Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Introduction to Educational Research Chapter 1 This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008

Introduction to Educational Research

Chapter 1

This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law:• Any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network;• Preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images;• Any rental, lease, or lending of the program.


Discussion Topics

Sources of knowledge Educational research as scientific inquiry Types of research designs

– Quantitative– Qualitative– Analytical– Mixed methods

Functions of research Research report formats


Sources of Knowledge

All of us frequently make decisions related to our professional lives– Some decisions are very, very important, others

quite trivial– Some decisions are made in very formal,

deliberate manners, others quite capriciously

Where do we turn for such knowledge?



What is the likely basis upon which each of the following questions could be answered?– What is the best way to relax, today?– What are we going to do for the holidays this

year?– What are the legal implications of the new

attendance policy?



Three legitimate sources for decisions of this nature– Personal experience– Tradition– Authority

Characteristics of these sources– Idiosyncratic– Informal– Subjective in nature



What is the likely basis upon which each of the following questions could be answered?– Will Gabrielle benefit by being held back in the

second grade next year?– How many students should be scheduled into Ms.

North’s third grade class?– Does block scheduling have an effect upon

students’ achievement?



Research is the most legitimate source for questions of this nature

– Research is a systematic process that is guided by accepted procedures to establish credibility

Data collection Data analysis Interpretation

– The systematic, testable, and objective nature of research permits careful examination of the process and results



Describe some of the more important decisions you’ve made recently in your work with students, faculty, or clients.

On what basis did you rely to make these decisions?


Research as Scientific Inquiry

Scientific inquiry is the search for knowledge using recognized methods in data collection, analysis, and interpretation

The purpose of scientific inquiry is to develop knowledge

– Describe phenomena– Examine empirical relationships between or among

phenomena– Test whether such relationships are causal in nature


Research as Scientific Inquiry

Knowledge is typically presented in the form of theories– A theory is a set of propositions that explain the

relationships among phenomena– A theory is a means of simplifying and

understanding complex realities

Examples of learning theories

http://www.funderstanding.com/theories.cfm


Educational Research

Lack of a single, appropriate methodological approach to study education

Two major approaches– Quantitative– Qualitative



Differentiating characteristics– Goals

Quantitative: tests theory, establishes facts, shows relationships, predicts, or statistically describes

Qualitative: develops grounded theory, develops understanding, describes multiple realities, captures naturally occurring behavior

– Research design Quantitative: highly structured, formal, and specific Qualitative: unstructured, flexible, evolving



Differentiating characteristics– Participants

Quantitative: many participants representative of the groups from which they were chosen using probabilistic sampling techniques

Qualitative: few participants chosen using non-probabilistic sampling techniques for specific characteristics of interest to the researchers

– Data, data collection, and data analysis Quantitative: numerical data collected at specific times from tests

or surveys and analyzed statistically Qualitative: narrative data collected over a long period of time

from observations and interviews and analyzed using interpretive techniques



Differentiating characteristics– Researcher’s role

Quantitative: detached, objective observers of events Qualitative: participant observers reporting participant’s

perspectives understood only after developing long-term, close, trusting relationships with participants

– Context Quantitative: manipulated and controlled settings Qualitative: naturalistic settings

Types of Research Designs

Descriptive

Comparative

Correlational

Causal C omparative

Non-Experimental

True

Quasi

S ingle Subject

Experimental

Quantitative

Case Study

Phenomenaology

Ethnography

Grounded Theory

Qualitative

Concept Analysis

Historical Analysis

Analytical S tudy Mixed Method

Research Designs



Quantitative Designs

Two major categories– Experimental

The investigation of causal effects through direct manipulation of an independent variable and control of extraneous variables

– Non-experimental The investigation of the current state of a variable or the

relationships, other than causal, between variables



An example of an experimental design– Randomly assign students to one of two classrooms in which the

same social studies unit is being taught. Teach the first class using the traditional lecture approach, the second class using co-operative learning groups. Examine the achievement differences between the two groups to see if the type of “approach” to instruction had an effect.

– This study is characterized by the investigation of cause (instructional approach) and effect (achievement), manipulation (choice of instructional approach), and control (same unit being taught, random assignment, etc.)



