Oral History: a viable methodology for the 21st Century Administration of Educational Research: National Impact _______________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT This article identifies 21st Century three realities to redefine that research in educational administration: 1) the growing need for authenticity and relevance in the fight against the community and school problem-solving contexts, 2) the need for a method of research that the way of depth interviews competent people with a minimum of Institutional Review Board (IRB) oversight, and 3) provides a methodology that can be facilitated by new technologies. Oral history has been used in many disciplines, but rarely used in educational administration. It offers some promise, and the authors point to possible uses and interpretations of the history of the project by the oral and an oral history project proposed has been completed. ______________________________________________________________________________ The purpose of the article The aim of this paper is to examine oral history interviews and historical research as a viable method of research within the wider family of research methods in educational administration and educational leadership. The development of research methods in educational administration has been influenced by the changing paradigms, changing needs, increasing the Institutional Review Board (IRB) oversight, and technological change. Research administration for the formation of other disciplines in that it distinguishes includes the ability to search for new and innovative ways to use the results of research on problem solving and decision making in schools. Research in Educational Administration in the wake of the transformation Research for the general administration has had a very last century. Principles of corporate governance from the industry dominated the first half of the 20th Century school administration thought. During the 1950s and 1960s, various social science methods and concepts form a new generation of thinking of education administration and research methodology (Campbell, Fleming, Newell & Bennion, 1987, Murphy 2003, Fall). Methods of science in the late 1980s and social workers have been completed, but not pulled through qualitative methods from anthropology replaced. Action research fills a niche Education Research administration. There is less emphasis on formal theoretical constructions while focusing on authentic collection of data on campus, and the solution of problems. The continued growth in the acceptance of research methods from other disciplines has been described by Campbell, et al: Educational Administration is an applied field rather than an academic discipline. He does not shoot a single body of literature, or use a single set of scientific tools … an area must have a vital interest not only with more knowledge, but also to improve the practice … Also … an area must be at all concerned with problems – based on the methods of different disciplines. (1987, p. 3) Not all influences on the research-management education in the 21st Century were methodical. An increase in the National Institutional Review Board (IRB) oversight has greatly influenced research in educational administration (Herrington & Kritsonis, 2006). There are still large differences between universities in the extent to which educational research is subject to the supervision of the IRB. Some universities, free education, science and monitoring IRB fully, particularly studies that sought to improve the quality used in schools or the activities of research for the classroom monitor. Some universities require a full investigation of all aspects of research, regardless of the method or use of the data. Navigating the maze of restrictions on the IRB to certain institutions has led to avoidance of certain methods of research or of the population and in some cases, the research resulted quite small (Herrington & Kritsonis, 2006). The technology has the most forms of research much more practical and has made it possible. For example, more user-friendly Windows or UNIX statistical software such as Stat-Pac (Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and SAS have worked hand-calculations replaced punched card data and mainframe versions of statistical software. Qualitative research have access to software coding as Hyper RESEARCH 6 2 7 Computer Aided NVivo Qualitative Data Analysis (QAQDAS 2007) to help high volume of qualitative data encryption capabilities. Audio and video recording equipment, imaging equipment and related software still orally for the taking history will continue to develop analog recording of oral history more professionals are preferred. The challenge for researchers in education in the 21st Century is a process that a suitable framework for education issues in specific contexts that are stored reliably and accurately can choose to discuss. The methodology must also produce a study that is accessible within a reasonable, affordable and must comply with ethical requirements and minimize the need for control of the IRB. A methodology pending Charlton (1985) is defined as oral history “The recording and preservation of the planned interviews with selected individuals in a position to relate the collected memory, and thus the reconstruction of the past” (p. 2). Wood (1978) is defined as oral history: 1st a tape recorded interviews or surveys, in the form of questions and answers 2nd Interview conducted with a few, preferably the more the better discuss the knowledge on the subject, 3rd an interview with the competent someone what he or she speaks from personal participation or observation (sometimes we do give a second-hand account) 4th Topics [historical or community] … 5th accessible, ultimately, into strips and / or transcripts in a wide range of researchers. (Pp 389-390) The value of oral history to educational researchers and practitioners in the background that, by credible actors who are able can be provided to enrich the understanding of the direct connection with the resolution of problems or who may be parallels with other contexts. Sometimes tragic events or important events have a voice to silent observers or groups that give the true nature of the problem of interest to know, but have never been consulted by historians and politicians. For example, ethnographic changes have in recent years significant cultural divides in communities and schools, the most demanding long-held assumptions of teachers and administrators are created on their student clients. One example is in older suburban and rural sites have found that the school in 1995-2004 compared with the following demographic changes in students and teachers showed. In 1995, only 17 percent of the students on this campus center were Hispanic, 15 percent were African American, 65 percent of students were Anglo. The teacher demographic performances were similar. Ten years later, 67 percent of students are Hispanic, 17 percent were African American, but only 16 were Anglo students. The demography of teachers has remained relatively unchanged over the same 10 years. Interviews with parents, teachers and administrators showed that the unexpected differences in demographic developments during the period of ten years to increase racial tension, in which teachers and pupils and teachers / parents led conflicts arise. The performance of Spanish students continue a downward spiral, absenteeism and increase termination, and disciplinary alternative education placements were on the rise. These realities make the district in danger of losing his position on national criteria and standards of NCLB. This was a phenomenon that could be documented through oral history interviews and the results are made