Research Seminar for

Educational Sciences

Prof. Dr. Chang Zhu

Department of Educational Sciences

Céline Cocquyt

Outline

• Structure of research proposal

• Main types of research methods

What is a research proposal?

1. Why this research?

2. What are you going to research?

3. How are you going to do this research?

3

Research proposal

7 steps

of doing

research

Research proposal

1.Why this research?

Step 1. Selection of/identifying a problem

• Defining your research problem (status of an

educational phenomenon, actor, process;

problem or interests in knowing…)

• Purpose of the study

• Justification of the study

5

Research proposal

1.Why this research?

Step 2. Review of literature

• Review of related literature (existing theory

and research, theoretical and empirical

background)

(eg., what has been done, how and what

results, what knowledge and theory…)

6

Research proposal

Specific steps for literature review

• Best descriptors

• Choose important primary and secondary sources

• Critically reflect on the research results, including the research methodology

• Consider contrary findings and alternative interpretations

• Make connections and synthesis 7

Research proposal

2: What are you going to research?

Step 3. Statement of research questions (RQ)

• Specific

• One question in one RQ

• Can have several specific research questions

in one research

Research proposal

Specific steps:

Identify a research problem

Choose a research topic

Narrow a research topic

Formulate specific research questions

9

Research proposal

3: How to do this research?

Step 4. Choose a research method

• Quantitative research methods

• Qualitative research methods

• Mixed research methods

10

Research proposal

3: How to do this research?

Step 5. Research design and data

collection (evidence from participants)

From whom? (selecting sample/ participants)

How?

What questions?

11

Research proposal

3: How to do this research?

Step 6. Data analysis

Methods of data analysis (how to analyze

and interpret your data)

12

Research proposal

Step 7. Presentation of results

Analyzing and interpreting data

Write/report your findings

Discussions and conclusions

13

Major sections of a research

proposal

14

Title

Summary

Research problem

Literature review

Research questions

Research methods

Expected results &

significance

Planning

Major sections of a research

report/article

15

Title

Summary

Research problem

Literature review

Research questions

Research methods

Results & conclusions

Implications, limitations…

Online resource

• Research proposal

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ8Vfx472

1M

16

Research method

Types of research

Main research methods

Types of research by

approach

Quantitative research

Qualitative research

Mixed methods research

Quantitative research

• Collection and analysis of numerical data

to describe, explain, predict or control…

• A concept/construct that can be

measured…

• Can test hypotheses

• Control over contextual factors

• Sample: representative, large enough

Qualitative research

• Collection, analysis and interpretation of

narrative and nonnumerical data to gain

insights into a phenomenon…

• Concepts to be observed, interviewed…

• Often no hypothesis

• Context not controlled

• Sample: smaller

Quantitative & Qualitative

research

• The two research approaches can be

applied depending on the nature of the

topic, question/problem to be

investigated…

• Can be combined.

• More details regarding mixed-methods

research will be introduced later

Up to you!

Characteristics of quantitative and

qualitative research

23

Quantitative Qualitative

Numerical data Nonnumerical, narrative, visual data

Hypothesis and research

procedures stated before

beginning the study

Research methods and procedures

evolve as understanding of the topic

deepens

Can manipulate the context not manipulate the context

Larger sample size Smaller sample size

Focus on statistical analysis Rely on categorizing and organizing

data into patterns to produce a

descriptive, narrative synthesis

Limited interaction with

participants

Extensive interaction with

participants

Main research methods

24

Quantitative Qualitative

Survey Interviews

Correlational research Focus groups

Group-comparative Case study

Experimental Grounded theory

Quasi-experimental Content analysis

Single-subject Narrative research

Delphi Method

Historical research

Ethnographic research

Quantitative Qualitative

Survey Interviews

Correlational research Focus groups

Group-comparative Case study

Experimental Grounded theory

Quasi-experimental Content analysis

Delphi Method Narrative research

Main research methods

25

Generalizable results In-depth understandings

Survey research (Quan)

Describe and understand current conditions (practices, preferences, attitudes, interests, concerns…)

Collecting numeric data

Test hypothesis or answer questions

Via questionnaires…

Often development of measuring instrument is needed.

Response rate: is it valid?

26

Correlational research (Quan)

Investigate the relations between two or

more variables.

To establish relations (whether or not, to

what degree a relation exists)

Use existing relations to make predictions

(eg. One variable increases, the other also

increases)

Do not suggest cause-effect relations

27

Correlational research

Example:

• The relationship between school culture

and student achievement

28

Group-comparative research

(Quan)

Examine the reason for differences between groups (e.g. gender, public/private school… )

The grouping variable is pre-existing, not controlled (or cannot be controlled).

The presumed cause: independent variable; the presumed effect: dependent variable.

Practical, feasible, however, a clear cause-effect link can be affected by other (extraneous) variables…

29

Group-comparative research

Examples:

• Gender differences in academic achievement

of secondary students

• Class management of novice teachers and

experienced teachers

30

Experimental research (Quan)

At least one independent variable is experimental

Other variables to be controlled;

The effect of the experimental variable on one or

more dependent variables is observed.

