educational research: research problems and the research plan edu 8603 educational research richard...
TRANSCRIPT
Educational Research: Educational Research: Research Problems andResearch Problems andthe Research Planthe Research Plan
EDU 8603
Educational Research
Richard M. Jacobs, OSA, Ph.D.
Research begins with a Research begins with a problem...problem...
The The research problemresearch problem……a question arising from personal
experience or thought…lends itself to further investigation
…transforms through the problem identification process into the research topicresearch topic
Sources of research problems...Sources of research problems...
theory replication
personal experience
personal experiencepersonal experience……hunches
…serendipity
…sensitivity
theorytheory……an organized body of concepts,
constructs, generalizations, and principles that can be subjected to investigation
replicationreplication……conducting the study again to verify or
disconfirm previous findings
The characteristics of a good The characteristics of a good research topic...research topic...
interesting
…related to area of expertise and of significant personal/professional interest
researchable
…can be investigated through the collection and analysis of data
of practical significance
…contributes to the body of human knowledge and/or professional practice
manageable
…fits the level and skills of the researcher(s), needed resources, and time restrictions
The statement of the research topic...The statement of the research topic...
Indicates the variables of interest to the researcher (X, Y), the specific relationship between those variables that will be investigated, and the nature of the participants involved
…accompanied by a presentation of the background of the topic
…provides justification for the study in terms of its significance
…indicates the prediction of the results of the research findings
…states the limitations of the study
The review of the literature...The review of the literature...
The systematic identification, location, and analysis of documents containing information related to the research problem
…identifies research already completed of significance to the research topic
…points out research strategies and specific procedures that have not been found to be productive in investigating the research topic
…facilitates interpretation of study results
Cautions from experience...Cautions from experience...
bigger does not mean better heavily researched topics provide best
primary sourcessources less-researched topics require the
review of any study meaningfully related to the topic in order to formulate a logical framework for the study and a sound rationale for the research hypothesis
Literature sources...Literature sources...
primary secondary
tertiary
primary …a published study written by the
researcher(s) who conducted the study
secondary (“cited in”)…contain complete bibliographic
information in the references section that can direct the researcher(s) to relevant primary sources
…an excellent source indicating significant research studies that have influenced the research
tertiary…reports what others have
summarized about a particular research topic in a convenient format
…oftentimes not a reputable source for the breadth and depth of research into a particular topic
Cautions from experience...Cautions from experience...
carefully evaluate sources
keep careful notes of the literature reviewed
build correctly formatted bibliography during the literature review process
write abstract for each entry which includes key words
Writing a review of the literature…Writing a review of the literature…
involves a technical form of writing that requires clarity in definitions and consistency in the use of terms
in the social sciences, the normative guide is the Manual of Style of the American Psychological Association
The five elements of a review of the The five elements of a review of the literature…literature…
2. Analyze/organize references (in reverse chronological order)
3. Compare/contrast like references
4. Arrange references (“V” form)
1. Outline
5. Summarizes literature and identifies implications
The review of the literature frames The review of the literature frames the hypothesis…the hypothesis…
A hypothesishypothesis……tentative prediction of the results of the research
findings that states the relationship between the variables identified in the research topic
Types of hypotheses…Types of hypotheses…
Inductive hypothesis…
…a generalization based on observed relationships
…oftentimes used for qualitative research studies
deductive hypothesis…
…a generalization derived from theory…oftentimes used in quantitative
research studies
research hypothesis (H1)……states an expected relationship
between at least two variables…directional: states the expected direction of
the relationship or difference
…nondirectional: states that a relationship or difference exists
null hypothesis (H0)……states that there is no significant relationship
or difference between two variables
Stating a hypothesis…Stating a hypothesis…
A good hypothesis is stated clearly and concisely, expressing the relationship between two variable and variables in measurable terms
involves at least three variables…
P: the participants
X: the treatment, causal, or independent variable
Y: the observed outcome, effect, or dependent variable
P who get X do better on Y
than P who do not get X
Stating a research hypothesis…Stating a research hypothesis…
There is no difference on Y between P who get X
and P who do not get X
Stating a null hypothesis…Stating a null hypothesis…
Other general considerations…Other general considerations…
Ethical obligationsLegal restrictionsGaining accessConducting a pilot study
Ethical obligations…Ethical obligations…
the ends do not justify the means…a primary responsibility to maintain the well-being of study
participants
…National Research Act of 1974 requires prior review and approval by an approved board as well as informed consent of study participants
Legal restrictions…Legal restrictions…
the issues of confidentiality and personal privacy…The Privacy Act of 1974 safeguards and protects the privacy of
students’ educational records (“freedom from harm”)
the issue of deception…a study that requires deception should be reviewed by an advisor
and/or the Human Subjects Review Committee
Gaining access…Gaining access…
Oftentimes requires getting approval to conduct the study in the chosen site
…use salesmanship to demonstrate the design’s careful study, value of study, as well as its minimal intrusiveness into and inconvenience for participants’ routine
Conducting a pilot study…Conducting a pilot study…
a small scale field test of the research study provides a means to identify unanticipated problems or issues
…allows for revisions and improvements to the research plan prior to conducting the study
The research plan…The research plan…
A detailed description of the procedures to be used to investigate a research topic
…provides an overview of the study to be conducted and permits an assessment of the impact of any changes that may be needed as the study is undertaken
…indicates the tentative prediction of the results of the research findings
An overview of the five basic An overview of the five basic components of a research plan...components of a research plan...