available as a case for other districts. In this case, a number of interventions, the short term, but a comprehensive and effective planning for the long term plan carefully conducted oral history, a useful context and history informs community of the community, can provide the answers of all parties to the problem affects work. Another example is the fact that during the 1960s and 1970s, the cornerstone of education and experience for the first generation of Mexican-American College and rectors and chancellors of the State of Texas, nation states have in place in a cultural and educational environment South Texas, was hostile to the aspirations and future progress of Latinos (Herrington made, 1993, August). What can be learned through education and mentoring experiences of these highly successful people is invaluable for educators and people of other minorities in vocational education and decisions. These two scenarios very real, albeit without reference to a specific context. There are lessons, the teachers and administrators at the school during the dramatic demographic changes (study proposed but not yet implemented) could learn from the study of South Texas for the success of Hispanic students, who grew up in communities that between 30 and 40 years earlier resembled their current demographic and cultural realities. The communities already struggling to cope with the realities of continual change can overcome the demographic landscape much to look up from their predecessors in the South Texas, just because these experiments have already been recorded and transcribed (Herrington, 1993, learn to August). The thoughts and feelings of those Hispanic people on their experiences, parents, teachers and mentors (many of whom were Anglo and Hispanic) are successfully and eloquently recorded for posterity. Their stories show, personal strategies and important people, once a helping hand. In both cases, the method of oral history, this may be the only way to be otherwise inaccessible information. Regarding the oral history Hoffman (1974) writes: His greatest asset … It is possible that the preservation of the life experience of people who have no time to make … to write their memories … Interviews with people who are foot soldiers in the various social movements were important, but were not previously registered can now be preserved and therefore assess its impact. (P. 26) The role of history in the education reform The researchers have identified several uses of history in educational research. History can help the implementation of welfare reform, future trends to anticipate or influence the practice through the training of educators (Borg and Gall, 1983). Comparing the work of the historian, that the psychotherapist Borg made et al, that history has a liberating role, particularly for educators: For Freud, neurosis is the inability to leave the past, the burden of its history. What is deformed and pushed back will be replayed forever. The task of the psychotherapist is to help the patient to reconstruct the past. In this context, the goal of historians at the therapist – to help ourselves from the burden of the past in us, for free. (P. 802) It is our common understanding of the history and the ability to learn from our common past, which man differs from all other living beings. Wector (1957, August) wrote: Monkey is a stack of empty boxes and a banana out of reach soon learns from experience. But the man only learns from the experience of others. The history makes it possible. In the broadest sense, everything we know, is history. More precisely, the roadmap of the past. (P. 24) History is our collective memory. The ability to use history and extract useful generalizations and theories of man is unique. Without a record of the past, we are left to the course of life without the help of those who preceded us navigate. In a posthumously published essay convincing, Kennedy (1964, February) a number of reasons for the study of historical records. He stated: There is little that is more important … without [history] … [A] is uncertain and defenseless before the world, knowing neither where he came from or where it goes. With this knowledge, it is no longer alone, but draws a much larger force than his own cumulative experiences of the past and the vision of the future. (P. 3) CER oral history And technological considerations History of historical research, particularly oral evidence provides the context and clear precedents that can be investigated and treated for educational policy and practice can. Educational researchers and members of the Council of the IRB might wince at the idea of preserving the recorded interviews. This practice seems contrary to the ethical rules preserve the anonymity of subjects. That is the difference between the oral history interviews and other methods is important. Unlike other discipline or methodology, oral history interviews, the words of a person named connected requires time and place by the recording of data on audio cassettes, video tapes, photographs, documents, transcripts and maintained as accessible for historical verification (Dunaway, DK & Baum, 1984). To address the concerns of ethics, the Organization of American Historians (OAH) and the Oral History Society (OHS) in October 2003 successfully, the Office of the United States in search of protection called (OHRP), part of the Department of Health and Human Services, for a special decision on the research of oral history interview. They are especially with oral history projects that are not defined with the type of research from HHS regulations in question. It was found that not some oral history projects under the rule of autumn “common” (45 CFR Part 46) defines research as “a systematic investigation to develop, including research, development, testing and evaluation, or contribute to generalizable knowledge . After the organization of oral history (2003, November): This type of research include standard questionnaires with large samples of people who are not anonymous and open interviews with identifiable people, their interviews with “informed consent” to remain that give oral history characterized. Only those projects, the oral history of the regulatory definition of research must meet to write now submit their research protocols for IRB. (P. 17) One advantage of the oral history interview, so if the study is carefully designed, is that, the monitoring of the IRB are much less restrictive than other methods. Concluding Remarks In conclusion, the method of oral history-technology intensive. 21st simplify century technologies and existing technologies and expand the capacity of the oral history, both for gathering information and presenting information in a variety of formats. Digitization of voice, image, video, text and materials have significantly the lead times and production to produce and present the results of the reduced oral history. Finally, oral history interviews, has more than ever, a huge potential to provide not to mention the voice actors, but important in the arena of social change – including the community and school. learned for any other change in our school system educational managers and scientists to find ways to listen to those voices unpublished. Well-studies that the voices of people who can consent rich historically and contextually specific information on time with minimal supervision of the IRB was designed. Finally, technology is rapidly expanding the repertoire of formats for the archiving and presentation very useful and useable knowledge to facilitate the school to promote. References Baum, W. K. (1978). The growing role of the librarian in the oral history. Library conferences, 6, 33-43. 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