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Once the Q-Sorts were completed, the sorts were correlated and factors were identified.  factor is a grouping of participants who rank the Q-sort item statements in a similar way. Each factor represents a different viewpoint, and when people load on, or fall into, a factor this indicates that they have a shared viewpoint. Some participants […]

After data collection and analysis this fall, we are thrilled to start sharing our initial findings next week. Unlike surveys, where the information you get is roughly how many people liked or did something, the results in Q are presented as profiles, called “factors.” These profiles illuminate how people clustered their answers in similar ways. […]

Factor 4 can be described as having a Focus on Relevance, connecting the on-site experiences to their students’ lives and worlds. Of all the factors, Factor 4 has the greatest number of participants move on or off of the factor. There were three teachers from both the pre and post who loaded on this factor. […]

Take a look at the PDF we’ve linked below to zoom in on this colorful graphic that shows you how we got from a pile of research about professional development at historic sites and Q methodology to a clear set of statements (or ‘concourse’) that teachers could interact with in order to tell us their […]

After several rounds of review and revision, the following statements are the concourse that was used during the summer 2016 pilot study phase at the Monticello Teacher Institute. Each of these statements was prefaced with the phrase “Professional Development at historic sites affects my development as a teacher by.” We chose this phrase to begin […]

Now that we’ve identified the need for an evaluation of teacher professional development at historic sites and the appropriate tool, we want to share the ideas behind the statements that make up the Q-Sort.  The set of statements, called a concourse, aims to provide participants with the words to tell their own stories based on […]

We used a two-phase validation process to refine the concourse. For the first round of reviews, we enlisted four experts in museum, history, and teacher education. These experts hold staff and faculty positions at museums and universities across the country. They were given a briefing on Q methodology, and then asked to examine the draft […]

This week’s blog post comes to us from Hanadi Sharata, a former classroom teacher and current research assistant and doctoral candidate at Teachers College, Columbia University. After assisting with the administration of the Q-Sorts at the Monticello Teacher Institute, she reflects on her experience and explains the research from her perspective: Every spring, my fellow […]