When and Where Did I Find It: This weekend I spent a great deal of time considering the question of validity as it relates to our TEAC accreditation assessment system. In our last accreditation review, it was recommended that we work on developing a system for assessing the claims we make about our teachers at Naz that was managable as well as valid and reliable (Nazareth College TEAC Brief Submission, 2005). As a part of my work, I re-read an article published on the subject of Reliability and Validity in Qualitative Research Design.
What it means: Reliability (like validity) is a great example of a specialized word as it holds different shades of meaning depending on the context in which it is used. I am most concerned with what it means in the context of the results of qualitative and quantitative investigations.
In this context, when the term reliability refers to the results, it means that the results are consistent over time and provide an accurate representation of the total population. In addition, a research tool is considered to be reliable if the results of a study can be reproduced under a similar methodology. (Golafshani, 2003).
Level of Familiarity: Again, like the term validity have a general understanding of reliability, but I always need to refresh myself with the distinct attributes of this word.
Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? Yes. I have to know this word well as I am co-authoring our 2010 accreditation brief.
Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...if so WHO and WHY?: I do think those in the field of education should have a fairly well-developed understanding of this term. Knowing what reliability means helps the individual to consider educational policies/mandates based on rigorous, scientific findings with a critical eye.
When teachers (or graduate students) are conducting Teacher Action Research Projects (TARP), having an understanding of the reliability of the instructional methods or intervention procedures is a must.
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