Introduction to educational research
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Educational Research: Introduction to the Concept
ELT-713 Research Methods I
Dr. Hasan BEDİR
What Research Is Not Research isn’t information gathering:
Gathering information from resources such books or magazines isn’t research.
No contribution to new knowledge.
Research isn’t the transportation of facts: Merely transporting facts from one resource
to another doesn’t constitute research. No contribution to new knowledge although
this might make existing knowledge more accessible.
Research...
The systematic application of a family of methods employed to provide trustworthy information about problems
…an ongoing process based on many accumulated understandings and explanations that, when taken together lead to generalizations about problems and the development of theories
What Research Is Research is:
“…the systematic process of collecting and analyzing information (data) in order to increase our understanding of the phenomenon about which we are concerned or interested.”1
Research Characteristics1. Originates with a question or problem.2. Requires clear articulation of a goal.3. Follows a specific plan or procedure.4. Often divides main problem into
subproblems.5. Guided by specific problem, question, or
hypothesis.6. Accepts certain critical assumptions.7. Requires collection and interpretation of
data.8. Tests hypothesis or answers to the research
questions.9. Suggests further studies
Scientific and Disciplined Inquiry
Four general steps Identify a topic Collect data Analyze data Report the results and implications
Flexibility of these steps to incorporate a range of purposes and methods
Functions of Research
Basic research Conducted to develop, test, or refine
theory Examples related to learning theory
Piaget Constructivism Mastery learning Gardner’s multiple intelligences
The basic steps of research...
Scientific and disciplined inquiry is an orderly process, involving:
description and execution of procedures to collection information (“method”)
objective data analysis statement of findings (“results”)
recognition and identification of a topic to be studied (“problem”)
Sources of Research Problems Observation. Literature reviews. Professional conferences. Experts.
Stating the Research Problem Once you’ve identified a research
problem: State that problem clearly and completely. Determine the feasibility of the research.
Identify subproblems: Completely researchable units. Small in number. Add up to the total problem. Must be clearly tied to the interpretation of
the data.
Purpose statement
Purpose statement: Describes the intent of the study, the
objectives, and the major idea of a study. This idea builds on a need (the problem) and is refined into specific questions, the research questions.
The purpose statement Could for example look like this:
The purpose of this ____ (fill in: strategy of inquiry, such as ethnography, case study or other) study is (or will be) to _____ (understand?
describe? develop? discover?) the ________ (central
phenomenon being studied) for _____ (the participants,
such as the individual, groups, organization) at _____ (research site). At this stage in the research, the _____ (central phenomenon to be
studied) will be generally defined as ____ (provide a general definition).
Types of research...
Basic……the process of collecting and
analyzing information to develop or enhance a theory
Applied……conducted for the purpose of applying
or testing theory and evaluating its usefulness for solving problems
Evaluation……concerned with making decisions about
the quality, effectiveness, or value of programs, products, or practices
The research continuum…
pure research
evaluation research
BASIC APPLIED
theory development
current problems
why it works what works
produces concepts provides data
laboratory field
Research methods...
Quantitative……collects and analyzes numerical data
obtained from formal instruments
Qualitative……collects and analyzes nonnumeric
data over an extended period of time to situate meaning within a particular perspective or context
Quantitative methods...
descriptive research (“survey research”) correlational research
causal-comparative research (“ex post facto research”)
experimental research
descriptive research (“survey research”)…collects data in order to answer
questions about the current status of the subject or topic of study
…uses formal instruments to study preferences, attitudes, practices, concerns, or interests of a sample
correlational research…determines whether and to what
degree a relationship exists between two or more variables
…the presence of a correlation does not indicate a cause-effect relationship primarily due to multiple confounding factors
causal-comparative research (“ex post facto research”) …at least two different groups are
compared on a dependent variable or measure of performance (called the “effect”) because the independent variable (called the “cause”) has already occurred or cannot be manipulated
Variable...
…a concept (e.g., intelligence, height, aptitude) that can assume any one of a range of values
Research variables...
Independent……an activity or characteristic
believed to make a difference with respect to some behavior
…(syn.) experimental variable, cause, treatment
Dependent……the change or difference occurring a
a result of the independent variable…(syn.) criterion variable, effect,
outcome, posttest
experimental research…the researcher selects participants
and divides them into two or more groups having similar characteristics and, then, applies the treatment(s) to the groups and measures the effects upon the groups
Quantitative method decision tree…
Is there a cause-effect relationship?
Is the independent variable manipulated?
Is there a relationship or prediction being made?
