HOW TO DESIGN & HOW TO DESIGN & EVALUATE RESEARCH IN EVALUATE RESEARCH IN

EDUCATIONEDUCATION

PART 1 – PART 1 – Introduction to Introduction to

ResearchResearch

Chapter 1 - “The Chapter 1 - “The Nature of Educational Nature of Educational

Research”Research”

Importance of Educational Importance of Educational ResearchResearch

CounselorsCounselors – What problems hinder – What problems hinder or prevent students from learning, or prevent students from learning, and how can counselors help and how can counselors help students with the problem?students with the problem?

TeachersTeachers – What kinds of materials, – What kinds of materials, strategies, and activities best help strategies, and activities best help students learn?students learn?

Importance of Educational Importance of Educational ResearchResearch

AdministratorsAdministrators – How can I provide – How can I provide an environment for happy and an environment for happy and productive learning?productive learning?

ParentsParents – How can I help my child – How can I help my child (children) succeed in school?(children) succeed in school?

StudentsStudents – How can I study so that I – How can I study so that I learn as much as I can?learn as much as I can?

SCIENTIFIC SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHRESEARCH

The scientific research methodology The scientific research methodology provides us with a way of obtaining provides us with a way of obtaining information that is as information that is as accurate and accurate and reliablereliable as we can get. as we can get.

OTHER METHODS OF OTHER METHODS OF OBTAINING INFORMATIONOBTAINING INFORMATION

Sensory experienceSensory experience Agreement with othersAgreement with others Expert opinionExpert opinion LogicLogic

SCIENTIFIC METHODSCIENTIFIC METHOD Identification of a problem or Identification of a problem or

questionquestion Clarification of the problemClarification of the problem Determination of the information Determination of the information

needed and of how to obtain itneeded and of how to obtain it Organization of informationOrganization of information Interpretation of resultsInterpretation of results

HYPOTHESESHYPOTHESES

Explanations for a problem or Explanations for a problem or phenomenon; hypotheses phenomenon; hypotheses

may occur at any stage of an may occur at any stage of an investigation.investigation.

TYPES OF RESEARCHTYPES OF RESEARCHINTERVENTIONINTERVENTION ExperimentalExperimentalASSOCIATIONALASSOCIATIONAL CorrelationalCorrelational Causal-ComparativeCausal-ComparativeDESCRIPTIVEDESCRIPTIVE SurveySurvey Content AnalysisContent Analysis QualitativeQualitative HistoricalHistorical

GENERAL RESEARCH CATEGORIESGENERAL RESEARCH CATEGORIES

InterventionIntervention – when a particular – when a particular method or treatment is expected to method or treatment is expected to influence one or more outcomesinfluence one or more outcomes

AssociationalAssociational – investigates – investigates relationshipsrelationships

DescriptiveDescriptive – describes a given state – describes a given state of affairs as fully and carefully as of affairs as fully and carefully as possiblepossible

ISSUES IN CRITICAL ANALYSIS ISSUES IN CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF RESEARCHOF RESEARCH

Questions about:Questions about: RealityReality CommunicationCommunication ValuesValues Unstated AssumptionsUnstated Assumptions Societal consequencesSocietal consequences

CHAPTER 2CHAPTER 2

““The Research The Research Problem” Problem”

Essential Characteristics of a Essential Characteristics of a Researchable QuestionResearchable Question

There is some sort of information that There is some sort of information that can be collected in an attempt to can be collected in an attempt to

answer the question.answer the question.Good research questions often Good research questions often

suggest a relationship to be suggest a relationship to be investigated.investigated.

Characteristics of Good Characteristics of Good Research QuestionsResearch Questions

FeasibleFeasible ClearClear SignificantSignificant EthicalEthical

FEASIBLEFEASIBLE A feasible question is a question that can be A feasible question is a question that can be

investigated with available resources.investigated with available resources. Some questions require a great deal of time Some questions require a great deal of time

and money; others require much less.and money; others require much less. Most research done in schools or other Most research done in schools or other

educational institutions is likely to be done by educational institutions is likely to be done by university professors or students and usually university professors or students and usually is funded by temporary grants; therefore, lack is funded by temporary grants; therefore, lack of feasibility often limits research efforts.of feasibility often limits research efforts.

CLEARCLEAR Clarify terms and phrases.Clarify terms and phrases. Eliminate ambiguous language. Eliminate ambiguous language.

(Ambiguous words lend themselves (Ambiguous words lend themselves to two or more interpretations.)to two or more interpretations.)

3 types of clarification:3 types of clarification:1)1) Constitutive definition Constitutive definition 2)2) Clarify by exampleClarify by example3)3) Operational definitionsOperational definitions

SIGNIFICANTSIGNIFICANT The investment of oneself and others in a The investment of oneself and others in a

research project should contribute some research project should contribute some knowledge of value to the field of knowledge of value to the field of education.education.

?s to consider: How might answers to this ?s to consider: How might answers to this question advance knowledge in my field? question advance knowledge in my field? How might answers to this question How might answers to this question improve educational practice? How might improve educational practice? How might answers to this question improve the answers to this question improve the human condition?human condition?

ETHICALETHICAL Will the question involve physical or Will the question involve physical or

psychological harm or damage to psychological harm or damage to human beings?human beings?

Is there the threat of danger to the Is there the threat of danger to the natural or social environment?natural or social environment?

TERMSTERMS

EmpiricalEmpirical – observable– observable MetaphysicalMetaphysical – transcendental (beyond the – transcendental (beyond the

physical)physical) Constitutive definitionConstitutive definition – dictionary – dictionary

approachapproach Operational definitionsOperational definitions – require – require

researchers to specify the actions or researchers to specify the actions or operations necessary to measure or operations necessary to measure or identify the termidentify the term

CHAPTER 3CHAPTER 3

““Ethics and Ethics and Research”Research”

A STATEMENT OF A STATEMENT OF ETHICAL PRINCIPLESETHICAL PRINCIPLES

Ethical behavior is behavior Ethical behavior is behavior which conforms to the which conforms to the

standards of conduct of a standards of conduct of a given profession or group.given profession or group.

A RESEARCHER’S ETHICAL A RESEARCHER’S ETHICAL ISSUESISSUES

The protection of participants from The protection of participants from harmharm

The ensuring of confidentiality of The ensuring of confidentiality of research dataresearch data

The question of deception of subjectsThe question of deception of subjects