A Quantitative English Teacher?

Greetings,

The intermediate research methods course may be getting the best of me. I must admit; I always thought I could attack any reading you set before me. Give me the context of the course and I'd find that strain of thought within the reading. Nope. I give up. I give in! After almost 450 pages of reading in the first week, I still have no idea of what I'm supposed to be reading for in the articles. Do you read the 1968 study for how it was conducted or the outdated information? How do find the process of qualitative work in a 40 page account of some kid when it is just the researcher's retelling of the story?

I never thought I'd say it, but give me the structure of a nice little quantitative study and at least I know what I'm looking for there. The problem is the teacher (she isn't a professor yet) is the disciple of another professor here at university and he believes that qualitative is the end all and be all and doesn't lower himself to the quantitative research format. So far all the reading has been on qualitative research or qualitative research itself. Can you be an English teacher and have a quantitative research heart at the same time?

Seriously folk, pray...I am quite confused at how to approach this course and I've tried to express my conundrum to the teacher. Sigh... She says I'll be fine. So, I turn to all ya'll...any helpful tips on how to read research for learning how to do research? How do you give your soul over to qualitative research when you've heard the next research professor is all quantitative? I find myself asking my freshmen's favorite question. "Why do I have to take this anyhow? When will I use it in real life?"

Blessings,