Personal Statement and Goals

When I started my Ph.D. at Northern Illinois University, my goal was to enhance my

knowledge and to be well versed in the field of educational technology. After the first semester,

I found myself extremely interested in enhancing and enriching my research skills and

knowledge in research methodology, which became my chief motivation for the masters

degree coursework.

Reflecting on my experiences and encounters, particularly in the ERE courses, I have

gained new strategies and approaches in educational research and evaluation. I have become

more mindful of the role of educational research in the improvement of educational practice

and anticipate the program will present more job opportunities.

Prior to the start of taking ERE courses, I had limited information about research in

general and the elements of educational research specifically. After taking a few courses in

ERE, I have become more aware of educational research concepts and my understanding of

research through a critical exploration of research language has been advanced.

In the middle of the program, I found myself interested in quantitative research, so I

decided to advance my knowledge in quantitative research design, implementation, and

analysis. Therefore, I took three statistical courses, which helped me learn more areas of

quantitative research, including SPSS, variables, descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, and

so on. Taking ERE courses has given me the opportunity to analyse and evaluate various types

of quantitative research designs, which include descriptive, correlational, quasi-experimental,

and experimental. Additionally, I had the chance to practice a wide range of statistical tests.

These include, but are not limited to, correlational, Pearson correlation, chi-square, T-test,

ANOVA and Multiple Regression. Besides the statistical courses, I took an ERE course that

introduce students to qualitative methodologies and approaches and teach students how to

collect and analyse qualitative data. This course has advanced my skills and knowledge and has
given me the opportunity to explore and understand the different types of qualitative

approaches, which include ethnography, narrative, phenomenological, ground theory, and case

study. Also, I had the chance to practice a different method of qualitative research data

collection and analysis.

Acquisition of these skills has allowed me to research more themes and concepts from

scientific publications and journals, leading to a publication of one article, and I am now

working to present a paper that has already been accepted for a conference this summer. My

upcoming plan entails application of the learned statistical knowledge and research concepts in

my field of instructional technology. Furthermore, I will apply the gained knowledge and skills

to teach research methods to higher education students.