How to Design and Evaluate Research in Education
How to Design and Evaluate Research in Education
By
Jack R. Fraenkel and Norman E. Wallen
Chapter 1
The Nature of Research
Ways of knowing
Sensory experience (incomplete/undependable)
Agreement with others (common knowledge wrong)
Experts’ opinion (they can be mistaken)
Logic/reasoning things out (can be based on false premises)
Why research is of value
Scientific research (using scientific method) is more trustworthy than expert/colleague opinion, intuition, etc.
Chapter 1 - continued
The Nature of Research
Scientific Method (testing ideas in the public arena)
Put guesses (hypotheses) to tests and see how they hold up
All aspects of investigations are public and described in detail so anyone who questions results can repeat study for themselves
Replication is a key component of scientific method
Chapter 1 - continued
The Nature of Research
Scientific Method (requires freedom of thought and public procedures that can be replicated)
Identify the problem or question
Clarify the problem
Determine information needed and how to obtain it
Organize the information obtained
Interpret the results
All conclusions are tentative and subject to change as new evidence is uncovered (don’t PROVE things)
Chapter 1 - continued
The Nature of Research
Types of Research
Experimental (most conclusive of methods)
Researcher tries different treatments (independent variable) to see their effects (dependent variable)
In simple experiments compare 2 methods and try to control all extraneous variables that might affect outcome
Need control over assignment to treatment and control groups (to make sure they are equivalent)
Sometimes use single subject research (intensive study of single individual or group over time)
Chapter 1 - continued
The Nature of Research
(Types of Research continued)
Correlational Research
Looks at existing relationships between 2 or more variables to make better predictions
Causal Comparative Research
Intended to establish cause and effect but cannot assign subjects to trtmt/control
Limited interpretations (could be common cause for both cause and effect…stress causes smoking and cancer)
Used for identifying possible causes; similar to correlation
Chapter 1 - continued
The Nature of Research
(Types of Research continued)
Survey Research
Determine/describe characteristics of a group
Descriptive survey in writing or by interview
Provides lots of information from large samples
Three main problems: clarity of questions, honesty of respondents, return rates
Ethnographic research (qualitative)
In depth research to answer WHY questions
Some is historical (biography, phenomenology, case study, grounded theory)
Chapter 1 - continued
The Nature of Research
(Types of Research continued)
Historical Research
Study past, often using existing documents, to reconstruct what happened
Establishing truth of documents is essential
Action Research (differs from above types)
Not concerned with generalizations to other settings
Focus on information to change conditions in a particular situation (may use all the above methods)
Each of these methods is valuable for a different purpose
Chapter 1 - continued
The Nature of Research
General Research Types
Descriptive (describe state of affairs using surveys, ethnography, etc.)
Associational (goes beyond description to see how things are related so can better understand phenomena using correl/causal-comparative
Intervention (try intervening to see effects using experiments)
Chapter 1 - continued
The Nature of Research
Quantitative v. Qualitative
Quantitative (numbers)
Facts/feelings separate
World is single reality
Researcher removed
Established research design
Experiment prototype
Generalization emphasized
Chapter 1 - continued
The Nature of Research
Meta-Analysis
Locate all the studies on a topic and synthesize results using statistical techniques (average the results)
Critical Analysis of Research (some say all research is flawed)
Question of reality (are only individual perceptions of it)
Question of communication (words are subjective)
Question of values (no objectivity only social constructs)
Question of unstated assumptions (researchers don’t clarify assumptions that guide them)
Question of societal consequences (research serves political purposes that are conservative or oppressive; preserve status quo)
Chapter 1 - continued
The Nature of Research
Overview of the Research Process (Fig. 1.4)
Introduction chapter
Problem statement that includes some background info and justification for study
Exploratory question or hypothesis (relationship among variables clearly defined); goes last in Ch.
Definitions (in operational terms)
Review of related literature (other studies of the topic read and summarized to shed light on what is already known)
Chapter 1 - continued
The Nature of Research
Overview of the Research Process (Fig. 1.4)
Methods chapter
Subjects (sample, population, method to select sample)
Instruments (tests/measures described in detail and with rationale for their use)
Procedures (what, when, where, how, and with whom);
Give schedule/dates, describe materials used, design of study, and possible biases/threats to validity
4. Data analysis (how data will be analyzed to answer research questions or test hypothesis)
Chapter 2
The Research Problem
Statement of the Problem (identify a problem/area of concern to investigate)
Must be feasible, clear, significant, ethical
Research Questions (serve as focus of investigation, see p. 28 list)
Some info must be collected that answers them (must be researchable)
Cannot research “should” questions
See diagram, p. 29
Chapter 2 - Continued
The Research Problem
RQ should be feasible (can be investigated with available resources)
RQ should be clear (specifically define terms used…operational needed, but give both)
Constitutive definitions (dictionary meaning)
Operational definitions (specific actions/steps to measure term; IQ=time to solve puzzle, where ................
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