Examining Two Types of Research for My Study of Micronesian Students at University

During the very first stages of determining on what I would like to conduct a small research, I identified that it would be an interesting study to examine what Micronesian college students are experiencing during college as they are influenced by economic, cultural, and social factors in terms of what motivates them to return to their home islands. So, I decided to take on a phenomenological approach to the study.

As my study progressed, I realize that an ethnographical approach to the study is necessary. Why? Because I'm specifically focused on a culture of Micronesian students attending university in the US. In addition, the phenomenological approach reveals that these are students who share a common experience in which they emigrate outside of their home islands in the Micronesia. Ethnographical approach allows me to examine how culture specifically influences these students. During the end of this short study, I find that these students do share common experiences that have been influenced significantly by their culture unique to the Micronesian islands as defined by their family values and developing island nation.

I took a phenomenological approach to the study to examine the perspectives and feelings of Micronesian students about the return to their home islands: what influences their decisions or plans to return home or remain in the US? According to Creswell (2007), a phenomonological study describes individuals' experience through their lived experience of a certain phenomenon. The study focuses on what and how the individuals experienced.

With this approach, I aimed to discover what the Micronesian students are experiencing as they undergo their transition from home in the Micronesian islands to studying in the US in relation to factors in which have influenced them during their transition and experience into perspectives and feelings about returning to their home islands to work or to remain in the US to work and make a living. Basically, I wanted to examine what Micronesian students felt about the idea of returning home to work and continue their lives in their home islands. The specific phenomenon examined in the study is the trend of students leaving their home islands to study in the US. Others return home while others choose to remain in the US.

Learning as an Interviewer: Research Relationships

Established Relationships:

My relationships with a couple of my interview participants were more on a personal level as I have met them before. One participant is a friend from home--Palau--and whom we've gottten to know each other a bit better since we both moved to Hawaii to attend University of Hawaii at Manoa. The other participant is someone I have come to share common ideas and experiences in regards to education and home, and also someone I know from a club in which we are both members. The final participant is someone I also know from the club. Actually, we are all members of the same club, and that is how I was able to select my interview participants, thinking this would be a convenient start to recruit participants. Basically, the relationships between my participants and I were already established before. This was an appropriate and convenient way to find participants as members of the club are generally students of University of Hawaii at Manoa and are Micronesian--from the islands Pohnpei, Chuuk, Kosrae, Yap, the Marshall Islands, and Palau.

I chose to find participants this way mainly because of convenience, but I also thought that the closer relationships we had would lead us to a more open conversation about what motivates them to return home if they do want or have/will decide to return home after their studies at university.
What I learned! After the interviews, I learned that it is crucial that I ask the questions I have written down and that you really have to LISTEN in order to accomplish and ask successful probing questions. Throughout interviews, I would begin asking about other things that they have mentioned while responding, and this is when we veer off subject. This created challenges during the transcription process, first, because it caused me time and, secondly, all my interviews nearly went over the limited time my interviewees had in which I had to hurridly ask my remaining questions in order to properly thank the interviewees and discuss the aftermath of their participation and my research process.
After transcription of the interviews, I noticed I asked poor probing questions in which most of them led me to practically already mentioned responses or quite unrelevant data.

How I presented myself to the interviewees:

The participants already had knowledge of who I was, and this is how I presented myself: as a Micronesian student atttending UH Manoa. I hoped they would've been comfortable as much as possible to share their ideas with me this way.

Explicit and Implicit Understandings of the Research:

All the interviewees wanted to read the research. I explained I would notify them if I would quote them in the research, and all the participants asked to see these in the research as well. I asked them if they would like to see the transcribed interview and for member checking. They all agreed.

One participant actually wanted our interview to be posted on an internet news publishing website that published news and happenings about Micronesia and its people. I agreed to this because she had mentioned that one mission of the site was to create awareness on college education and their islands as well. For now, I am only thinking whether if our interview would be "valid" for others to read. I asked this or stated my concern about her request, she, however, felt it was necessary because students or other Micronesians will see how and what a student from Micronesia is experiencing in university.

Ethical Concerns:

There may not be any ethical concerns. However, if I were to publish the transcribed interview of one particpant, do I need to specify the purpose of the interview? Since this research study is for a course instead of an actual research study conducted for scholarly publishing, should I be concern about even have agreed to publish on the site? I think I will need to specify where my interviewee and I are coming from or why we conducted the interview in the first place in order to notify the readers and have them understand the the interview is not for an actual research study conducted.

