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WELCOME TO EDUC 5157: Survey of Research Methods

Dr. John L. Vitale Session #1: Thursday September 12, 2013  

(1) Brain Teasers (2) Course overview & expectations (course outline, expectations, assignments & evaluation) (3) Course Objective and Course Mantra (4) The Lie Detector Game (5) What is Research?

(a) Definition of Research (b) Importance of Research (c) Problems with Research Today

SHORT COFFEE BREAK (6) The Marshmallow Test (short film clip) (7) The 6 Steps in the Process of Research (8) The Characteristics of Quantitative & Qualitative Research (film clip) (9) Student Presentation Group Formation  

Session #1 Overview:

Six Handouts for Today (1)   Course Outline

(2)   Detailed Session Outline (3) Class List (including email addresses): Please check your Nipissing email

on a regular basis, as I often email the entire class. Best Bet: Have your Nipissing email forwarded to your regular email.

(4) List of Journal Readers and Discussion Leaders: Everyone will have a chance to read and be a discussion leader. This is part of your participation mark.

(5) The Game of Lie Detector: Fun ice-breaker activity for today. (6) The Course Mantra

Please Complete Personal Information Sheet

•  This info will not be shared or posted publicly

•  It is only for me in case of a class cancellation or other type of

emergency

EDUC 5157: Survey of Research Methods Course Outline Debriefing

(Expectations, Assignments, & Evaluation)

Session Scheduling Format

•  The class runs from 6:00–9:00PM •  I must provide a total of 20 minutes break

•  I must end class at 8:50PM •  Hence, I propose a 10 minute break, and a dismissal at 8:40 (the second 10 minute break

runs into our dismissal time)

Course Objective Undergraduate Degrees (particularly in Education)

tend to be more “HOW” questions.

Example: “How do we teach?” (practical)

Graduate Degrees tend to be more “WHY”

questions.

Example: “Why do we teach?” (philosophical)

Course Objective “The wise person doesn't give the right answers,

s/he poses the right questions.”

Claude Levi-Strauss

The keys to knowledge and enlightenment paradoxically lie within confusion, curiosity, & contemplation.

The goal of this course is for you to come out with more questions than answers regarding

the topic of research.

The 3 C’s:

Confusion, Curiosity, & Contemplation

Course Mantra:

“Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing.”

Wernher von Braun 1912 – 1977

German Rocket Scientist

The  Lie  Detector  Game    

What is Research? (There are dozens of definitions!)

Three Simple Steps: Step 1: The researcher poses a question.  

Step 2: The researcher collects data to answer the question.  

Step 3: The researcher presents an answer to the question.  

Real Life Example . . . Step 1:

The researcher poses a question.

Example: How does music affect the meanings high school students gain from film?   Try to avoid questions that

can be answered “yes” or “no”, but this is not always

possible.

Step 2: The researcher collects data to answer the question.

Example: Four high school classes watch the same five minute film sequence (visual stimuli) with each class exposed to a different musical soundtrack (aural stimuli). • All students answer a survey • Some students are interviewed • Some students participate in a focus group  

Step 3: The researcher presents an answer to the question.

Example: Each class generated four different meanings from the film sequence. Each meaning closely resembled the characteristics of the musical soundtrack each class was exposed to. • Hence, students were more influenced by the musical soundtrack (aural stimuli) than the visual content of the film, which has implications for teaching/learning and contests current theories that the majority of students (about 65%) are visual learners.

 

Most Critical Aspect of this Course:

• Research is not a large formidable task, but a series of small, manageable steps.

• Knowing these smaller steps is key to the success of planning and completing research

Importance of Research Reason 1: Research adds to our knowledge

• Addresses gaps in knowledge • Expands knowledge • Replicates knowledge • Adds voices of individuals to knowledge

 

Importance of Research (cont’d)

Reason 2: Research helps improve practice • Educators gain new ideas for their job • Educators gain new insights into approaches • Educators can connect with other educators

Importance of Research (cont’d)

Reason 3: Research helps inform policy debates • Research allows people to weigh different perspectives on issues • Research enables people to make informed decisions regarding policy  

Potential Problems with Research

•  Contradictory or vague findings •  Questionable data •  Unclear statements about the intent of the

study •  Lack of full disclosure of the data collection

procedure •  Inarticulate rendering of the research problem

10  Minutes  

Interes=ng  Research:  The  Marshmallow  Test  (short  film  clip)  

The Research Cycle Process (adapted from Fig. 1.2 on pg. 8 of textbook)

Identify the Research Problem

Review the Literature

Report and

Evaluate Research

Specify a Research Purpose

Collect Data

Analyze and Interpret

Data

The Research Cycle Process Hands-On Group Activity

• Please form three groups and complete the research process cycle activity (paste each cut-out to the appropriate sheet) • You will be assembling Fig. 1.2 on pg. 8 (cut and paste)

Do Not Look at the Textbook!