Provides strongest results/evidence for linking

variables (draw conclusions about cause and

effect)

Stringent control conditions needed, sometimes

not feasible

31

Experimental research

Example:

• The effect of interactive multimedia on the

achievement of 10th grade Biology students

32

Experimental designs

One-group pretest-posttest design

Randomized posttest design (2 groups: treatment/control group)

• TG: R X1 O

• CG: R O

Randomized pretest-posttest design (2 groups:

treatment/control group)

• TG: R O X1 O

• CG: R O O

Randomized four-group design

33

Quasi-Experimental designs

When random assignment of participants is not

possible;

Static-Group Comparison Design:

• X O

• O

Nonequivalent control-Group Design:

• O X O

• O O

34

Single-subject research (Quan)

Instead of comparing effects on different

groups (treatment vs. no treatment), it

compares a subject/group before and after

or during the treatment.

Focus on studying the behavior change of

an individual/group as a result of an

intervention.

35

Delphi Method (Quan)

• The Delphi method surveys the opinions of

"expert panels".

• The research is usually conducted in three

rounds, where the information is gathered,

refined and then feed back to the expert

participants. The aim of the Delphi method is

to enable the group of experts to arrive at a

consensus forecast or policy making on the

subject being discussed.

Focus groups (Qual)

• A focus group gathers in-depth information by

interviewing a group of participants (vary

between six to twelve) in a group discussion

that lasts one to two hours. An experienced

interviewer gathers opinions of the group.

Focus groups

Benefits of Focus Groups

• Opinions are focused on specific topics

• Immediate feedback or additional questions are

possible

• Can help identify key issues quickly

Problems Using Focus Groups

• The group can be dominated by a particular person or

viewpoint

• Only a limited number of questions can be dealt with

• The interviewer could bias the results.

Case study (Qual)

Case study • a qualitative approach

• focus on a unit of study e.g. individual

teachers, students, a classroom, a school

• not a methodological choice, but a

choice of what to study

(documents, artifacts, interviews, observations

can be incorporated into a case study)

39

Case study

Focus on detailed study of a

phenomenon, a person or a group as an

entity

through observations, description of the

nature of the case, its historical

background, contexts, characteristics, etc.

Qualitative data via interviewing, written

and non-written sources. 40

Case study

Designing case study

• a single case study

• a multiple case study

• a collective case study

• decision about the number of cases (no

strict rules, based on the needs of the study and

particularity of cases)

41

Content analysis (Qual)

• A research methodology that builds on

procedures to make valid inferences from text (Anderson, Rourke, Garrison & Archer, 2001)

• Studying the content of communication

• E.g. transcript analysis

online discussion analysis

Grounded theory research (Qual)

The aim is theory generating

12 steps for grounded theory research,

Gilgun (1990)

Identifying patterns

“theoretical saturation”

Emerging theories are grounded in data

43

Narrative research (Qual)

Study “story lives”

The researcher constructs a narrative (written

account) about one’s experiences and the

meanings this person attributes to the experiences.

Increase understanding of issues related to

teaching and learning through the telling and

retelling of teachers’ stories.

Close relationship between researcher and

participant

44

Ethnographic research (Qual)

Study of cultural patterns and

perspectives of participants in their

natural settings.

Study both the setting and the

participants.

Presents a holistic description and

cultural interpretation of the participants’

everyday activities, values and events. 45

Up to you!

Types of research by purpose

Basic research

Applied research

• Evaluation research

• Action research

47

Basic and applied research

48

Basic Research Applied Research

The educational research continuum

Basic research

Develop and refine theory

Main motivation is to expand knowledge

Provides the theory that produces the

concepts for solving educational

problems

49

Applied research

Aim to solve practical problems, e.g.

educational problems

Aim to improve practices

Can provide data, feedback that help support

and revise the development of theory

50

Action research

• Systematic inquiry by educational actors in the

teaching and learning environment to gather

information about the ways in which their school

operate, the teachers teach and the students learn.

• The purpose is to provide a method for solving

everyday problems in their own setting.

• Main goal: solution for a given problem, not

contribution to science.

• Often a teacher conducts in his/her own

class/school

51

Evaluation research

• Evaluation: programmes, products or

practices

• Monitor progress

• Judge impact

• Make decisions

52

Possible research topics for

group projects

5

3

Possible research groups

You can choose to work in a research group

You can also opt for an individual exercise/

individual track

5

4

Research Groups

Enrol in research groups online in Pointcarré

You can discuss in the “Group Forum” with

your group members

Questions related to the research topic

Who will do what

How to work together

Issues and problems during this process

5

5

Group research

Step 1: Discuss and identify a research topic (

specific, ‘small’ topic)

Step 2: Read relevant literature (literature

review state-of-art related to the research

topic)

5

6

Assignment

Read course material Theme 2 and 3

5

7

Questions & Feedback

Group F2F feedback

Not compulsory; if you have questions and

would like to have a face-to-face

consultation, you or a representative of

your group can have a short meeting in

office room 3B 253A on 24 October

(10-12am)

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