EDLD 5301 Week 4 Reflection - Delphi Method, Nominal Group Technique, and Force Field Analysis

      In reflecting on the possible strategies that could be used to draw out future needs of schools thereby sustaining improvement, I considered that I was familiar with some group discussion strategies.  Further, I considered how I could possibly utilize these strategies for my research.  The strategies that I reflected on were the Delphi Method, Nominal Group Technique, and Force Field Analysis.

       In the past, I felt that I had been on the receiving end of the Delphi Method.  Many times, I have responded to questionnaires that were summarized and narrowed to a point of consensus.  Decisions were made.  Sometimes, when working with city planners, I have felt that this process was a foregone conclusion.  Facilitators had solutions in mind and led respondents to those solutions.  However, I have seen the Delphi Method work in other situations. 

       One of the best experiences I have had with structured group discussions that were designed to solve a problem occurred using the Nominal Group Technique.  My school was having discipline problems due to overcrowding of disciplinary removal students.  We had an inordinate number of students assigned to us and we needed to make adjustments (crowd control). Our faculty assembled one Saturday and our counselor facilitated a brainstorming session using this technique.  He told everyone that we were to come up with ideas and any idea was a valid idea.  Judgments were not allowed.  He recorded the ideas and then we discussed the ideas.  It was very democratic.  The usual assertive voices had their say, but so did others.  All members felt satisfied that they had participated.  We prioritized the ideas by ranking them and decided which to implement.  The school building climate settled down and discipline referrals decreased.  It worked so well that, even with the high numbers of students, the school atmosphere (or school climate) felt as if we had far fewer students than we actually did.

       I have not used the Force Field Analysis developed by Kurt Lewin, but feel that I could use this analysis strategy to better plan how I conduct my research.  Some teachers and staff are resistant to technology and a school website may mean change for them.  We do have many teachers and staff that want to have a school website.  It would be beneficial to weigh the forces for change and forces against.  The results could lead to adjusting my research plan as it relates to the website committee’s work.  Further, I would like to use the Delphi Method to clarify some of my research.