The Research Cycle Process: Identify the Research Problem

•  Specify a problem •  Justify a problem •  Suggest a need to study the problem for

audiences

The Research Cycle Process: Review the Literature

•  Locate resources – Books – Journals – Electronic resources

•  Choose resources to include in the review •  Summarize the literature in a written report

The Research Cycle Process: Specify a Research Purpose

•  Identify the purpose statement – The major intent of the study – The participants in the study – The site of the study

•  Narrow the purpose statement to research questions

The Research Cycle Process: Collect Data

•  Determine the data collection method •  Select the individuals to study •  Obtain permissions •  Design data collection instruments and outline

data collection procedures •  Gather data

The Research Cycle Process: Analyze and Interpret Data

•  Take the data apart to look at individual responses

•  Represent the data in tables, figures, and pictures

•  Explain conclusions from the data that address the research questions

The Research Cycle Process: Report and Evaluate Research

•  Report research – Determine the audience for the report – Structure the report – Write the report sensitively and accurately

•  Evaluate research – Assess the quality of research using recognized standards

in a discipline – Standards can come from the academic community,

school districts, or federal or state agencies

RESEARCH PROCESS

 Research Problem

Research Questions

Literature Review

Quantitative Research Qualitative Research

Research Designs

Quantitative Designs -Experimental -Correlational -Survey

Combined Designs -Mixed methods -Action research

Qualitative Designs -Grounded theory -Ethnography -Narrative

Sampling Instruments / Protocols Data Analysis Interpretation

Discussion, Conclusions, Limitations, Future Research

Figure  1.3  -­‐-­‐  Page  12  of  Textbook  

More  Detailed  Research  Cycle    Process  

The Major Characteristics of Quantitative Research •  In sum, quantitative research refers to the systematic

empirical investigation of social phenomena via statistical, mathematical or computational techniques.

1.  Create purpose statements, research questions, and hypotheses that are specific, narrow, measureable, and observable

2.  Collect numeric data from a large number of people using instruments

3.  Analyze data for trends, group comparisons, and relationships among variables

4.  Write the research report using standard, fixed structures and an objective, unbiased approach

The Major Characteristics of Qualitative Research

•  In sum, qualitative researchers aim to gather an in-depth understanding of human behaviour and the reasons that govern such behaviour

•  State the purpose and research questions in a general, open-

ended way •  Collect data from a small number of participants •  Analyze the data using text analysis to obtain detailed

descriptions and themes •  Write the research report using flexible and emerging

structures and incorporating the researchers’ subjective reflexivity and bias

Similarities and Differences Between Quantitative and Qualitative Research

•  Similarities – Both forms of research follow the six steps in the process of

research – Both forms of research have introductions that establish the

importance of the research problem – Both forms of research use interviews and observations

•  Differences – Quantitative data collection is more closed-ended; qualitative

data collection is more open-ended – Quantitative data analysis is based on statistics; qualitative

data analysis is based on text or image analysis – Quantitative reporting has a set structure; qualitative data

reporting is more flexible

Factors in Deciding to Use Quantitative or Qualitative Research

•  Match type of research to your research problem •  Fit type of research to your audiences •  Relate type of research to your experiences and

training

One  Minute  Film  Clip  on  Qualita=ve  vs.  Quan=ta=ve  Research  

Student Presentation: Group Formation • Please form four groups

• Exchange contact info • Share ideas on collaboration • Sign up for presentation date  

•  3  Groups  of  2  Students  

 

•  1  Group  of  3  Students  

(1) Brain Teasers (2) Course overview & expectations (course outline, expectations, assignments & evaluation) (3) Course Objective and Course Mantra (4) The Lie Detector Game (5) What is Research?

(a) Definition of Research (b) Importance of Research (c) Problems with Research Today

SHORT COFFEE BREAK (6) The Marshmallow Test (short film clip) (7) The 6 Steps in the Process of Research (8) The Characteristics of Quantitative & Qualitative Research (film clip) (9) Student Presentation Group Formation  

Session #1 Summary: :

Next Session Preparation: Sept. 19, 2013

(1) Journal Entry #1 Due: The term “research” is often maligned and misunderstood. What are your best and worst experiences with research in your undergraduate / high school / work experience? Reader: Melanie Ackerman Discussion Leader: Tosh Tipler (2) Read Chapter 2: “Identifying a Research Problem”

Food for Thought: (related to course objectives and course mantra)

“If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?”

Albert Einstein