RSCH FPX 7868 Assessment 1 Developing a Research Question for Qualitative Studies

Student name

Capella University

RSCH-FPX7868 – Qualitative Design and Analysis

Professor Name

Submission Date

Research Topic

Literacy is relevant in the future of the individual owing to the direct relationship with the job opportunities. There were about 130 million adults who were illiterate in the United States (Nietzel, 2020). The study under investigation is as follows: Investigating the black adult perceptions regarding the low literacy: A qualitative study. A qualitative research study aims at issuing details regarding the personal experiences of low-literacy black adults. In particular, the black adults find obstacles in their way to obtaining the necessary education (Willis, 2022). Furthermore, the paper discusses the obstacles that were faced during education access and how to enhance the literacy level. The qualitative approach is suitable because it enables one to delve into the realm of individual view, social aspect, and emotional influence in regards to the issue of low literacy.

Concepts and Target Population

The main concepts of the research consist of the low literacy, obstacles to access to the education and influencing factors of the appearance of the literacy gaps. Literacy barriers like educational inequity and socioeconomic issues that are stopping adults to access the education (Zickafoose et al., 2024). In addition, the paper narrowly addresses the influence of social, economic, and other factors in the institutions on the experiences of literacy. The consideration of various factors assists in comprehending the manner in which the factors contribute to the low literacy of the black adults in the United States (Willis, 2022). The relationship between the main concepts showed how the barriers affected the literacy experiences of black people (Mimirinis et al., 2023). In this way, the concepts are useful in determining the direct influence of the various socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds on the literacy rate of the black people. The study will incorporate the following as its target population; the black adults aged 18 years and above in the United States.

Topic Background

Literacy is an essential ability that enables people to interact with the society and contributes to economic and personal prosperity. However, the problems in literacy in the United States are critical despite being a developed nation. The U.S has approximately 130 million adults who are classified as low literacy levels due to the inability to read, write, or comprehend simple text (Nietzel, 2020). The problem is over-represented in the low-income groups and the racial and ethnic minorities. The black people have low literacy and thus increase the potential to have sustained social inequalities (Nietzel, 2020).

Moreover, low literacy rate of black adults does not allow obtaining a stable job that in turn influences the economic stability. Therefore, the issue not only impacts the individuals but also offers enormous losses to society and economy, initiating drops in the productivity of the workforce (Rochmes, 2024). The complexity of the adult literacy issue coupled with social, economic, and psychological aspects, qualitative research would best address the situation of the black Americans with low literacy in the United States (Lim, 2024).

Topic Rationale

The low amount of knowledge on how to read and write among black adults in the United States is a complex issue with extensive consequences on individuals, families, and entire societies (Willis, 2022). The black are illiterate and this affects the economic stability because they lack access to work opportunities (Rochmes, 2024). The qualitative approach assists in exploring the views of the black adults on the factors and barriers of lower literacy (Nietzel, 2020). Qualitative research would be the right choice in the study as it will be exploring personal experiences, beliefs, and attitudes that are personal in nature.

A qualitative approach will enable the researcher to offer a deeper insight into the way black people negotiate the difficulties of the lack of literacy through interviews or focus groups (Lim, 2024). The method can deliver the extensive contextual insight into the obstacles and will enable undertaking of successful strategies to enhance the literacy level of the black community.

A Research Question for Each of the Five Methodological Approaches

• Ethnography: How do the blacks of adult age feel about the literacy gaps?
• Case Study: What impact do the beliefs and assumptions of the black adults have on their academic life?
• Phenomenology: What are the actual experiences of the black adults faced by the socioeconomic barriers to access to literacy?
• Grounded Theory: What is the educational theory that assists one in knowing the concept of literacy gap?
• Generic Qualitative Inquiry: What causative factors inhibit adults from pursuing higher education?

How Each Methodological Approach Aligns With a Research Question?

Ethnography method assists in exploring the views of a particular group (Gertner et al., 2021). The research question will be as follows: What are the perceptions of the black adults towards the literacy gaps? Therefore, the ethnography study involves a search into the views of the black people in relation to the literacy gaps (Pahl and Rasool, 2021). The method assists in evaluating the influence cultural beliefs, traditions, and social norms have on the effects on literacy (Pahl and Rasool, 2021). The research question fits well with ethnography since and demonstrates a similar cultural view of the literacy gaps within the black adult population.

Case study method is concerned with the evaluation of the specific understanding of an occurrence by an individual (Priya, 2021). The following is the question formulated using case study method; How do the beliefs and assumptions of the black adults currently influence life in academia? Therefore, the strategy offers detailed debates on the real impacts of beliefs on academic performance (Priya, 2021). The research question is a case study in nature because it attempts to comprehend the way in which belief and assumptions bring about diversity in academic performance and in this case one needs in-depth knowledge of a given group.

The central idea in the phenomenology study is to assess the experiences that people live (Bouzioti, 2023). The question of the phenomenology approach is as follows: What are the lived experiences of the black adults facing the socioeconomic barriers of the access to literacy? Therefore, the question concerned a phenomenon and is oriented at evaluating the aspects of socioeconomic barriers to literacy (Stolz, 2020). Thus, the research question can guide phenomenology and give profound experiences of black adults who are facing socioeconomic challenges to literacy. The grounded theory approach is based on the available theoretical concepts to determine the pattern found in data (Stough and Lee, 2021).

The developed research question in the form of grounded theory approach is stated later; What educational theory assists in perceiving the notion of literacy gap? Therefore, the approach will help in the explanation of factors behind the gaps in literacy and how the gap could be addressed through the application of the educational theories (Stough and Lee, 2021). This research question is aligned with the assumption of the grounded theory and it is based on building an educational theory which clarifies the gaps in literacy.

General qualitative approach is the approach to qualitative research that involves the investigation of the individual ideas and beliefs that are not pursued by the theoretical frameworks (Wint et al., 2021). The generic method is based on the descriptive data used to make informed decisions (Wint et al., 2021). The proposed study has the following question based on the generic qualitative inquiry: What causes adults to avoid seeking higher education? In such a way, the participant gives the reasons, challenges, and experiences of the participant with higher education (Wint et al., 2021). The research question is related to the generic qualitative inquiry and outlines the many facets of the potential causes that result in reduced literacy, yet fails to state the application of a specific theoretical approach.

Conclusion

The research topic deals with understanding the views of the black adults concerning the low literacy. Among the basic principles are the factors that contribute to poor literacy and the obstacles to obtaining the education. Poor literacy among the black adults in United States is a complex issue that has extensive effects on people. The five approaches of qualitative study have a research question formulated. In addition, the correlation of the question with the approaches assists in exploring the view of the black people in various ways.