an introduction to the research process dr vicente chua reyes, jr

An Introduction to the Research ProcessDr Vicente Chua Reyes, Jr.

© 2009, Vicente Chua Reyes, Jr. PHD. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458All rights reserved.

By the end of this module, you should be able to: Define educational research Identify the importance of educational

research Name problems with research today Describe the research process Identify ethical considerations in conducting

research Reflect on the skills you bring to the research

process

Adapted from : John W. Creswell Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, third edition



What Is Research? The researcher asks a question. The researcher collects data. The researcher indicates how the data

answered the question.




A Definition of Research

Research is a process of steps used to collect and analyze information in order to increase our understanding of a topic or issue.


What are the factors that determine student achievement?



Importance of Research Reason 1: Research adds to our

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


What are the factors that determine student achievement?• Gender, Race, Student Background, Family – Student level factors•Teacher, Classroom, School Budgets, School equipment – School level factors• Is there INTERACTION between Student level and School level factors?



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.


What are the factors that determine student achievement?• Student level factors – What are the implications to teaching practice? Mother tongue?• School level factors – What are the implications to school practices? Streaming?



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.


What are the factors that determine student achievement?•Student level factors – What is the impact of existing policy/ies? School vouchers?•School level factors – What kind of policy interventions are necessary? Government funding



Problems with Research Today

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




The Process of Research


Identify the Research Problem

Review theLiterature

Reportand

Evaluate Research

Specify a Research Purpose

Collect Data

Analyze andInterpret

Data



The Process of Research: Identify the Research Problem

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

audiences




The Process of Research: Review the Literature

Locate resources Books Journals Electronic resources

Select resources Determine the relevant resources for the topic Organize the resources by developing a

“Literature Map” Summarize the resources in a literature

review




The Process of Research: 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 Quantitative: Write research questions

and/or hypothesis Qualitative: Identify a central

phenomenon and write sub-questions


What are the factors that determine student achievement?• Quantitative approach – Mean scores of student achievement (SAT, PSLE); controlling for student and school level factors• Qualitative approach – Nuances in classroom sub-cultures that promote or impede student achievement, for example: “student voice”, “teacher-talk”



The Research Process: Collect Data

Determine the data collection method Select the individuals to study Design data collection instruments

and outline data collection procedures Obtain permissions Gather data




The Research 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 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




Ethical Considerations in Research

Respect the rights of the participants Honor the requests and restrictions of the

research site Report the research fully and honestly




Skills Needed for Research

Curiosity to solve puzzles Long attention span Library and computer resource skills Writing and editing skills


an introduction to the research process dr vicente chua reyes, jr

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