What I learned about myself as an interviewer from my interviews:

After interviewing participants for my study of examining motivational factors influencing Micronesian students' to return home after completing their studies, I find that I made many errors on my part as an interviewer. First, I think I may have led or influenced participants' responses with my own blurting out of words or short ideas. Secondly, I veered away from the focus of my research on motivational factors and began asking questions about other interesting ideas that were brought up during the interview. Finally, besides the interviewee going off subject, I tended to go off subject as well stirring up a short conversation on unrelevant topics.

The Flu Affects my "First Interview"

I think that it is important to consider all the unexpected and factors tht can influence the planning and execution of your research and methods. Now I understand why qualitative research should be flexible instead of strictly structured. Not only should my interviews be semi-structured but my whole research study be flexible.

Today, what would have been my final interview (the very first interview that was to be conducte last week Tuesday, instead had to be postponed for another week), has to be postponed to Friday due to my participant coming down with the flu or a cold. My own schedule and studies are not as hectic and complex as maybe a researcher who had time constraints, deadlines, grant money; therefore, I can continue on with organizing and working on my research paper with available data and research that have been collected. However, if I were that researcher with a deadline, either to meet doctoral policies or grant money policies, and just so much funding to carry out his or her research, may have to worry about a few too many changes in the planning and organization of the research.

Well, again, I'm just really happy my participant is still willing to talk and be interviewed.

OKAY! My 1st, 2nd, and 3rd interview for research study!

Today, I was conducting my 3rd actual interview! As mentioned in the previous post, my first interview didn't go to well--it didn't "go" at all--and had to be postponed till next week Tuesday. However, my second interview, conducted on Wednesday at 11am in front of Bale was successful. My participant and I had a great conversation or interview over lunch. I successfully took down notes and recorded and SAVED the interview on the digital voice recorder. The interview lasted an hour and got some very interesting insights from my interviewee. I had learned a different perspective on viewing human capital/resource for the island nation of Palau. While I was usually thinking about Micronesian students serving the needs of the island, such as providing services and creating private businesses that can potentially produce more jobs, among other aspects, I had not realized that students or Palauans returning home can also help the businesses running because there's customers and consumers of these services being provided! So this was one important idea I had never looked into!

So....my second interview went pretty well...AND THEN COMES THURSDAY.
I meet with my interviewee and we finally settle at Paradise Palms to conduct our interview! I learned from my previous two interviews to better prepare, have my phone charged, contact my interviewee hours before our interview to confirm, papers and memo book set, recorded turned ON and recording! The interview lasted a little over 30 minutes and I gratefully concluded the interviewing understanding that my interviewee had mentioned he needs to run errands after our interview. AND THEN I press the wrong button on the recorder and the whole interview was not saved! I immediately feel sick to my stomach and didn't know whether I should tell my interviewee or not! I had thought maybe it automatically saves your data, like Gmail that automatically saves drafts of your composed e-mails. So I relaxed a bit and thanked my interviewee before we went our separate ways. I head to class but then I take out the recorder from my bag, stopping in my steps to check. MY INTERVIEW DID NOT SAVE! This was a stupid mistake.
So, just a few moments ago from now, I had to type in my notes and whatever I can still remember from the interview on a Word document. I really thought today's interview would go as smoothly as possible because I've learned from previous interviews! I really home my remaining 3rd, which was actually the failed 1st interview that didn't even take place, will go great. We'll see....

Potential Participants' Participation

Entry: October 25, 2011
 (Reflecting on participants' participation before interviews)
OK!
I guess one important lesson in conducting interviews for your research study is not relying or don't be confident that individuals will agree to participate! So far, I have only received two responses. Well, this is good news because I can begin my interviews, and I have most of the participants agreeing to be interviewed. However, I have to wait a few more days because I have forgotten that schedules do not agree with each other! OY!
In addition, I wonder if I should agree to give a participant the questions ahead of time? He asked to see the questions so that he may be more prepared during the interview...but I wonder if this would be a good idea. I am worried that if they prepare before the interview, the interview might turn into a very structured interview. Also, I do not anticipate this interview to be too formal because I don't want my participants to feel nervous or tense during the interview. I am hoping the interviews will be conversational and relax so that the participant will be open with his sharing of perspectives and feelings.

