Browsing by Author "De Lisle, Jerome"
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Item The Benefits and Challenges of Mixing Methods and Methodologies: Lessons Learnt From Implementing Qualitatively Led Mixed Methods Research Designs in Trinidad and Tobago(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2011) De Lisle, JeromeThere is increasing interest in the field of mixed methods research and the diverse ways in which quantitative and qualitative methodologies can be systematically combined. The first part of this paper describes the emergence of mixed methods research as a community of practice, distinct from the two dominant paradigms. The second part explores different mixed methods designs described in current typologies, with an emphasis on combinations that place equal or greater emphasis on the qualitative. I argue here that such designs, in which the qualitative is lead or dominant, are most useful for exploring complex and multiplex issues of education. I illustrate this argument with an analysis of the role of the qualitative in two recently conducted mixed methods research studies. The first was a concurrent nested (QUAL dominant) investigation of schools facing challenging circumstances and the second was a multilevel mixed methods study of secondary school choice in Trinidad and Tobago. The three lessons learnt were that (1) appropriate mental models and design rules in typologies are necessary for efficient implementation, (2) interaction between and across research teams can facilitate integration of qualitative and quantitative findings, and (3) qualitative findings can add value to meta-inferences by providing new, additional, or even conflicting perspectives. I then discuss the challenge of implementing mixed methods research studies in the Caribbean, including the need for attention to using quality criteria and targeting greater levels of integrationItem Can standards-referenced, large-scale assessment data lead to improvement in the education system?(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2008) De Lisle, JeromeThis paper documents the development of performance standards for the Trinidad and Tobago primary school national assessments of educational achievement. Performance standards are written expectations of student achievement operationalized in defensible cutscores. A major argument in this paper is that these standards are necessary to evaluate quality in the education system because they directly address the question of "how good is good enough?" Standards-referenced measurement systems are the basis of both compensatory and accountability systems. Standard-setting procedures in the 2005 and 2006 national assessments of educational achievement are described, followed by an evaluation of procedural validity using quantitative and qualitative data gathered from panellists. The findings indicated that while panellists appear confident about procedures and outcomes, cognitive complexity and organizational inefficiency could prove to be critical constraints. While the introduction of student performance standards appears useful; by itself, it cannot lead to significant education improvement unless there is also a coherent policy for effective data use within a national evaluation system. In developing such a policy, consideration must be given to choosing between (a) low versus high examination stakes, (b) compensatory versus accountability policies, and (c) school-based versus centralized management of test processes. At the very least, stakeholders must understand the purpose of national assessments of educational achievementItem Choosing a Secondary School(Daily Express, 2008) De Lisle, JeromeThis article discusses a research study undertaken in Trinidad and Tobago on the secondary school choice processItem Data driven decision making: A multisite case study in early childhood centres in Tobago [PowerPoint presentation](2013-07-22) Abdul-Majied, Sabeerah; De Lisle, Jerome; Herbert, Susan; Gayah-Batchasingh, Alicia; McMillan-Solomon, Sabrina; Mohammed, Rhoda; Glasgow-Charles, Kimberly; Thornhill, AnnData-based decision making is a critical part of the education scenario at all levels. Decisions informed by data are likely to be more effective and relevant to the immediate indigenous context. Data-based decision making has become a critical component of effective equity-focused instruction even at the early childhood level. In Trinidad and Tobago, the early childhood care and education (ECCE) provision is designed to foster collaborative data-driven inquiry by teachers. Standards for regulating early childhood services stipulate written policies for curriculum development and assessment that include record keeping, observation and planning. The Ministry of Education also provides documents for record keeping and administrative support for data collection. Teachers in Tobago, however, sometimes report that record keeping is difficult and that they receive little support. This multi-site qualitative case study was therefore designed to investigate the types of data collected, how data were used, and factors that facilitate or inhibit data use practices at three early childhood centres in Tobago. The study is informed by the system-based data use model proposed by Schildkamp and Kuiper (2010). Key findings are that though much data were collected, data use was most effective when school practices were guided by a philosophy that was culturally specific and child-centred. Additionally, seven teacher characteristics that support data-based decision making were identifiedItem Dragging eleven-plus measurement practice into the fourth quadrant: The Trinidad and Tobago SEA as a gendered sieve(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2006) De Lisle, JeromeThis paper expands upon concerns expressed about the relationship between Eleven-Plus test design and patterns of gendered achievement in Trinidad and Tobago. It includes: 1) a critical analysis of gender fairness issues, 2) an empirical evaluation of gendered impact, and 3) a consideration of proposals for resolving gender fairness issues. Datasets used in the analysis were from the 2001-2003 Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) and the 1998-2000 Common Entrance Examination (CEE). The results confirmed that the gender gap was significantly greater for the SEA compared with the CEE, and that both males and females were disadvantaged in different ways by the placement system. The results also confirmed the existence of medium-sized gender differentials across urban-rural educational districts, literacy constructs, and high-low ability groups. A proposal to change the way the composite score is calculated did little to reduce the overall female advantage. Moreover, misclassification rates for the current remediation cutscore set at 30 percent were relatively high. These fairness issues are not easily resolved, but suggest the need for evidence-based test designs, test validation studies, and a re-examination of the need for selectionItem Efficiency of Educational Systems(Daily Express, 2009) De Lisle, JeromeThis article examines the extent to which education systems in the Caribbean are maximizing returns on their investments in educationItem The Eleven Plus Legacy(Daily Express, 2009) De Lisle, JeromeThis article seeks to evaluate the legacy of the Eleven Plus Examination in the English-speaking Caribbean, and questions the retention of selection at eleven plusItem In the context of Trinidad and Tobago, How do we identify schools that are succeeding or failing amidst exceptionally challenging circumstances?(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2008) De Lisle, Jerome; Smith, Peter; Lewis, Yvonne; Keller, Carol; Mc David, Patricia; Jules, Vena; Lochan, Samuel; Hackett, Raymond S.; Pierre, Phaedra N.; Seunarinesingh, KrishnaThe understanding that some schools face uniquely challenging circumstances represents a groundswell of new research in school improvement and education reform policy. Traditional school improvement theory does not account for variations in school contexts, and some have questioned the applicability of current practice to all schools, especially those in disadvantaged contexts. This leads directly to the core question of this paper: In the context of Trinidad and Tobago, how do we identify schools facing challenge? Answering this question will allow us to address the edifice of inequity strangling schooling outcomes in Latin America and the Caribbean. A critical task is the development of a database of schools with characteristics related to performance and context. This paper describes the protocol and initial data from such a project. Data came from the 2005 and 2006 primary school national achievement tests. A simple measure of school performance, called the Academic Performance Index, was developed, based on the distribution of students in each performance level defined in the national achievement tests. Additional indices were obtained, including disadvantage status and school size. From the database, a short list of high- and low-achieving schools in challenging circumstances was developedItem Judging Quality and Equity(Daily Express, 2008) De Lisle, JeromeThis article analyses national assessment data in Trinidad and Tobago to identify what they indicate about quality and equity. It finds that too many students are performing below acceptable standards and that gender differences in literacy are significant. Suggestions are made on possible solutionsItem Male academic underachievement in Trinidad and Tobago:: Nature, antecedents, & consequences: A review and analysis(1997) De Lisle, JeromeThis paper is concerned with chronic, broad underachievement among male students in the school system of Trinidad and Tobago. The standard used to assess male underachievement in the school system was based on the expected performance of the male sub-population on aptitude tests, as a component of the general population. In order to ensure that valid and reliable generalizations were made about the differences in achievement between males and females, the study based its conclusions on analyses of a breadth of statistical data, which covered key educational indicators such as subject enrolment, school enrolment, dropout and grade repetition rates, as well as an assessment of pass rates. Unfortunately mean scores by gender were not readily available in most of the key local high stakes examinations (except 14+), so that alternative methods of assessing achievement were derived, for example, in the case of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) examinations, the number of males and females obtaining Grades I and II were used as a measure of overall achievement. The study concludes that male underachievement is a growing problem in Trinidad and Tobago, and suggests that intervention strategies must be targeted in terms of: 1) institutional policies and processes ; 2) classroom interaction processes; 3) the development of school based, gender-relevant programmes for boys ; 4) the provision of attribution and motivation training for all students; 5) teacher sensitization; and 6) parent involvement programmes targeting fathers and boys.Item A qualitative evaluation of the lower secondary SEMP science curriculum of Trinidad and Tobago(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2009) Barrow, Dorian; De Lisle, JeromeTimely and systemic evaluations of educational innovations continue to be two challenges faced by education reforms in Trinidad and Tobago (TandT). This paper is, therefore, an attempt to counter this pattern by placing in the public domain a report of a small-scale evaluation of 24 randomly selected science teachers in TandT. A focus group interviewing technique was used to evaluate the teachers' stages of concerns and their levels of use of the new lower secondary science curriculum-a curriculum initiative launched in 2002. Using the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) and grounded theory as the theoretical frameworks, an analysis of the focus group interviews of the science teachers revealed that these teachers had very high levels of concerns with the innovation, that is, they had thought critically about some of the major issues surrounding the innovation, but had very low levels of use. However, because the study involved a small sample of