educational research presentation

8/17/2019 Educational Research Presentation

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Basics of Educational Research

Dr. Muhammad Najam ul Kashif

Department of Education

NCBA&E(Multan Campus)


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Dr Muhammad Najam ul Kashif 2

Session One Objectives

• Why Conduct Research?

• Thesis, a Presentation of Research Findings

• Problems with modern research

– How research was and is conducted

• Research Cycle

• Examining the Steps of the Research Cycle

• Categories of Research

• Quantitative Methods

• When Should I Use a Quantitative Method?

• A Quantitative Research Plan


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Why Conduct Research?

1. Fills in blanks in our knowledge2. Expands our own understanding of issues

3. Reproduce knowledge, to validate other’s work

4. Add other perspectives to the knowledge base

5. Improves Practice

• Learn about new practices

(new ways of doing)

• Evaluate existing practices

(why are we doing this?)

6. Informs about important policy issues


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Presentation of Findings

• A thesis is a formal method of sharingthe results of research.

• It is common requirement in highereducation for those completing post-

masters degrees.• A thesis should Not be confused

with a dissertation.

• Three important differences:

a) Lengthb) Rigor

c) Uniqueness of the research


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Problems With Modern Research

• Conflicting results

• Vague findings

• Questionable data• Inaccurate• Small sample size

• Poorly constructed surveys

Key: Just because it’s publisheddoesn’t make it

“good research.”


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How Research Was Conducted

“Scientific Method”

4 Steps of Inquiry

1. Observation

• Defines goal of research2. Make a prediction

• If confirmed, resolves problem

3. Gather Data

• Relevant to prediction4. Analyze & Interpret Data

• Determine if it supports prediction

S e q u e n

t i

a l


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What Is Research Today?

“Research is a cyclical process ofsteps that typically begins withidentifying a research problem or issueof study. It then involves reviewing the

literature, specifying a purpose for thestudy, collecting and analyzing data,and forming an interpretation of theinformation. This process culminates in

a report, disseminated to audiences,that is evaluated and used in theeducational community.”

(Cresswell, 2002)


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Identifying A ResearchProblem Specifying a problemJustifying itWhy do we need to study it?

Reviewing theLiterature

Locating ResourcesSelecting

Summarizing

Purpose andMethodologyPurpose StatementsFunneling/Narrowingto research questions

or hypothesis

Collecting Data Study Groups/Control &TreatmentPermissionGathering Information

Analysis/InterpretationBreaking down dataDepicting DataExplaining Data

Reporting & EvaluatingWhat does this mean?Which audienceStructuring report

Research Process Cycle


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Research Cycle & Thesis ChaptersIdentifying A Research

Problem Specifying a problemJustifying itWhy do we need to study it?

Reviewing theLiterature

Locating ResourcesSelecting

Summarizing

Purpose andMethodologyPurpose StatementsFunneling/Narrowing toresearch questions or

hypothesis

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Collecting Data Study Groups/Control &TreatmentPermissionGathering Information

Analysis/InterpretationBreaking down dataDepicting DataExplaining Data

Reporting & EvaluatingWhat does this mean?Which audienceStructuring report

Chapter Four

Chapter Five


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Let’s Look at the Steps Individually

•Identify a problem or issue

•One that needs to be resolved

How?

•Specify the topic Justify why it needs tobe studied

•Suggest the importance of this topic to aspecific group

Why Specify?•Specifying limits broad topics makes themeasier to research.

Introduction also called the Statement of theProblem

Chapter One


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Literature Review Defined:Locating summaries, books, journals, andindexed publications on a topic, selectivelychoosing which literature is relevant, andthen writing a report that summarizes thatliterature.

Both Faculty and Students have fears aboutresearch

Faculty: the research won’t build on

existing knowledge.

Student: after planning and conductingresearch that it will merely replicate priorresearch.

Chapter Two


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Defining the MethodologyKey Chapter: Introduces the entire study,signals the procedures to be used(research methodologies, e.g.Ethnographic), and points to the resultsto be found.

