Introduction to Educational Research

1
Introduction to Educational Research

• EDU 710
• Steve Gibbs
• Touro University

2

• Forget the word Proof. Replace it with evidence.
• Will the sun come up tomorrow?
• Will 112 the next time I add it up?

3
Basic vs Applied Research

• Basic research is about fundamental processes,
  like salivating, thinking of fruit. Its usually
  experimental and done in controlled lab
• Applied research is about practical questions in
  the real world, driven by current problems
• Action research focuses on solving practitioners
  local problems. It cyclical because problems are
  rarely solved through one research study.
• Evaluation research determines the worth, merit,
  or quality of an evaluation object. i.e. Is the
  new teaching method working?

4
Action Research solving local problems

• Brainstorm
• What local problems could be researched?
• What problems could your projects solve?

5

• Does teaching to the test improve learning?
• Is all learning observable? Should all learning
  be observable?
• Are PLCs good or evil? Are they always practical?
• Does administrative performance have a
  statistically significant impact on classroom
  learning?
• Do students do better on silent activities when
  they listen to music on their iPods?
• Does familiarity with CA Content Standards make
  one a better teacher?

6
Hypothesis vs Theory

• A hypothesis attempts to answer questions by
  putting forth a plausible explanation that has
  yet to be rigorously tested.
• A theory, on the other hand, has already
  undergone extensive testing by various scientists
  and is generally accepted as being an accurate
  explanation of an observation. This doesnt mean
  the theory is correct only that current testing
  has not yet been able to disprove it, and the
  evidence as it is understood, appears to support
  it.

7
Hypothesis vs Theory

• A theory will often start out as a hypothesis --
  an educated guess to explain observable
  phenomenon. The scientist will attempt to poke
  holes in his or her hypothesis.
• If it survives the applied methodologies of
  science, it begins to take on the significance of
  a theory to the scientist.
• The next step is to present the findings to the
  scientific community for further, independent
  testing. The more a hypothesis is tested and
  holds up, the better accepted it becomes as a
  theory

8
Null Hypothesis

• A hypothesis set to be nullified by your research
• When your expected hypothesis is not proven by
  statistically significant correlation either
  positive or negative, then the Null hypothesis IS
  proven.
• Hypothesis Students with cars have lower grades
• Null hypothesis Owning a car has no negligible
  effect on students grades

9
Grounded Theory

• When one does the research and experimenting
  without first reading any literature on the
  subject, without studying previous findings, and
  without having a clear hypothesis to prove.
• Grounded theory research is done to give
  researchers uncontaminated perspectives of the
  data collected.

10
Hypothesis Theory

• Brainstorm
• What educational theories can be thrown into
  question?
• Why hypotheses do you hold to be true but have
  never formally tested?

11

• Teaching grammar is a waste of time
• Technology in the elementary classroom can be
  detrimental to growth and learning
• Never assign writing as punishment 2 3
• Do not attach grades to behavior

12
Criterion of falsifiability the property of a
statement or theory that is capable of being
refuted by experience (Karl Popper 02-94)
13
Rule of parsimony the simplest answer is often
the best
Any examples?
14
Expectation theory the Pygmalion effect -
Limited expectations bring limited results, high
expectations lead to exceptional results.Any
classroom examples?
15
Formative vs. summative Assessment

• Formative focused on improving the evaluation
  object
• Summative focused on overall effectiveness of
  evaluation object

Share examples of formative assessment. Share
examples of summative assessment.
16
4 Key Questions to Pose in Evaluation Research

• 1. Did the evaluation object have its intended
  impact? Did it work?
• 2. How does the evaluation object operate?
• 3. Is the evaluation object cost effective? Is
  there a cheaper alternative?
• 4. How can the evaluation object be improved?

17
Sources of Knowledge

• Experience empiricism experiments, tests,
  surveys, questionnaires, interviews, focus
  groups, observations, secondary data
• Expert Opinion interviews, reading research
  articles and books (vested interest?)
• Reasoning Rationalism Descartes researchers
  evaluative skills common sense, logic,
  inductive-deductive reasoning

18
Reasoning deductive and inductive

• Deductive general to specific
• Inductive specific to general its
  probabilistic
• Problem of Induction the past doesnt always
  repeat
• Back to the issue of proof. Will the sun come up?

19
Deductive and inductive methods of science

• Inductive create new hypotheses or theories
• Researcher makes observations
• Studies the observations searching for a pattern
• Makes tentative conclusion about how some aspect
  of the world operates he makes a generalization

20
Deductive and inductive methods of science

• Deductive test hypotheses or theories
• Researcher states a hypothesis (usually based on
  existing theory)
• Researcher collects data
• Researcher makes the decision to tentatively
  accept or reject the hypothesis

21

• Share examples of inductive reasoning
• Share examples of deductive reasoning

22
Scientific Method

• Empirical observations
• Generation and testing hypotheses
• Students who own cars have lower grades.
• Building and testing theories
• Attempting to predict and influence the world
  positively

23
Topics that cant be adequately researched

• Value, morality right and wrong, religion
• Issues of school prayer
• Abortion
• Capital punishment
• NOTE Research can be performed to gather data,
  such as incidence of abortions based on cultural
  settings, frequency of school prayer, tendencies
  for capital punishment to deter crime research
  CANNOT prove any of these issues to be right or
  wrong.