science teachers' views (n = 24), the findings should, at most, be considered exploratory, and therefore must be subjected to later verification using some quantitative or mixed methods curriculum evaluation techniques on more samples of science teachersItem Reconsidering the consequences: Gender differentials in performance and placement in the 2001 SEA(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2004) De Lisle, Jerome; Smith, PeterThis paper provides an analysis of the gender fairness and consequences associated with the test design used for the 2001 Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) in Trinidad and Tobago. It is argued that the rationale for choosing the SEA test design emphasized the usefulness and purpose of the selection instrument, but failed to consider one significant consequence: the likelihood of adverse impact resulting from large performance differentials in favour of females. The study also tests the hypotheses that gender differences are (1) institution-specific and (2) vary across ability groups. The major findings were that patterns of gender inequity were complex and sometimes even contradictory, with females favoured on SEA composite total score, language arts, and creative writing and males favoured on the placement process. However, males and females performed similarly in mathematics. An analysis across different ability groups indicated that large differentials favouring females were more likely among students below the 50th percentile. On the other hand, among higher achievers, males performed just as well as females. The gender fairness of five alternative SEA test designs was evaluated using Willingham's (1999) social matrixItem Schooling and Poverty(Daily Express, 2009) De Lisle, JeromeThis article examines the relationship between poverty and educational attainment in Trinidad and Tobago, with particular reference to schools facing challenging circumstances, that is, schools with large numbers of disadvantaged studentsItem Secondary school entrance examinations in the Caribbean: Legacy, policy, and evidence within an era of seamless education(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2012) De Lisle, JeromeSecondary school entrance examinations remain an important feature of education systems within the Anglophone Caribbean. This is at a time when many high-performing school systems have either diversified traditional test-based placement mechanisms or completely postponed early selection and placement. In contrast, high-stakes secondary school selection/placement examinations have persisted in Caribbean nation states, albeit under the guise of reform. Paradoxically, in the postcolonial era of seamless education, some form of test-based selection and/or placement continues, with newly added roles, refined purposes, and exotic new names. These high-stakes systems compete strongly with formative classroom assessment and large-scale learning assessments used for monitoring student achievement. This paper argues that the persistence of test-based early selection in the Caribbean points to a widespread and implicit belief in the infallibility of test scores. This naïve perception among different publics has remained, even in the face of evidence from early sociological studies demonstrating inequalities on the examination. In the era of seamless education reform, there is need for an explicit measurement focus to better judge fairness, validity, and equity. Unless a fledgling Caribbean measurement community can head in the direction of collecting credible evidence, abuses and test score misuse will continueItem The challenge of effective data use within primary schools situated in a post-colonial learning context: A qualitatively driven mixed methods study(School of Education, UWI, 2023) Mohammed, Rhoda; De Lisle, JeromeThe study explored the data use practices of educators within the primary schools of Trinidad and Tobago using a qualitatively driven, mixed methods research design. The qualitative component was a multi-site case study with three schools purposively selected from the schools surveyed. The focus of the case studies was to develop grounded theory on data use practices in local primary schools and the influence of institutional context. We argue that the unique contextual features of postcolonial small island states in the Caribbean can influence data use. The results indicated that educators were engaged in various data use practices, but these were often modified to suit the local context. At the school site, educators faced several challenges such as the absence of collaboration and data leadership. This stagnated the effectiveness of data use and led to misuse. Even official guidance sometimes promoted misuse. We concluded that effective data use practices have a cultural and context-specific tint, and improvement requires targeted context-specific training to achieve sustainable and effective practice.Item Validating the performance standards in the 2005 and 2006 national primary school achievement tests in Mathematics and Language Arts(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2008) De Lisle, JeromePerformance standards are informed expectations of student achievement levels in a population. These expectations are based on knowledge or skills in the curriculum (content standards) or on the content and demands of test items. Arguably, performance standards for national assessments of educational achievement are required to evaluate quality and equity within an education system. In 2005, performance standards were introduced into the reporting system for the Trinidad and Tobago primary school national assessments. The critical question was the meaningfulness and usefulness of these performance standards; an issue that relates to validity. Validation considers the legitimacy and defensibility of procedures. Evidence for the validity of standards may come from three different sources: procedural, internal, and external. This paper analysed these three sources of validity evidence for the performance standards established in the 2005 and 2006 national assessments. Following recent trends, the study makes significant use of qualitative