Interpretivist

In education, although much of the comparative data we are subjected to is on the surface collected using a positivist approach. However, any quality educator knows that the numbers tell only a small piece of the story. To truly gain an understanding of the needs of students, schools, staffs, and communities, researchers need to "dig deeper" using an interpretivist approach. The lived experiences of the researcher as well as the students provide a lens from which the data is viewed. The data can't be effectively understood in a vacuum.

To understand data, I understand the fact that the data is not a static reality, but yet a snapshot of a point in time that is greatly influenced by outside factors including social issues, funding issues, etc. An effective data analysis must include digging into those factors, looking at the "whys", and using methods such as case studies, phenomilogical studies, and ethnographies.