TO BIAS OR TOO BIASED: UTILIZING PARTICIPANT-AS-OBSERVER ROLE AS A RESEARCH STRATEGY

Geoscience education research has enthusiastically incorporated and integrated components of qualitative and mixed-methods research into its realm. One aspect of this approach to methodology is participant observation which enables geoscience education researchers to see and describe the participants’ everyday experiences and interactions to discover their reality and interpretations of a unique situation. Deciding on the specific role of the researcher can potentially have implications for the execution and the findings of the study. I maintain the “participant-as-observer” position best allows the researcher entry into the lives of the participants and the phenomenon they are experiencing, while still being able to critically observe their behavior. In this capacity, I explored the construct of geologic blindness and the role of an introductory geology course on students’ understanding and attitudes toward geology. This position arguably leads to a lack of objectivity and threat to internal validity. I deem reflection on participants’ personalities and views as essential to providing answers to the research questions. Other observer roles can lead to social, emotional, and physical detachment from the key informants and participants. This may provide less valid results. The influence of the researcher as participant-as-observer allows better access into the research zone and can provide more authentic findings. I contend this role is the most ethical and productive to explore introductory geology students’ understanding and affect and invite other geoscience education researchers to utilize this tool to advance aspects of this domain.