Differentiating the three types of experimental designs– True experimental

Random assignment of subjects to groups

– Quasi-experimental Non-random assignment of subjects to groups

– Single subject Non-random selection of a single subject



Examples of non-experimental designs– Approximately 10% of Louisiana’s public school students do not finish high

school.– The GPA of students participating in extra-curricular activities is higher

than that of student who do not participate– Student attitude is moderately related to achievement – Several factors are related to the high dropout rate in Louisiana. These

include the student’s age, academic record, repetition of grade(s), gender, and ethnicity.

– These studies are characterized by descriptions (dropout rate, GPA differences, opinions) or relationships (attitudes and achievement, factors related to dropping out)



Differentiating the four types of non-experimental designs– Descriptive

Makes careful descriptions of the current situation or status of a variable(s) of interest

– Comparative Compares two or more groups on some variable of interest

– Correlational Establishes a relationship (i.e., non-causal) between or among variables

– Ex-post-facto Explores possible causes and effects among variables that cannot be

manipulated by the researcher.


Qualitative Designs

Much less precision in the definitions of and distinctions between qualitative designs in comparison to quantitative designs

Four major categories of designs– Case study– Phenomenology– Ethnography– Grounded theory


Qualitative Designs

Case Study– An examination of a specific instance of a

phenomena in its natural context viewed from the perspective of the participants

This study explored the meaning of “inclusion” for three disabled students who had been placed in a regular education setting.

This study examines in-depth a phenomena of interest to the researcher (i.e., the meaning of inclusion) in a natural context viewing it from the participant’s perspectives


Qualitative Designs

Phenomenology– A description of the meaning of an experience

The purpose of this study was to examine the meaning of being “left out” for an adolescent

This study examines in-depth the experiences of being “left out” from the perspectives of the adolescent experiencing this phenomena


Qualitative Designs

Ethnography– A description the beliefs and practices of a cultural or social

group or system The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the

conflicts that experienced second-grade teachers encountered as they switched from a traditional approach to teaching mathematics to a constructivist-sociological approach

This study examines the beliefs and practices of second grade teachers experiencing a common phenomena related to their approach to teaching


Qualitative Designs

Grounded theory– A description of a conceptual understanding of a particular

phenomenon The purpose of this study was to understand the relationship of

the bar to the teachers who frequented it on Friday evenings. We found that teachers used the bar to facilitate their movement from “professional” to “personal” self.

This study examined a phenomena of interest to the researcher (i.e., teachers congregating at a particular bar on Friday evenings) and developed a conceptual understanding of it.


Analytical Designs

Descriptions of historical, legal, or policy issues through an analysis of documents, oral histories, and relics

Two basic approaches– Concept analysis – the study of educational concepts (e.g.,

co-operative learning, leadership, etc.) to describe the different meanings and the uses of the concept

– Historical analysis – the systematic collection and criticism of documents that describe past events of relevance to education


Analytical Designs

An example of a concept analysis– The purpose of this study is to examine the

meanings and uses of the term standards-based curriculum.

– This study examined the varied meanings, interpretations, and uses of an important curricular concept.


Analytical Designs

An example of an historical analysis– The purpose of this study is to examine the

changes in standardized testing over the last 40 years.

– This study addresses the historical developments characterizing the use of standardized tests over a 40 year period.


Mixed Method Designs

The use of quantitative and qualitative designs and methods within a single study

Allows the researcher to better match the approach to gathering and analyzing data to the research questions

Relative emphasis given to any particular method varies widely


Action Research Design

Systematic investigation Emphasis on teachers, counselors, and

administrators Brings together characteristics of systematic

inquiry and practice


Four Functions of Research

Basic: research designed to test or refine theory

Applied: research conducted in a field of common practice and concerned with the application and development of research based knowledge


Four Functions of Research

Action: research designed to solve a specific classroom or school problem, improve practice, or make a decision at a single local site

Evaluation: research designed to assess the merit and worth or a specific practice in terms of the values operating at a site


Educational Report Formats

Title and author Abstract Introduction

– Quantitative: specific research questions– Qualitative: general problem statement

Review of the literature– Quantitative: extensive– Qualitative: brief



Research problem statement or questions– Quantitative: specific, narrow questions and hypotheses– Qualitative: general, foreshadowed questions

Method and design– Quantitative: participants, instruments, and procedures– Qualitative: participants and settings/sites



Results– Quantitative: statistical explanations– Qualitative: narrative descriptions

Discussion Conclusions References

Documents

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Introduction to Educational Research Chapter 1 This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law