Chapter 16: Our Journey Through Data Analysis to Develop a Model of Curricular Reasoning: Learning About Conducting Curriculum Research

Curriculum (e.g., standards, textbooks, instructional materials) is important and teachers make numerous decisions about curricular materials as they plan and enact lessons. Therefore, it is paramount to identify how teachers make decisions and their reasoning for the decisions. In this chapter, we share the process of identifying U.S. middle grades teachers’ curricular reasoning and their decisions, which is complex as these occur within teachers’ minds. We share intentional methodological choices made in selecting the official and intended curricula to gather the needed data to make teachers’ decisions and reasoning transparent. We then describe the iterative data analysis process used to gain insight into teachers’ curricular reasoning. Research typically describes the data analysis of a study as though it were a linear process. We share examples from our data analysis to paint a picture of the messy data analysis process that often is not reported in published research. We conclude with four recommendations for curriculum researchers as they engage in future data analysis.