2. Method3. Data Analysis4. Time Schedule
1. Introduction
5. Budget (if appropriate)
1. The introduction section...1. The introduction section...
Provides an overview of the topictopic to be studied, reviews the related reviews the related literatureliterature to present a rationale for conducting the study and, where appropriate, states the hypothesishypothesis in a style to facilitate the reader’s understanding
Statement of the Statement of the topictopic……given the nature of the particular
research approach adopted, describes the background of the topic and provides a rationale for the significance of the study
Review of the literatureReview of the literature……provides an overview of the topic and
references related to what is currently known (unknown) about the topic
…indicates the need for further research
Statement of the hypothesisStatement of the hypothesis……clearly and concisely states the
expected relationship (or difference) between the variables of the study, defining those variables in operational, measurable, or common-usage terms
2. The method section...2. The method section...
Describes the procedures used by the researcher to select participants, measure effects, and analyze the data…the approach to the conduct of the study
defines the method (e.g., descriptive, causal-comparative, correlational, experimental, historical, ethnography)
Research participantsResearch participants……identifies the number, source, and
characteristics of the samplesample and defines the populationpopulation from which the sample will be selected
InstrumentsInstruments……the research that will be used in the
study to measure the variables stated in the hypothesis
Materials/ApparatiMaterials/Apparati……identifies any special booklets,
training manuals, or computer programs as well as any machines or ancillary items to be used when conducting the study
DesignDesign……the general strategy for the conduct of
the study
ProcedureProcedure……a description of each step that will be
followed when conducting the study, from beginning to end, in the order in which each step will occur
3. The data analysis section...3. The data analysis section...
Identifies the analysis technique(s) to be used in the study
4. The time schedule section...4. The time schedule section...
Lists the major activities or phases of the proposed study and the corresponding expected completion time for each activity
5. The budget section...5. The budget section...
Identifies the costs associated with conducting the study
To recapitulate...To recapitulate...
…Introduction
…Method …Data Analysis
The five elements of a research plan…
…Time Schedule
…Budget (if appropriate)
Mini-Quiz…Mini-Quiz…
True or false…
…the worth of a research topic is a function of the amount of literature available on the topic
false
True or false…
…abstracting the references involves locating, reviewing, summarizing, and classifying the references
true
True or false…
…the majority of research findings contribute to the body of human knowledge
false
True or false…
…Boolean operators involve the use of connectors in a search string to broaden and narrow a key word search
true
True or false…
…qualitative research involves special ethical considerations because the degree of proximity between participants and researcher(s) can introduce subjectivity into data interpretation
true
True or false…
…a good research hypothesis is inconsistent with theory or previous research
false
True or false…
…time spent in the library after formulating the research topic will save time in the long run
true
True or false…
…in a research study, references are arranged in chronological order
false
True or false…
…the hypothesis is formulated from a theory or the review of the related literature before the study is executed
true
True or false…
…the analysis of the data does not lead to a hypothesis being proven or disproven
true
True or false…
…any research study that requires deceitful practice cannot be carried out
false
True or false…
…topics that contain the word should cannot be answered by research of any kind, because they ultimately are a matter of opinion
true
True or false…
…the review of the literature provides a rationale for the research hypothesis
true
True or false…
…researchers normally start the review of the literature by reading primary sources
false
True or false…
…a researcher sets out to prove the hypothesis
false
True or false…
…a refereed journal is one in which the articles have been reviewed by a panel of experts
true
True or false…
…an operational definition explains what a variable is
false
Fill in the blank…
…the researcher does not know the identities of the participants providing data for the study
anonymity
Fill in the blank…
…the group to which the researcher would like the results of a study to be generalizable
population
Fill in the blank…
…a chart that identifies the concurrent activities that are part of a research study
Gantt chart
Fill in the blank…
…the researcher knows the identities of the participants providing data for the study but will not release those identities to anyone else
confidentiality
Fill in the blank…
…a number of individuals selected from the population for a study
sample
Fill in the blank…
…a tool used by researchers to gather data
instrument
Fill in the blank…
…the general strategy for conducting a research study
design
Fill in the blank…
…a field test of a research study usually tried out on a small scale to identify unanticipated problems or issues
pilot study
Which type of hypothesis…
nondirectional
…there is a significant difference in the achievement of 10th-grade biology students who are instructed using interactive multimedia and those who receive regular instruction only
Which type of hypothesis…
null
…there is no significant difference in the achievement level of 10-grade biology students who are instructed using interactive multimedia and those who receive regular instruction only
Which type of hypothesis…
directional
…tenth-grade biology students who are instructed using interactive multimedia achieve at a higher level than those who receive regular instruction only
This module has focused on...This module has focused on...
…which describes the procedures to be used to investigate a research topic
the research plan
The next module will focus on...The next module will focus on...
...as the foundation for understanding the importance of selecting a representative group of participants as well as the techniques to achieve this outcome
research participants