A Short Guide to Action Research 4th Edition

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A Short Guide to Action Research4th Edition

• Andrew P. Johnson, Ph.D.
• Minnesota State University, Mankato
• www.OPDT-Johnson.com

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• Chapter 9 Evaluating, Describing, and Proposing
  Research

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• EVALUATING RESEARCH
• Research shows that
• Scientists have found that
• Studies indicate that
• A recent report confirms that
• These words alone are meaningless!

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• Buyer Beware
• 1. Saying so does not make it so
• 2. Research is different from doing a study
• 3. There is no such thing as the perfect research
  study
• 4. You cannot make research say anything you want.

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• 5. Using research is like sighting in a target
  rifle
• 6. Show me the data

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• National Research Counsels (NRC), Principles of
  Scientific Research in Education
• 1. Pose significant questions that can be
  investigated empirically.
• 2. Link research to relevant theory.
• 3. Use methods that permit direct investigation
  of the question.
• 4. Provide a coherent and explicit chain of
  reasoning.
• 5. Replicate and generalize across studies.
• 6. Disclose research to encourage professional
  scrutiny and critique.
• National Research Council. (2002). Scientific
  research in education. Committee on Scientific
  Principles for Education Research. Shavelson, R.
  J., and Towne, L., Editors. Center for Education.
  Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and
  Education. Washington, DC National Academy
  Press.

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• EVALUATING QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

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• Independent and Dependent Variables
• A variable item, characteristic, attribute,
  or factor that can be measured or observed
• Independent variable the things that the
  researcher isolates or tries to make independent
  of all other forces
• Dependent variable what happens as a result of
  the independent variable and is what is measured
• Confounding variables independent variables
  that are unknown or have not been controlled and
  which affect the dependent variables

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• Common Confounding Variables
• Drop out or experimental mortality subjects drop
  out while the experiment is in progress
• Concurrent events simultaneously occurring
  events outside the experiment affect the results
• Unequal samples groups are not similar in
  terms of size, demographics, ability, age, or
  other types of variables,
• Maturation results are not due to any treatment
  or independent variable but to maturation

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• Sampling or selection bias the types of
  subjects or participants included or excluded in
  a study affect the results
• Hawthorne Effect participants in a study behave
  differently because they know they are in a study
• Validity of the measure data collected do not
  determine what they are intended to measure

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• EVALUATING QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
• 1. Purposefulness. Purposefulness, questions, or
  area of study is clearly defined.
• 2. Assumptions and biases. Biases or assumptions
  are stated up front.
• 3. Rigor. A systematic plan is used to collect
  and analyze data.
• 4. Open-mindedness. The researcher dido not
  start with the answer.

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• 5. Completeness. All relevant aspects of the
  environment are described in a way that enables
  understanding.
• 6. Coherence. The description makes sense.
• 7. Persuasiveness. Sound logic is used to
  analyze and interpret data.
• 8. Consensus. It is set in a sound theoretical
  context.
• 9. Usefulness. The findings enable you to better
  understand and more accurately interpret similar
  people, places, events, or experiences.

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• DESCRIBING RESEARCH
• 1. Question or purpose of the study
• 2. Subjects or participants
• 3. Treatment, criteria, or conditions
• 4. Measures or instruments.
• 5. Results
• 6. Conclusions or findings
• 7. Limitations

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• ACTION RESEARCH PROPOSAL
• 1. Title or heading
• 2. Topics
• 3. Question/s
• 4. Annotated bibliography
• 5. Methodology