Using quantitative methods without a critical lens can lead to findings that point out individuals’ shortcomings, rather than revealing the deficiencies and flaws of the systems that treat them unfairly. The aim of QuantCrit (Quantitative Critical Race Theory) is to help researchers develop alternative ways to think about their positionality, data creation and its dissemination, by considering systemic inequities in society. Using the example of early childhood education(ECE) workforce research, the talk will share how quantitative evidence can be better employed for policy changes and implementations to hire, retain, and support a diverse ECE workforce and advance equity in this field.
Presenter: Ayse Cobanoglu is a Postdoctoral Associate at the Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy at Yale University. She has a Ph.D. in educational psychology and quantitative methods from University at Buffalo-SUNY. As a former kindergarten teacher, she also has a doctoral candidacy in early childhood education. Her research broadly centers on the well-being of the early education workforce, considering structural and individual-level inequalities. She currently organizes the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Workforce Wellbeing Research to Policy Convening at Yale University. Her prior research includes qualitative and advanced quantitative methods using large-scale databases for RAND, American Institutes for Research(AIR), and other institutes.