The Pursuit of Questions
As I think about my journey, it was the discipline of psychology that originally captured my fascination. It seemed, at least to me at the time, that this area would provide answers to pressing questions about human behavior, cognition, and emotions. Within this discipline, and i suspect that this may be the case within many disciplines, there are more questions than answers. From an early point in my academic career, I was confident that I wanted to make a contribution to this area via research and teaching. I became consumed with exploring various 'methods of knowing' within psychology and sociology. I also got a minor in history, though my main interest was within the realm of educational and psychological measurement, statistics, and qualitative inquiry. I tend to view these techniques as an arsenal that may be effectively employed to "attack" a problem or phenomenon. Thus there are advantages to refining a weapon (i.e. advancing the method / technique itself) and accumulating a diverse set of skills so that they may be tailored to each situation.
As I studied various methods, I also explored numerous philosophical problems. These problems primarily pertained to the philosophy of religion and the philosophy of science. Though I don't have an official degree in philosophy, i took various courses in this area and read various works on my own. Philosophy is indeed a distinct world from educational measurement, statistics, and evaluation. But there is a growing need to establish integration and/or dialogue between these disciplines. Much of my recent work is motivated by an effort to integrate cross-disciplinary insights. The pursuit of scientific inquiry without philosophical insight is dangerously naive. Philosophy however, without the restraint of scientific inquiry can be outright delusional. In the ideal world we may find a happy medium [I may be paraphrasing this from somewhere (Brian Hood?), but it is something that stuck with me].
My recent research has focused on applying philosophical criticism to validity theory and educational measurement. I have also worked on scale development issues within the psychology of religion, human motivation, and various other non-cognitive attributes. I tend to to agree with other researchers who have argued that process-oriented information is critical for advancing this field and I am working to incorporate these insights into educational assessment, specifically with student affairs programs.
As I studied various methods, I also explored numerous philosophical problems. These problems primarily pertained to the philosophy of religion and the philosophy of science. Though I don't have an official degree in philosophy, i took various courses in this area and read various works on my own. Philosophy is indeed a distinct world from educational measurement, statistics, and evaluation. But there is a growing need to establish integration and/or dialogue between these disciplines. Much of my recent work is motivated by an effort to integrate cross-disciplinary insights. The pursuit of scientific inquiry without philosophical insight is dangerously naive. Philosophy however, without the restraint of scientific inquiry can be outright delusional. In the ideal world we may find a happy medium [I may be paraphrasing this from somewhere (Brian Hood?), but it is something that stuck with me].
My recent research has focused on applying philosophical criticism to validity theory and educational measurement. I have also worked on scale development issues within the psychology of religion, human motivation, and various other non-cognitive attributes. I tend to to agree with other researchers who have argued that process-oriented information is critical for advancing this field and I am working to incorporate these insights into educational assessment, specifically with student affairs programs.
I say unto you: One must still have chaos in oneself to give birth to a dancing star. I say unto you: You still have chaos in yourselves -- Nietzsche