And the answer is...

I have to jump on the triangulation bandwagon...but in a different way. Every time I hear the word "triangulation" I want to puke. That's because the word is being used ad naseum at my school right now. I've always thought it was being referenced incorrectly and now I'm pretty sure I'm right. I need validation though - so read on. At my school, I think the term "triangulation" is being defined as 'interpreting three data points.' However, the three data points that are being "triangulated" are three different scores from three different tests. My question is... is that really triangulation?

When I read Lauer and Asher's definition and description of triangulation I found no mention of anything like that. So I'm wondering if the word is being misused at school. What I understood from L & A was that triangulation always involves three data points from three completely different arenas. Gaining multiple perspectives from a variety of situations and sources in order to create a well-rounded picture of a situation. To me, test scores are ONE avenue for triangulation. To triangulate three test scores to me is really just finding an "average" of one data point - testing. If you added teacher and/or parent observations, anecdotal evidence, or some other behaviorial based point as another direction. Perhaps a third could be a portfolio of work, student performance or grades, or some other kind of student work. That way, the data would be triangulated. You'd have test scores (there could be multiple test scores considered but they're still just ONE data point), something behavioral, and something work based. That'd be THREE data points which would really be triangulation. Am I right or am I misinterpreting the text here?

Because it really bothers me, I did a quick search for information about triangulation to find another perspective. As you can imagine, there were tons of sources to investigate. I found a paper written by Alan Bryman, Professor of Social Research, Loughborough University, United Kingdom. Since he was from the UK I thought Julie might know him (!) and would be able to vouch for his authenticity(!!) Regardless, he validated me by defining triangulation as the "use of more than one approach to the investigation of a research question." I see comparing test scores as just one approach and so the term "triangulation" really wouldn't apply. L & A's simple definition on page 42 really clinches it for me. "This combining of multiple sources of data is called triangulation..." The question is - are scores from multiple tests considered multiple sources of data? Your thoughts please!

P.S. Beverly Moss's brilliant inclusion of the piece from Mama Day nailed all her points solidly in my head. Nobody is going to get results using ethnographic studies if they act like Reema's boy.