| ID | post_title | author | post_excerpt | layout | permalink | published | post_date |
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Unit 4 Learning Activities |
Colin Madland |
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2017-11-24 06:49:50 -0800 |
Servant leadership, as a concept, has its origins tracing back to the earliest records we have in history. It is not a religious concept, however, it is a concept that you will find is supported by most of the world’s major religions.
For Christians, Jesus Christ is considered the epitome of a servant-leader. In fact servant leadership is fully aligned with the teachings of Christianity. For example, read the following passage from Mark 10:35-45 which states "But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant.” Mark 10:43 Consider the following reflection on this passage by Mark Roberts (2014).
In 1970, Robert Greenleaf began writing about servant leadership in our modern day context in his seminal essay "The Servant as Leader". He stated that "servant leadership begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve others first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first…"(p.6).
Several years later Larry Spears (2010) went on to write an essay that describes the ten characteristics of a servant leader. They are:
- Listening
- Empathy
- Healing
- Awareness
- Persuasion
- Conceptualization
- Foresight
- Stewardship
- Commitment to the Growth of People
- Building Community
- What is already known and not known about servant leadership?
- Why do you think servant leadership should be of interest researchers in the leadership field?
Somewhat reflexively, a thorough review of literature on a topic that interests you informs the identification of a good research problem. Gall, Gall and Borg (2007, p. 43) suggest that through the process of the literature review, researchers ask themselves the following kinds of questions.
- Has research on this problem been done before?
- What has been learned?
- What more can I contribute?
- How do my methods compare to those employed by other researchers?
- Are there more compelling research problems to be addressed?
- In this learning activity you will begin by reading chapter 3, "Statements of the Problem," in the Plano-Clark and Creswell (2015) text.
- Next, choose one of the servant leadership articles listed under the Unit 4 resources to focus on to answer the questions in this learning activity.
- Using the evaluation criteria on p. 93, answer the following questions in your learning journal to evaluate the statement of the problem in the servant leadership article. The figure on page 94 provides a template for recording your rating and rationale.
- Is the topic interesting?
- Is there a meaningful problem being addressed?
- Is the importance of the problem justified?
- Are there gaps in the knowledge about the problem?
- Is an audience identified and are there specific examples of how the audience can use the missing knowledge?
- Does the passage clearly argue that the study is warranted?
- Is the passage well written?
- Make sure that you include your article reference, quality rating (0-3) and also the rationale/evidence for your rating in your response.
The research problem establishes why a particular research study is worth doing. The review of the literature supports this by establishing what is already known about the problem and summarizes what scholarship has already established regarding the research problem. This has many facets that go beyond merely establishing the research purpose. As we will see, a literature review affects every aspect of a research study and its final report. For that reason, one of the most important preliminary steps in the process of scholarly inquiry is doing a thorough review of the precedent academic literature on a given topic. A precedent literature review is the process of locating, obtaining, reading and evaluating the research and theoretical literature in your area of interest. Bordens and Abbott (2005) outline several important reasons for a researcher to conduct a precedent literature review:
- To avoid needless duplication of effort. By becoming familiar with an area of study through a review of the literature, the researcher can avoid “re-inventing the wheel.” The researcher’s specific question or topic may already have been thoroughly addressed and answered. In the case of research designed for application, a review of literature provides a rich resource of information upon which to draw and apply to the chosen context.
- To clarify the design of research. Designing a study involves decisions regarding which concepts or variables are most germane and how to define, measure, or describe them. The published literature provides the researcher with a rich resource of information about each of these dimensions. The researcher may also find established procedures or existing materials (e.g., a survey tool) that would inform their research.
- To update the researcher on the current state of knowledge in a particular field. Researchers must be up to date on current empirical or theoretical advances and controversies in a particular area.
- Delimiting the research problem. Generally, it is advantageous to the researcher to investigate a limited problem in depth as opposed to doing a superficial study over a broad area. Review of precedent research will give you insight into how other researchers have focused their inquiry within a broad field.
- Seeking new lines of inquiry. A thorough review of precedent literature will not only reveal what has been done in a given area of interest, but will also, perhaps more importantly, reveal what has been overlooked. This is valuable information for a potential researcher and is a major driver of new research.
