A group of School of Education educators and graduate students are part of a growing academic movement that is challenging long-held research design assumptions. Critical Quantitative Theory aims to challenge the conventional distinction between quantitative and qualitative research methods, with the former thought to be more rigorous and suited to “hard” sciences and the latter as more subjective and better suited for use with critical theoretical perspectives. As graduate students ask more questions about how to incorporate CritQuant into their research topics, the research forum is evolving into a space for faculty to share their own experiences and challenges, such as how to use quantitative methods with small subject groups or how to incentivize participation ethically.
Dr. Smith is the director of the New York Botanical Garden’s School of Horticulture. In the Youtube video, Smith and Arvolyn Hill talk about the significance of Black perspectives in botanical knowledge and study. Hill asked the important questions, like “What is it like to be a Black person in the field of horticulture?” and “What are some of the joys” “What are some of the challenges?” Smith describes because he grew up in Flordia, he is not used to these type of questions. He ofton feels lonely becasue in the field he works in, there is not a lot of people that look like him. On the flip side, Smith feels joyful and excited when there is diversity since he is not used to it.
Bibliography
“Plants as Liberation: Richard Smith.” YouTube, YouTube, 12 Apr. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwEAp4t4EX8.
Walls, Martin. “Critquant: School of Education Faculty and Students Join a Movement to Disrupt Traditional Research Methods.” SU News, 6 Dec. 2023, news.syr.edu/blog/2023/12/06/critquant-school-of-education-faculty-and-students-join-a-movement-to-disrupt-traditional-research-methods/.