My First Interview for Research Methods...Failure.

...and so...
I prepared the consent form for my participant to read and sign and for her to understand her role in my research. I printed it out along with my questionnaire. Brought everything together in a folder along with my memo book for the interview at 2pm today at Shidler College of Business. Double-checked the digital voice recorder to see if it was charged and ready to record. I prepared and double checked everything the night before and an hour before the interview.

I walk over to Shidler and proceeded to call my participant and....MY CELL PHONE DIES! In addition, I was at the wrong building--Building D--while my participant was in Building A. We had not a good understanding of where to meet when we had talked--twice and in person--about our meeting to interview. I had no way to find out where she was, nor she in locating where I was at Shidler. So I waited for an hour and thirty minutes in the wrong building.

During the few seconds we were in contact, as the remaining life of my cell phone allowed me to talk to her, at around 2pm, she was saying she'll be late because she was dropping off scholarship papers. PHONE WENT DEAD! I see, on the screen of my phone, the "t-Mobile" scattering then a black screen. I knew then that this would be a difficult introduction to my first interview.

And so We both missed each other, and I proceeded to find a charger so that I can call my respondent. I end up coming home and hour later and called her to apologize. Luckily, she is willing to meet again on the same day, same time next week. This time, we both have an understanding of the location of the meeting. I have another interview tomorrow at Campus Center. I have decided to call my participant an hour early--not during the few minutes before the interview as I had done today--to confirm the actual place of meeting! I hope this second interview goes well. I shall report later! Thank you!

Parents' Engagement in their Children's Education

Dr. Pedro Noguero, in his lecture "Partnerships That Matter: How Universities Can Have an Impact on the Communities They Serve", addressed an important issue concerning parents of children in schools. He mentioned how building a partnership between schools and the parents is important for the students. Parents, if they know what their children are learning in school, can help extend the learning from the school into their home that will allow the children to practice what they learn. Another very important aspect of this partnership is the build on the idea that "educators must develop the resources and expertise to meet students' needs". He told a great story about a school in Africa where the community became involved. Furthermore, the school provided a portion of a land where the school stood for the mothers to farm and feed the children at schools as well as sell at the market for a profit.

After listening to Dr. Noguero, I realized that a similar occurrence existed in Palau's Koror Elementary School (KES). In 2010, my uncle, who was a member of the Parent's Committee and whose two sons attended Koror Elementary School--one son was in the 3rd and the other in the 1st grade, told me that the parents and school had a meeting in which to resolve the issue that children were coming to school hungry. Their parents also could not afford to pay lunch dues and so their kids couldn't eat lunch. The school and parents came together to donate money to pay for those unpaid dues so that all children may eat! Not only did this happen, but some parents had related the news to other members of the communities and co-workers. As a result, these people also donated money towards the school.

I also realized that the parents at Koror Elementary School are really involving the parents in other ways. And the parents are so enthusiastic to help! My little cousin, the 1st grader, and his 1st grade class had a field trip to visit the state of Ngchesar and take short boat trip in Ngchesar to see the mangroves, swamp, and the crocodiles--we only got to see one huge croc! Anyway, the parents rode in their cars along with the two school bus that carried the children. They carried the kids' lunches and snacks, and they also participated as chaperones for the kids to help the teachers. After Ngchesar and the mangrove boat ride, all the kids, the three teachers, and all the parents rode up to Ngiwal to set up their lunches and eat together! WHAT WAS EVEN MORE AWESOME was that parents who had family in Ngiwal had phoned earlier in the day to let their families in Ngiwal know that the school kids were coming SO when we arrived in Ngiwal, a few of the families were waiting with other food and drinks. They welcomed everyone and had already set up a couple of resting areas for us and the kids to eat lunch. I did not realize how important this was to the schooling and education....but after Dr. Nogero's lecture, I realize that partnerships with parents and the community is very important. Especially when resources are lacking. Parents at KES were able to help in paying dues so all the kids would be able to eat and not go hungry in class. Parents donated their time and money to help the teachers provide the students' a great learning and fun experience at the trip. The community in Ngiwal also became a significant part of the children's education that day.