Dr. Rossman is Professor of Education and Chair of the Department of Educational Policy, Research, and Administration and is associated with the Center for International Education. She served as Visiting Professor at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education and as Visiting Scholar at the University of Hong Kong. Her domestic research interests focus on the close examination of the school- and district-level elements necessary to create collaborative, responsive learning settings. She has conducted multisite studies of systemic change in high schools; of inclusion initiatives for students with disabilities in rural, suburban, and urban districts; and of teachers' roles in systemic reform.
In her international work, she currently serves as Principal Investigator on a sub-contract with AMIDEAST for the Education Reform Project in Palestine. Recent work includes serving as Principal Investigator on an evaluation contract for Twaweza, a Tanzania-based organization; as Co-Principal Investigator on the LIRE project (a multi-grade initiative in Senegal and The Gambia and on the University Partners for Institutional Capacity project in Malawi, as examples. She also serves as International Education’s liaison with agencies who sponsor students from developing countries. In this capacity, she recently traveled to the Republics of Georgia and Kyrgyzstan to interview highly-qualified doctoral applicants.
Gretchen also has strong interests in qualitative research design and methods and has published extensively on qualitative methods, research design, and ethics in inquiry. Her books include The Research Journey: An Introduction to Inquiry (with Sharon Rallis, Guilford Press); Designing Qualitative Research (with Catherine Marshall, Sage, 5th ed.); and Learning in the Field (with Sharon Rallis, Sage, 3rd ed.).
Given these interests, Gretchen has taught courses in introduction to inquiry, qualitative research methods, qualitative research design, and participatory action research methods. Now serving as department chair, Gretchen teaches fewer courses but continues to work closely with doctoral and master’s students. In terms of teaching, Gretchen comments:
"I delight in seeing students grow in confidence and competence. In my courses on research methodology, I try to create learning environments that foster complex reasoning skills and thoughtful decision-making, and build the knowledge and skills that enable students to conduct research competently and ethically. I am intrigued with the growth of students as they inquire about topics or phenomena of interest to them. I hope that they become persistent inquirers into their own lives and those of others - the ultimate goals of social science - and become committed to more socially just organizations and societies. To encourage this learning, I structure my classes to foster the engagement of students with the materials, one another, and their own research interests. My goal is to create learning experiences that are rigorous and involving. Within this structure, there is considerable choice - and with this choice, I elicit students' personal or professional interests as catalysts for their learning. Drawing on personal interest and experience captures the passion that should be present in sustained, thoughtful inquiry into the social world.
"Learning takes place in a number of venues; the classroom is just one. In working with advanced graduate students, I follow the precepts outlined above. Focusing on their interests and commitments, I create a structure for inquiry that is disciplined and rigorous. As we work within these parameters, I have the privilege of seeing students grow in intellectual sophistication and subtle reasoning, as they deepen their understanding of the topics that capture their imaginations. To bear witness to this growth is a privilege, a responsibility, and a calling."
Recent Activities
Gretchen served as co-leader of Section 3, Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research for the annual meetings of AERA for two years from 2007-2009. In 2008, Gretchen B. Rossman was honored as a recipient of the Outstanding Graduate Faculty Member Centennial Award from the Graduate School at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In celebration of a century of scholarship, the Graduate School selected one outstanding faculty member from each school and college in the University to receive the award. According to the Graduate School, Dr. Rossman was selected as an “exemplar of the faculty who provide guidance and mentorship to graduate students through chairs and membership on student thesis and dissertation committees.” The Graduate School noted that Dr. Rossman’s service “provides the backbone of the excellence that is the Graduate School at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.”