- Avoiding fruitless approaches. The cause of scholarship is not advanced by the multiplication of research studies based on the same methodological paradigm that continues to report no significant effect, and the researcher who adds to such a litany clearly demonstrates that he or she has not done an adequate review of precedent literature. As a wise and discerning consumer of research, you want to avoid wasting your time with fruitless approaches.
- Gaining methodological insights. Researchers can find important ideas as to how they can design their research to be more fruitful. As a wise consumer of research, you may consider looking for reports using a variety of research methods.
- Identifying recommendations for further research. For both the researcher and the discerning consumer of research, the section of research reports that makes recommendations for further research can be a gold mine.
- the writer’s clarity of purpose and focus of the research question
- the thoroughness of the writer's search
- the quality and reliability of the writer's sources
- the degree to which the writer provides synthesis (i.e., relates research studies to one another and to the paper's thesis and purpose in meaningful ways)
- the objectivity of the writer in selecting, interpreting, organizing and summarizing the research he or she has reviewed.
- In this learning activity you will read chapter 4, "Literature Reviews," in the Plano-Clark and Creswell (2015) text.
- Using the servant leadership article from activity 4.2, and the evaluation criteria on p. 143 in Plano-Clark & Creswell (2015), complete the following questions in your learning journal to evaluate the literature review in the article you chose to focus on. The figure on page 144 provides a template for recording your rating and rationale.
- Does the review include current and relevant literature?
- Is the literature thoughtfully synthesized?
- Is the literature critically examined?
- Does the study have a strong foundation in the literature?
- Does the literature fit the study's overall approach?
- Make sure that you include your quality rating (0-3) and also the rationale/evidence for your rating in your response.
Taken together, these three common elements in introductions to research reports combine in such a way as to “pose significant questions that can be answered empirically” (Gall, Gall & Borg, 2007, p. 35). As a consumer of research, you are vitally interested in the answers research reports offer to your significant questions.
Plano-Clark and Creswell (2015) contend that "specifying a study purpose may be the most important step the entire research process" (p. 162). Identification of the research problem and review of precedent literature leads directly to specifying the purpose of the study. The purpose will then provide direction for selection of the research design, data collection, analysis of data in determining findings or results and finally in the interpretation and evaluation of the research.
- In this learning activity, you will read chapter 5, "Purpose statements and research questions," in the Plano-Clark and Creswell (2015) text.
- Using the servant leadership article you chose for activity 4.2, and the evaluation criteria on p.184 (for a quantitative study) and p.185 (for a qualitative study) in Plano-Clark & Creswell (2015), complete the following questions in your learning journal to evaluate the purpose in the article you chose to focus on. The figure on page 186 provides a template for recording your rating and rationale.
- Is the study's purpose clearly specified?
- Is the overall intent of the study appropriate?
- Is the purpose of the study narrowed through appropriate research questions and/or hypotheses?
- Does the purpose of the study follow logically from the statement of the problem and the literature review?
- Compare and contrast the differences and common elements of an introduction section of a qualitative research report and a quantitative research report.
- Make sure that you include your quality rating (0-3) and also the rationale/evidence for your rating in your response.
- In your view, what were the most important points you need to consider in the introduction section of a high-quality research report?
- What information did you already know?
- What new knowledge, ideas, or perspectives have you gained?
- What information was easy to remember or learn? Why?
- What concepts did you find more difficult? Why?
- How can you apply this knowledge to your work context or current experience?
This activity will make up Part D of your graded blog this week. See Unit 4 Assessment for more details.
In this unit you have learned about the origin and development of servant leadership and the common elements found in the introduction of research reports. You have learned about the research problem, the review of precedent literature, and the research purpose and the similarities and differences among qualitative and quantitative research reports. Although theses terms are similar, they are quite different and serve different functions in the introduction of a research report.
Go to Unit 4 Assessment for more details on your Blog assignment.
Bordens, K., & Abbott, B. (2005). Research design and methods: A process approach (6th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.
Creswell, J. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (2nd ed.).Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Gall, M., Gall, J., & Borg, W. (2007). Educational research. Boston, MA: Pearson.
Greenleaf, R. K. (1970). The servant as leader. Indianapolis, IN.
Plano-Clark, V., & Creswell, J. (2015). Understanding research: A consumer’s guide (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.