data obtained from the judges in evaluating the cognitive processes and perceptions associated with judging and setting standards in situ. This type of data was obtained from journals and responses to open-ended questions in a questionnaire administered to participants during the standard-setting process. The 2005 data suggest that while some evidence was strongly supportive of procedural validity, problems in logistics and management of the process proved noteworthy limitations. Targets of improvement for future standard-setting exercises should focus on addressing these deficiencies. Additionally, future evaluations of the process should include additional quantitative information necessary to judge the internal and external validityItem Valuing Multiple and Mixed Methods for Educational Policy Research in the Caribbean: Illustrative Cases Privileging Epistemological Diversity(2020) De Lisle, JeromeThe question of “which method” is fundamental to the utility of educational policy research within postcolonial contexts such as the Anglophone Caribbean. Although qualitative approaches are more sensitive to these unique contexts, the heterogeneity of populations and spaces are a significant threat to the generalizability and transferability of findings. Therefore, to generate comprehensive and contextualized theory, Caribbean policy researchers must adopt a multiplist philosophy which explicitly privileges multiple and mixed methods. This paper first describes some critical issues related to education policy research in the Anglophone Caribbean and global South. It then illustrates the value of promoting epistemological diversity in this context by examining three mixed methods research (MMR) policy studies conducted in Trinidad and Tobago. All three illustrative studies were guided by paradigm stances favouring the mixing of methods. The findings suggest that MMR does offer a degree of flexibility that might capture heterogeneity and lack of local knowledge. Integrated findings were divergent and comprehensive, but there was limited instrumental use by policymakers. Additionally, indigenous epistemologies were not adopted. The future challenge is for Caribbean policy researchers to make better use of MMR designs that incorporate indigenous epistemologies and employ strategies to enhance the political legitimation of findings.Item When choosing might mean losing: A mixed method study of secondary school choice in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2009) De Lisle, Jerome; Keller, Carol; Jules, Vena; Smith, PeterThis article argues that Trinidad and Tobago has historically operated a system of open enrolment. Open access to schools by families may be rooted in the conflict between Church and State over schooling. The system is founded on the principle of the right of parents to choose schools for their children, first argued in the 18th century by the Church, and now included as a provision in the Trinidad and Tobago Republican Constitution. Choice of secondary school is operationalized by a system of rules for placement at eleven-plus. Parents are required to list their choice of schools and depending upon the candidates' score in the eleven-plus examination, test takers receive one of these choices or are assigned by the Ministry of Education. To study the system of secondary school choice in Trinidad and Tobago, information was gathered from the registration database of 11 eleven-plus examinations spanning the period 1995-2005. Student choices were analysed along with the demographic and geographic data. In the mixed method research design, data on the construction of school choice were also collected from focus groups and individual laddering interviews with both parents and children at four school sites. The integrated findings suggest that the choice-making process is complex, fluid, and dynamic, with multiple markets and different consumer types. Families made decisions in which children and even outsiders had considerable voice. Making choices involved a dual process of valorization and demonization of schools, but a tendency to reject some schools was predominant in many instances. The value placed on first choice "prestige" schools may be related to the consumer values of future economic success, safety of person, and assurance of stable personal developmentItem When choosing might mean losing: The construction of secondary school choice in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2008) De Lisle, Jerome; Keller, Carol; Jules, Vena; Smith, PeterTrinidad and Tobago has historically operated a system of open enrolment for all schools. This open access to schools by families is a feature rooted in the historical conflict between Church and State over schooling. Open enrolment is founded on the principle of the right of parents to choose schools for their children, first argued in the 18th century by the Church, and now included as a provision in the Trinidad and Tobago Republican Constitution. Choice of secondary school is embedded in the rules of operation for the placement system at eleven-plus, with parents required to list four or six choices. Depending upon the candidates' score in the examination, they receive one of their choices or are assigned by the Ministry of Education. To study the system of school choice in Trinidad and Tobago, information was collected from the registration database of 11 eleven-plus examinations spanning the period 1995-2005. Student choices were analysed along with the demographic and geographic data. In the mixed method research design, data were also collected from parents and children from four schools across the country. The data indicate that the choice-making process is complex, fluid, and dynamic, with multiple markets and different consumer types. Families made decisions with children also having a say. Choice making involved a dual process of valorization and demonization of schools, with a tendency to more often reject new sector government schools. The value placed on first choice "prestige" schools was related to consumer values of safety and security. Parents valued a school if it could shepherd their beloved offspring through life's rocky courses