BER 631, an introduction to qualitative research in education, was one of the most formative cognate courses in my program. Taught with a focus on the epistemological, theoretical, and methodological foundations of qualitative inquiry, it introduced me to research traditions such as grounded theory, interviewing, and ethnography, and to the politico-ethical considerations, validity, reflexivity, subjectivity, and the insider/outsider stance, that distinguish rigorous qualitative work. Because my research on immersive and emerging technologies increasingly calls for understanding human experience, this course directly advances both my degree and professional goals.
The heart of the course was learning to do qualitative research, not just read about it. Framing sharp research questions was a genuine turning point: engaging with Agee’s (2009) reflective approach and Maxwell’s (2013) interactive model, I learned to move from a broad curiosity to a focused, answerable question, and I practiced this by developing questions around faculty perspectives on students’ use of generative AI. The interview project took me through the full practical arc of design, data collection, transcription, coding, and reflexivity, and completing the CITI human-subjects certification grounded me in the ethics of research with participants. Writing a research proposal, in which I framed a study on VR-based experiential learning and multidimensional fidelity, let me integrate these skills into a coherent design.
Beyond technique, BER 631 reshaped how I think about knowledge itself. Confronting questions of subjectivity and reflexivity taught me to examine my own presuppositions as a researcher, an awareness that will make my future studies more trustworthy and self-critical. The course gave me methodological tools I did not previously possess and the confidence to pursue qualitative dimensions of my dissertation work.
References
Agee, J. (2009). Developing qualitative research questions: A reflective process. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 22(4), 431–447. https://doi.org/10.1080/09518390902736512
Maxwell, J. A. (2013). Qualitative research design: An interactive approach (3rd ed.). SAGE.
