August 2023

The 2023 AERA Virtual Research Learning Series (VRLS) continues with two courses in September. Nuria Jaumot-Pascual, Lisette Esmeralda Torres-Gerald, Christina Silva, and Maria (Mia) Ong (all at TERC) will lead “Qualitative Meta-Synthesis as a Means to Interrogate Education Research and Achieve Equity” on September 7. Leslie Nabors Oláh (University of Pennsylvania) and William N. Thomas (American University) will lead “Developing Actionable Research Questions and Moving into Study Design” on September 21.

In “Qualitative Meta-Synthesis as a Means to Interrogate Education Research and Achieve Equity,” the instructors will teach theory and techniques for qualitative meta-synthesis, with a main goal of preparing participants to interrogate their topics in education research towards equity. The instructors have successfully completed and published on multiple meta-synthesis projects on equity topics in STEM education; examples and activities will be based on their research data. These courses are geared towards graduate students, early career scholars, and others who want to enhance their research skills.

Qualitative meta-synthesis is a research methodology that is often new to graduate students and early career scholars. Course instructors will teach participants how to conduct qualitative meta-synthesis research, with a particular emphasis on justice-oriented aims and equitable research practices using examples from STEM education. Furthermore, skills learned for meta-synthesis may be applied to other important research tasks, such as conducting searches for literature reviews.

“Developing Actionable Research Questions and Moving into Study Design,” an inquiry-based methods course, will help participants transform a problem of practice or topic of interest into a set of researchable questions. Participants may come to the course with a research question, if they wish, and aim to improve it by interrogating its main concepts and unit(s) of analysis. This course is particularly relevant for practitioner researchers, executive doctoral and master’s students, and early-career education researchers. It will be a creative, collaborative, and constructively critical space of inquiry and support. Taught by two established researchers who are faculty in doctoral programs in education, the course will be hands-on and supportively critical. The goal is for every participant to leave with a set of research questions and a plan for the next steps in research design.

These courses are the final two in AERA’s six-course 2023 Virtual Research Learning Series.

“We have been thrilled with the enthusiasm we’ve seen for these high-quality, low-cost professional development opportunities,” said course director George Wimberly, AERA’s director of professional development. “The VRLS, now in its third year, has provided scholars around the globe with one-of-a-kind opportunities to learn from leaders in the field to expand their skills and deepen their knowledge.”

Course descriptions and registration information are available on the AERA website. All courses provide dynamic instruction with active discussion, access to course materials, and Q&A with participants.

The cost of each course is $40 for AERA members and $55 for non-members. Registration includes not only the four-hour real-time class experience but also continued on-demand access to the recorded course through the AERA Virtual Research Learning Center.

Questions about the courses can be directed to profdevel@aera.net.