Educational Research: Research Problems and the Research Plan

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Educational Research Research
Problems andthe Research Plan
EDU 8603 Educational Research Richard M. Jacobs,
OSA, Ph.D.
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Research begins with a problem...
The research problem
a question arising from personal experience or
thought
lends itself to further investigation
transforms through the problem identification
process into the research topic
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Sources of research problems...
? personal experience
? theory
? replication
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personal experience
hunches
serendipity
sensitivity
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theory
an organized body of concepts, constructs,
generalizations, and principles that can be
subjected to investigation
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replication
conducting the study again to verify or
disconfirm previous findings
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The characteristics of a good research topic...
? interesting
related to area of expertise and of significant
personal/professional interest
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? researchable
can be investigated through the collection and
analysis of data
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? of practical significance
contributes to the body of human knowledge
and/or professional practice
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? manageable
fits the level and skills of the researcher(s),
needed resources, and time restrictions
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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
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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
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The review of the literature...
? The systematic identification, location, and
analysis of documents containing information
related to the research problem
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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
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Cautions from experience...
? bigger does not mean better
? heavily researched topics provide best primary
sources
? 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
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Literature sources...
? primary
? secondary
? tertiary
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? primary
a published study written by the researcher(s)
who conducted the study
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? 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
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? 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
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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
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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
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The five elements of a review of the literature
1. Outline
2. Analyze/organize references (in reverse
chronological order)
3. Compare/contrast like references
4. Arrange references (V form)
5. Summarizes literature and identifies
implications
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The review of the literature frames the
hypothesis

• A hypothesis

tentative prediction of the results of the
research findings that states the relationship
between the variables identified in the research
topic
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Types of hypotheses

• Inductive hypothesis

a generalization based on observed relationships
oftentimes used for qualitative research studies
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• deductive hypothesis

a generalization derived from theory
oftentimes used in quantitative research studies
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• 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
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• null hypothesis (H0)

states that there is no significant relationship
or difference between two variables
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Stating a hypothesis

• A good hypothesis is stated clearly and
  concisely, expressing the relationship between
  two variable and variables in measurable terms

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• involves at least three variables

P the participants
X the treatment, causal, or independent variable
Y the observed outcome, effect, or dependent
variable
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Stating a research hypothesis
P who get X do better on Y
than P who do not get X
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Stating a null hypothesis
There is no difference on Y between P who get X
and P who do not get X
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Other general considerations

• Ethical obligations

• Legal restrictions

• Gaining access

• Conducting a pilot study

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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
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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)
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• the issue of deception

a study that requires deception should be
reviewed by an advisor and/or the Human Subjects
Review Committee
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Gaining access

• Oftentimes requires getting approval to conduct
  the study in the chosen site

use salesmanship to demonstrate the designs
careful study, value of study, as well as its
minimal intrusiveness into and inconvenience for
participants routine
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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
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The research plan

• A detailed description of the procedures to be
  used to investigate a research topic

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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
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An overview of the five basic components of a
research plan...
1. Introduction
2. Method
3. Data Analysis
4. Time Schedule
5. Budget (if appropriate)
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1. The introduction section...

• Provides an overview of the topic to be studied,
  reviews the related literature to present a
  rationale for conducting the study and, where
  appropriate, states the hypothesis in a style to
  facilitate the readers understanding

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Statement of the topic
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
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Review 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
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Statement 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
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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)
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Research participants
identifies the number, source, and
characteristics of the sample and defines the
population from which the sample will be selected
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Instruments
the research that will be used in the study to
measure the variables stated in the hypothesis
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Materials/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
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Design
the general strategy for the conduct of the study
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Procedure
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
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3. The data analysis section...

• Identifies the analysis technique(s) to be used
  in the study

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4. The time schedule section...

• Lists the major activities or phases of the
  proposed study and the corresponding expected
  completion time for each activity

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5. The budget section...

• Identifies the costs associated with conducting
  the study

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To recapitulate...
The five elements of a research plan
Introduction
Method
Data Analysis
Time Schedule
Budget (if appropriate)
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Mini-Quiz

• True or false

the worth of a research topic is a function of
the amount of literature available on the topic
false
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• True or false

abstracting the references involves locating,
reviewing, summarizing, and classifying the
references
true
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• True or false

the majority of research findings contribute to
the body of human knowledge
false
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• True or false

Boolean operators involve the use of connectors
in a search string to broaden and narrow a key
word search
true
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• 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
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• True or false

a good research hypothesis is inconsistent with
theory or previous research
false
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• True or false

time spent in the library after formulating the
research topic will save time in the long run
true
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• True or false

in a research study, references are arranged in
chronological order
false
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• True or false

the hypothesis is formulated from a theory or
the review of the related literature before the
study is executed
true
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• True or false

the analysis of the data does not lead to a
hypothesis being proven or disproven
true
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• True or false

any research study that requires deceitful
practice cannot be carried out
false
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• 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
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• True or false

the review of the literature provides a
rationale for the research hypothesis
true
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• True or false

researchers normally start the review of the
literature by reading primary sources
false
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• True or false

a researcher sets out to prove the hypothesis
false
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• True or false

a refereed journal is one in which the articles
have been reviewed by a panel of experts
true
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• True or false

an operational definition explains what a
variable is
false
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• Fill in the blank

the researcher does not know the identities of
the participants providing data for the study
anonymity
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• Fill in the blank

the group to which the researcher would like the
results of a study to be generalizable
population
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• Fill in the blank

a chart that identifies the concurrent
activities that are part of a research study
Gantt chart
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• 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
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• Fill in the blank

a number of individuals selected from the
population for a study
sample
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• Fill in the blank

a tool used by researchers to gather data
instrument
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• Fill in the blank

the general strategy for conducting a research
study
design
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• 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
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• Which type of hypothesis

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
nondirectional
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• Which type of hypothesis

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
null
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• Which type of hypothesis

tenth-grade biology students who are instructed
using interactive multimedia achieve at a higher
level than those who receive regular instruction
only
directional
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This module has focused on...
the research plan
which describes the procedures to be used to
investigate a research topic
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The next module will focus on...
research participants
...as the foundation for understanding the
importance of selecting a representative group of
participants as well as the techniques to achieve
this outcome