paradigm so far in my doctoral program since I feel we have been given opportunities through which we could learn based on experiences and the knowledge gained from seeing the world through our own eyes (Guba & Lincoln, 2005, p. 195). The reflection of those experiences was built distinctly as this is the basis of the analogy that people infer their meanings from what they have learned (Adom, Yeboah & Ankrah, 2016). The real-life settings show the actual application of what is learned rather than keeping it like a bookish thing, which makes functions more practical when the student steps out into the practical world. 

The constructivist paradigm helped me expose myself to the new ideas, concepts, and observations that existed in the real world instead of the teacher-based traditional lecturing method. We were able to transform the knowledge into experimentations through assignments, project work, and thesis so that our brains were trained to think philosophically. I realized that if the teacher only spoon-fed us with her teachings, we might not have been able to discuss the real issues and draw conclusions from our learnings; our minds and thinking approaches might have remained immature. There is a possibility that spoon-fed matter might have been easier to forget than what we have learned from our findings, struggled to gain information on certain issues, and then involved in an engaging thinking process that enabled us to discern the truth personally.

After the information is gained from my research by delving into the constructivist paradigm, my research takes shape with the help of taxonomy. By taxonomy, I refer to the fact that I was able to arrange my data systematically so that specific categories were well-represented (McGregor, 2018, p. 109). It created meaningful notions for the readers and presented ideas for future research, a technique I used throughout my doctoral program.  

I understood that this paradigm could be related to the explanatory (predictive) theory that goes beyond only determining the relationship between two variables in the research. It is based on the realization of what and why happens, what if one thing is changed, how the other would be affected, etc. On these grounds, I identified concepts and constructs in the process; for example, when working with Black communities, I was able to discern what causes economic insecurity for the Blacks despite getting affair pay in the basic salary and how it could affect them psychologically or socially. The shaping of their relationship with the family members when only basic needs are fulfilled, and no extra leisure activities could be pursued, an absence of work-life balance, could these factors stimulate any concerns for the community? 

Certainly, these research topics for the selected community gave me ideas (concepts) by observing reality and conducting research. My inferences of the social behaviors and the consequential attitudes evolved into constructs grounded in the facts. I was in the position to discuss their interrelation and create a discussion on how I feel that I could theorize about the experiences of the world. 

During this process, I understood that a good concept and construct is that which has a familiarity quotient for the envisioned audience, resonates with the people, has an uncomplicated list of attributes, is internally consistent, differentiated from already existing concepts, has a depth for explaining the phenomenon, offers a theoretical as well as field usefulness (McGregor, 2018, p. 118). For instance, when I researched the basic pay and extra income disparities in the Black communities, I felt that it led to mental stress and depression in society’s lower and middle-income classes. It could be termed as the concept called ‘racial segregation, which could lead to the construct that the perceived differences for the people of color give rise to discrimination, forming anxiety for the selected community and directly impacting their close ones. The defined terms were meant for the Black community’s intended audience and resonated with them as they were undergoing a critical situation. An evident list of attributes defines the disparity, which could be found in detailed research. They have an internal consistency as they measure the same thing. Income disparity and its effect on Black’s psychological health could further lead to their deprival of other necessities of life (access to quality healthcare, for example). The same finding contributes to the depth of the phenomenon, as mentioned in the form of healthcare. Also, the research should be able to define the operations of the terms, concepts, theories, and constructs and be able to bring out a social change, which I aim to provide in my field utility of the research. I learned that researching the Black community, their income disparity, and mental health could create stress-relieving techniques and strategies that they could use in their daily lives so that their mental health is not affected. Their family does not get affected as well. 

Overall, the constructivist paradigm led me to form a pathway to find applied solutions to my research, which I could use to improve the social conditions of the communities I live close to or am in contact with. At the beginning of the inquiry, the aim of the constructivist paradigm was embedded in understanding and reconstruction with the formulation of a more uniform approach to interpreting the nature of knowledge that was to be gained and its accumulation method. 

Additionally, I ensured that the constructivist paradigm enforced authenticity in determining the quality criteria. I verified that the studies I was exploring or the community members I involved as participants in my research gave me credible information. However, trustworthiness in an inquiry has intricacies as the project has to provide benefits to society eventually. As a result, there are five dimensions of authenticity in an inquiry of the constructivist paradigm: fairness, ontological authenticity, educative authenticity, catalytic authenticity, and tactical authenticity (Shamon & Hambacher, 2014). During my entire doctoral program, I engaged in all types of authenticity in one way or the other since internal consistency was greatly dependent on this step of my research. The stakeholders of the inquiry have their concerns that have to be answered, and it is only possible if advocating for change through research is guaranteed. They would be educated about the purpose of the inquiry and hence would know eventually that a social change might be planned in the end for their betterment, which could produce authentic replies, catering to the trustworthiness of the constructivist paradigm. 

Value in the constructivist paradigm is only created when, as a student, I take whole responsibility for my research and transform the learning into some constructive for the betterment of society, in this case, the selected community. I knew I was self-motivated to master the ethics of conduction and reconsider my concepts, constructs, and variables that should be defined fairly for delivering authentic results. The future implications rely solely on these steps that hold me accountable for value creation. New learning was approached by relying on the existing one through a systematic structuring of the ideas and then restructuring them to create further meaning to the inquiry and, later, its social implications for the Black community (Ritchie, 1995).