Demonstrating the Application of Q Methodology for Fieldwork Reporting in Experiential Education

Abstract

Experiential education programs seek meaningful ways to connect field experiences to classroom instruction. To illustrate one way to make this connection, the authors drew on Q methodology, a systematic approach for identifying clusters of people who share common viewpoints. Q methodology was employed in a two-year demonstration project with graduate students in teacher education. Students were provided with a list of varied statements reflecting potential aspects of their fieldwork experiences and indicated their level of agreement or disagreement by sorting their responses on an online quasi-normal template. Q-factor analysis was then applied to develop models of shared field experiences from the card sorts. Those models were useful for whole-group and small-group discussions that systematized student reflections on, and interpretations of, their fieldwork experiences. The findings offer three principal ways that facilitators can implement Q methodology in an effort to help participants make more meaningful connections between the field and the classroom: one requires no electronic technology; a second is a free, automated program; and a third, more advanced approach uses standard statistical software.