What happens when students reflect between drafts? (inductive, more grounded)
What is the nature of reflection as validity testing in between drafts?
(i.e. focus on "events" of transformation and confirmation and what they mean) –(This comes at the question with a more specific aspect of reflection to examine.)

Research Approach

Qualitative –Mixed Method

Knowledge Claims
(methodology)

Constructivist (though Clinicians traditionally have been positivist in their assumptions and I feel that pull)

Strategies of Inquiry

Case Study

Methods

Case study, text analysis, perhaps content analysis, interviews

Sample/Sampling

8-12 students—is this enough, perhaps
1301 students? 1302 students?
Textual artifacts from two writing cycles—all drafts, peer response, and reflections, (and even teacher commentary)

Mixed method triangulation—possible examination of a larger number of student samples to see if patterns revealed in case studies are corroborated with a larger pool of samples. Could involve datagogic as well as larger scale, holistic content analysis of samples in the TOPIC vault.

Data Analysis

Close, perhaps content, analysis of reflections
Examination of other artifacts for elaboration and corroboration of emerging patterns

Possible Results

This study would reveal what is going on for writers when they reflect (hmm… could I generalize? No, for these writers when they reflect). The TOPIC triangulation may offer possibilities for broader generalization.
With the validity testing focus, it would dig deeper into the phronetic choices writers make within reflection and how that happens. What are the dynamics at work?
I like this one because it will dig into and I hope reveal reflection as a valuable tool to reactivate invention and assist revision. It will show a continuum of reflection and perhaps suggest ways to help students reflect on the more productive part of the continuum.

Assessment

This study would be in ways a repeat of my original study, though it does have the mixed method aspect.  In ways this could be like Beach's study of self-evaluation and revision—identify "types" of reflections/reflectors, study their characteristics closely via a case study, then examine their possible expression in a larger pool of students via TOPIC. 

I can see three possible types (my original study had two)—transformers, confirmers, neutrals (non-engaged reflectors).  I could come up with other categories, especially in reference to a continuum of sensitivity to rhetorical stance, engagement with phronesis, and inventiveness. 

The TOPIC aspect could examine LOTS of reflections, sort them, and then do more detailed characterizations of each group.

WGRA?— I think this close focus on reflection between drafts will be important and interesting to teachers. I think it will be important to frame this in terms of revision and learning. 
***Does that mean I need to include the relationship between reflection and revision?** (next study)

Research Question(s)

What is the relationship between reflection between drafts and revision?

As a element of teaching practice, does this technique of incorporating reflection have an affect upon revision? Or what kind of affect does it have?

Research Approach

Mixed Method? Qualitative

Knowledge Claims
(methodology)

Constructivist

Strategies of Inquiry

Case Study,

Methods

Primary inquiry--Case Study, interviews
Triangulation-- text/content analysis of larger/diff. sample

Sample/Sampling

Primary inquiry--8-12 students (1301 or 1302) in my class, all drafts and reflections, plus peer response perhaps?

Triangulation sample—
Two possibilities for larger pool:
1) pull essays from TOPIC, random, for larger scale content analysis

2) New sampling technique experimented with:
Create a research network, get volunteers to implement clinical "treatment" of study in their class, and send in data (perhaps with first level content analysis done?). This would expand the sample and expand the possibilities for making generalizations. 

Data Analysis

Close constructivist interpretation of case study data.

Analysis of triangulation sample in a more statistical way.  E.g.—The case study showed patterns A, B, and C.  Searching for these patterns in the larger triangulation sample revealed XYZ about A, B, and C.

Possible Results

I'd like to say that I would find that students who engage in productive reflection end up revising better.  It may be that different types of reflection correlate with certain types of revision (remember correlation does not mean cause-effect). 

Assessment

Most Clinical inquiries have been Positivistic in North's examination. I think since then qualitative research methods have predominated in this type of research. I worry about the positivistic tendency to say good reflection caused good revision, but I don't know that this study can do that. Interview data might provide interesting illumination of any sorts of correlations I find.

I'm not sure what to think of my new sampling technique. It is something I thought of the other day. My study could be a model for other studies and how to broaden one's sample.

Like in other study designs, it is weakened by the question of developmental issues. Factors of whether a student can reflect in a certain way as well as revise in a certain way may be determined by developmental factors more that anything else.

Research Question(s)

Can we identify any patterns of intellectual development within the reflections of students at different ages?

Research Approach

Quantitative

Knowledge Claims
(methodology)

Post-positivistic

Strategies of Inquiry

Non-experimental

Methods

Content Analysis, Survey
Content analysis based upon "Irvin reflection scale" (or perhaps King and Kitchener's Reflective Judgment scale)

Sample/Sampling

Administer a similar reflection prompt to be done between drafts of an essay (only one reflective piece) for
20 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, Freshman students (80 total, maybe more in sample?)

Survey each cohort on attitudes and understandings about reflection.

Data Analysis

Count specific features of the content of reflective writing pieces. Statistically analyze, correlate with survey results.

Possible Results

This study may show a possible developmental pattern in students' capacity to reflect and thus use metacognition in learning and writing. It could provide guidance for what sorts of instruction techniques and assignments are more appropriate at certain ages.

Assessment

I don't know if I would be going too far off base with this study, leaning more towards educational/learning research that writing research.  However, issues of development are crucial for reflection, so it is a needed area.  Perhaps King and Kitchner have already resolved this issue of development, but their study was of college students and did not go downward into elementary age students. 

WGRA?—This study would have broader appeal for K-18 teachers. Not many lower level teachers may use reflection between drafts, so I doubt there would be a big interest.

Permutation

This statistical, more positivistic study could be triangulated with either open ended questions in a survey and/or interviews with certain subjects as well as closer analysis of textual artifacts from a small sample of students.  As a Mixed Method approach, this part of the study would use more qualitative methods to validate/triangulate/elaborate the quantitative results of the first level of inquiry