24

• Other subjects that cannot be adequately
  researched?

25
Quantitative Vs Qualitative Research
26
Quantitative and Qualitative Research

• Quantitative

• Qualitative

• numbers
• mathematical
• laboratory
• statistical
• narrow-angle lens
• deductive
• cause effect - determinism
• tool perform data collection
• Reality is objective
• Statistical report

• words
• humanistic
• natural settings
• holistic
• wide-angle lens
• inductive
• behavior is fluid
• Research is the data collector
• Reality is socially constructed
• Narrative report

27
Quantitative Methods

• Follows Scientific Theory
• The generation of models, theories and hypotheses
  
• The development of instruments and methods for
  measurement
• Experimental control and manipulation of
  variables
• Collection of empirical data
• Modeling and analysis of data
• Evaluation of results

28
Qualitative Methods

• Qualitative researchers aim to gather an in-depth
  understanding of human behavior and the reasons
  that govern human behavior.
• Qualitative research investigates the why and how
  of decision making, not just what, where, and
  when.
• Uses smaller but focused samples rather than
  large random samples
• Categorizes data into narrative patterns for
  reporting
• (1) participation in the setting,
• (2) direct observation,
• (3) in depth interviews, and
• (4) analysis of documents and materials

29
Quantitative Elements

• Variables a condition or characteristic that
  can take on different values
• Age, Intelligence, Gender, Temperature
• Constants a single value or category of a
  variable
• Male, Female, 12-years-old, 49-years, old, IQ
  130, 98.6 degrees

30
Quantitative vs Categorical Variables

• Quantitative Variable varies in degree or
  amount, usually involving numbers
• Categorical Variable varies in kind or type,
  usually involves groups

31
Examples

• Quantitative Variables

• Qualitative Variables

• Height
• Weight
• Temperature
• Annual Income
• Aptitude Tests
• School size
• Class size
• GPA
• Anxiety level

• Gender
• Religion
• Ethnicity
• College major
• Political affiliation
• Native language
• Teaching methods
• Personality types
• Problem solving strategies

32
Variables vs. Constants

• Independent Variable that which influences the
  dependent variable
• Dependent Variable that which is influenced by
  Independent Variable usually the focus of the
  research
• Independent owning car Dependent grades
• Independent praise Dependent performance
• Independent standardized test Dependent real
  learning
• Independent educational technology Dependent
  real learning

33

• Share other examples of independent and dependent
  variables

34
Extraneous Variable

• Extraneous Variable research pollution may
  compete with independent variables influence on
  dependent variable. Can result in alternative
  explanations or rival hypotheses. An issue in
  experimental research.

35
Extraneous Variables

• Independent owning car Dependent grades
• Extraneous Parenting, intelligence, attitude,
  car, laws
• Independent praise Dependent performance
• Extraneous false or easy praise amount of
  praise attitude

36
Extraneous Variables

• Independent standardized test Dependent real
  learning
• Extraneous quality of test faculty student
  attitudes, subject matter
• Independent educational technology Dependent
  real learning
• Extraneous appropriate use teacher skill
  selection of application

37

• Share extraneous variables to your previous
  independent-dependent variables

38
Intervening Variables

• Another form of possible pollution
• A variable that comes between indep/depend in
  their causal chain X ? Y X ? I ? Y
• X test, I familiarity with test, Y retest
• X test, I growth of participant, Y retest
• X text, I researcher change, Y retest

39
Experimental and nonexperimental research (both
quant, qual.)

• Experimental manipulates independent variable
• Nonexperimental does not. Simply observes what
  transpires (quan or qual)
• Experimental uses control group and controlled
  setting
• Causal-comparative research type of
  nonexperimental research that studies categorical
  independent variables like gender, religion and
  qualitative dependent variables like test scores
  or self-esteem levels.
• Correlational research nonexperimental method
  that studies relationships between two or more
  quantitative variables such as class size and
  reading scores.
• Correlation coefficient 1 0 -1 Do the two
  objects increase together (positive correlation)
  like GPA and SAT scores, or do they push in
  opposite directions (negative correlation) such
  as malnutrition and performance level.

40
Qualitative Research

• Ethnography Writing about People
• Shared attitudes, values, norms, practices,
  language and material things of a group of
  people.

41
Qualitative Research

• Holistic how members make a group. The group is
  more than the sum of the parts.
• Does not dissect the frog to learn about frogs
  it observes frogs in their ponds

42
Qualitative Research

• Historical examines the trends in education
  over the years examines the changes in culture
  and careers examines impacts of various reform
  policies
• Ex How has technology integration changed in
  BUSD schools since the inception of the PC in the
  1980s and the Internet in 1992

43
(No Transcript)
44
(No Transcript)
45
Multi-method research

• Recommended that serious topics are approached in
  a variety of ways. This allows for full coverage
  and future meta-analysis.

46
Other Forms of Research

• Individual case-study
• Group case study
• Developmental over time
• Descriptive
• Action direct application of hypothesis, theory
  in the classroom
• Gonzo You make it happen. You are the
  Independent Variable (Hunter S. Thompson)

47
References

• Johnson, B, Christensen, L. (2000). Educational
  Research Quantitative and Qualitative
  Approaches. Needham Heights, MA Pearson
  Education Company.
• Isaac, S., Michael, W. (1987). Handbook in
  Research and Evaluation.San Diego, CA EdITS
  Publishers.