Experimental Causal-Comparative
Correlational Descriptive
YES
YES
YES
NO
NO
NO
data sources……primary
…secondary
…tertiary
Research Design: Proposal The proposal shall tell the reader:
What kind of knowledge do you seek? Which strategies will you employ?
Content: Introduction including:
Description of domain/problem area Review of key literature (relevant findings in this area) Purpose of the study (purpose statement) Research questions
Research design and research methods: What will you do? What kind of data? How? Where (which setting)? When/how long?
As far as possible: How will you work with (analyse) the data? (analytic concepts, core theories you will use)
Are you aware of any ethical considerations and practicalities you need to think through?
High-Quality Research(1 of 2)
Good research requires: The scope and limitations of the work to be
clearly defined. The process to be clearly explained so that
it can be reproduced and verified by other researchers.
A thoroughly planned design that is as objective as possible.
High-Quality Research(2 of 2)
Good research requires: Highly ethical standards be applied. All limitations be documented. Data be adequately analyzed and
explained. All findings be presented unambiguously
and all conclusions be justified by sufficient evidence.
Guidelines on the presentation of your thesis
In your thesis you will be asked to follow a fairly fixed format: please look upon it as a form of support rather than a limitation.
Title page
Give your thesis a brief, clear, and informative title.
For layout, follow the University's requirements.
Abstract This is a brief, at-a -glance summary of your
thesis. It should contain 10 to 12 sentences, or
approximately 200 words and should state clearly what the thesis is about, summarizing your main points, providing the reader with a brief review of the research study, including any conclusions you may have drawn.
The abstract page should follow the title page and be your page number two. It should be in block form, in other words, do not indent paragraph
Table of Contents This page functions as an index as well
as an introduction for the reader, so it should be clear, correct and consistent.
One way of achieving this is by progressively indenting the titles of the sections (1, 1.1, 1.1.1 etc ).
Page numbering ends with the final section of the main body of your text; so the bibliography and appendices are not paginated
Introduction This section will introduce the topic, will
outline the structure of the thesis and will also be used to give any essential background information.
One of the aims of the introduction is to capture the interest of the reader.
A good way of achieving this is to describe how you became interested in the topic.
Review of the Literature This is where most of the sources are cited and
where you review previous research studies that have contributed to the field.
You must demonstrate your familiarity with the most important literature in the field, using at least 15 serious sources.
Avoid uncritical reviews where you simply give a list of your readings.
Only books and articles which relate directly to the topic should be selected.
Everything you refer to must be relevant to your research, arranged in a logical order, going from general to specific, making links and adding your own thoughts on the subject.
Research Design and Method
This section describes how the problem was investigated and why particular methods and techniques were employed.
It includes a detailed explanation of the data collection procedures, research tools and subject population used.
Analysis An analysis is essential for a successful thesis. This section is also referred to as the 'results'
or the 'discussion' section, where you revisit the research question(s), perform a critical analysis of your study's results and discuss the outcomes.
You may wish to go back and reference the literary review, demonstrating how your own study built upon the foundations outlined there.
Even if you cannot provide solutions to the problem, you are expected to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the issue.
Conclusion Many consider this final chapter of the thesis
to be its most important section. In the conclusion, the author summarizes the main findings of the analysis and states plainly whether or not their hypothesis was correct.
This section should not be a repetition of what you have already said.
Instead, it should highlight your main conclusions and show how the results are of direct relevance to you in your further development as a teacher
Implications and Suggestions
Any deficiencies in the research design must be mentioned here and suggestions about more suitable approaches should be given.
Recommendations can also be made for future research in the field
Bibliography This is a list of the books and articles which
have been cited or referred to. It should be complete, consistent, clear and correct.
The bibliography for a thesis has three main functions:
it indicates the extent of your background reading
it allows you to acknowledge your sources
it demonstrates your familiarity with academic norms.
Appendices
Copies of any research instruments (questionnaires, handouts,tests etc.) that have been used should be included here.
Useful Websites
http://computer.org http://www.acm.org http://www.niaid.nih.gov/ncn/grants/writ
e/index.htm http://fdncenter.org/learn/shortcourse/pr
op1.html http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1998/nsf9891/n
sf9891.htm
Useful Websites http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/~jw/thesis.html http://www.sce.carleton.ca/faculty/chinneck/thesis.html http://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/dec/essay.dissertation.
html http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/anth595/thesis.htmlhttp://lorien.ncl.ac.uk/ming/Dept/Tips/writing/writeindex.htm
Questions?
Thank You!
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