Reflections

 Reflecting on the Research Process for the Critical Issue of Book Banning 

Over the course of the past two months in EDL 648 Curriculum Controversies and Political Contexts, I have had the opportunity to explore more about the critical issue of book banning in K-12 educational contexts. Our research focuses on using the perspectives of those who are for book banning, those who are against book banning, and those who have more neutral stances concerning the issue. I worked collaboratively with a group to review and analyze current literature on book banning. I conducted three interviews as a means of qualitative research to gather more data on the different perspectives on book banning.  I worked collaboratively with a team of three others to design and present a digital presentation of our findings. I am still working with my team to create a write-up about our findings. Below, you will find my reflections on the process. 

1. How was this process as an individual? 

As an individual, I enjoyed digging into the topic of book banning and learning about the various viewpoints and perspectives. Writing the blog posts was challenging but a great way to share my knowledge and understanding of the views presented on the topic. A blog is less structured than a paper; you can make it your own. I could be creative and share all the perspectives without embedding my opinions. Moreover, the process was enjoyable, insightful, and challenging. 

2. How did you work together as a group? 

Overall, we worked well as a group. People took leadership roles in the group to keep things moving, such as designing the presentation tool, creating Zoom meeting links, and contributing to the conversation. Everyone in the group had a voice and valid points to share. This added to my overall understanding of the topic. We made collaborative decisions and put our heads together when things got challenging. We asked questions, gave ideas, and came to consensus. Our group worked effectively and efficiently. 

3. What was hard/challenging about this work? 

The work for this process was challenging at times. The most challenging part of the process was when it came to choosing the research lenses and book-banning central debates. This was partly because most of our interview data was against book banning, and the “neutral” data was not neutral when analyzed with a critical lens. Moreover, finding supportive data for all three perspectives on book banning was complex when considering the central debates and research lenses that supported the debates.   

4. How does this give you insight into doing qualitative research that presents and considers not only your worldview but allows you to see the world through multiple worldviews? 

This process and project gave me insight into data collection with documents and interviews in qualitative research. I learned the importance of not having a voice but rather sharing the voices of others and their lived experiences in my blog posts. This process helped me dig deeper into considering and using all perspectives and ideas when analyzing a curriculum controversial issue. I could use diverse lenses to understand and listen to the various views and opinions on book banning. Moreover, I collected data, analyzed data, found patterns in the data, used research lenses to think about the data, and worked collaboratively with other scholars to determine implications and recommendations on the topic of book banning. Thus, I engaged in the qualitative research process.