Beyond Convenience: A Case and Method for Purposive Sampling in Chemistry Teacher Professional Development Research

Area of Science:

• Chemistry Education Research
• Professional Development

Background:

• Selecting participants for research studies and professional development (PD) programs involves distinct considerations.
• When research and PD are combined, sampling criteria can conflict, especially with limited resources.
• Mixed methods studies face additional complexities in participant selection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel solution for selecting research and PD participants when demand exceeds available resources.
• To address the challenge of conflicting sampling criteria in entwined research and PD initiatives.
• To offer a method for efficient participant selection in resource-limited scenarios.

Main Methods:

• Developed a weighted ranking system to incorporate multiple purposive sampling criteria simultaneously.
• Applied the system to select participants for a mixed methods study integrating research and professional development.
• Focused evaluation of chemistry-specific free-response questions on a narrowed pool of finalists.

Main Results:

• The weighted ranking system effectively integrated multiple sampling criteria in a simultaneous manner.
• Enabled more consistent rating of chemistry-specific responses by focusing on a refined group of applicants.
• Demonstrated a viable approach to multipurposive sampling in complex selection scenarios.

Conclusions:

• The proposed multipurposive sampling method offers a novel solution for selecting research and PD participants.
• This approach has broad implications for improving participant selection in chemistry education research.
• The developed tool enhances the efficiency and consistency of participant selection in professional development programs.