This chapter must be crafted carefully.

Your explanation of how you are going to goabout collecting data so that others couldreplicate your study.

Collecting Data: identifying and selectingindividuals for a study; obtaining theirpermission to be studied; and gatheringinformation by administering instruments,through asking people questions orobserving their behavior.

Chapter Three


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Analyzing and Interpreting the Data

Analysis Means: taking the data apart to see individualresponses and putting it back together to summarize it.

Presentation of findings, no explanation.

Charts and Graphs Important to this chapter.

Reporting and Evaluating Research

Determining the audience and structuring

the report in a format that is acceptable tothis audience.

Explains what this research means

Chapter Four

Chapter Five


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Classification of Research

by

Purpose• Basic Research: Develop or Refine a Theory

• Applied Research: Applying or Testing aTheory to see if useful in solving a problem

• Evaluation Research: Collecting &Analyzing data about the quality, effectivenessof programs, products, or practices

• Research & Development: Researchingneeds and Developing products to meet the

needs.

• Action Research: Systematic approach ofinquiry within a particular school for the purposeof solving localized problems not contributing toscience.


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Classifying Researchby

Research Method

• Quantitative Research: Collection of

numerical data for the purpose of – Explaining

– Predicting and/or – Controlling a phenomenon of interest

• Qualitative Research: Collection,

analysis of non-numerical data for thepurpose of gaining insights into aparticular phenomenon of interest


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There are many methods of

conducting research

Experimental

Correlational

Narrative

Ethnographic

Case Study

DescriptiveSurvey

Grounded Theory

Mixed Causal-Comparative

Single Subject

Qualitative Quantitative


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When Should I Use A

Quantitative Research Method?• When the research problem is a

description of trends or anexplanation of the relationship among

variables.


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Quantitative Methods• Correlational: Collection of data to determine, if and to what

extent a relationship exists between to or more quantitative variables

– Ex. To what degree does parental involvement in school relate to

increased student achievement.

• Descriptive: Determines and reports on the way things are.Collects data to test hypotheses or answer questions about the

current status of the subject study. – Ex. Pre-election political poll or survey about public perceptions of their

schools

• Causal/Comparative: Attempt to determine the cause orreason for existing differences in the behavior or status of groups of

individuals. – Ex. The effect of preschool attendance on social maturity at the end of

first grade.

• Independent variable (cause) students attending preschool and not attending

• Dependent variable (effect) difference in social maturity between the groups


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Quantitative Methods, cont.• Experimental: At least one independent variable is

manipulated, other relevant variables are controlled (impactreduced) and the effect on one or more dependent variablesis observed.

– Ex. The effect of positive reinforcement on attitude towards

school.• Independent variable: type of reinforcement

(positive, negative, no reinforcement)

• Dependent variable: attitude towards school

• Single-Subject: A design used to study the

behavior change that an individual or groupexperiences as a result of an intervention.

– Ex. The effects of weekly teacher and parentcommunication on the completion of homeworkof eighth-grade at-risk students.


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A Quantitative Research Plan• Introduction:

– Statement of the Topic

• Describes the variables of interest, the specific relationshipbetween those variables, and ideally the importantcharacteristics of the participants (gifted students, 4th graders

with learning disabilities)• Ex. “The topic to be investigated in the study is the effect of

positive reinforcement on the quality of 10th graders’ English compositions.”

– Variables: positive reinforcement and quality of

English compositions.

– Participants: 10th graders

– Background of the Topic

• Give the context:.

– Rationale for its Significance

• Why is this a problem


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A Quantitative Research Plan• Review of Related Literature

– Provides an Overview of the topic

• Gives the big picture

– Informs the reader with References to What is Know aboutthe Topic

– Should Logically Result in a Testable Conclusion orHypothesis

• Ex. “Because of what we know about X,it is predicted that Y will occur.”

– Conclude with a Summary of the Literature and arestatement of the Implications for its Significance.

– Hypothesis is rooted in the literature

• There must be a logical reason for yourprediction and the Literature Review is the basis for it.


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A Quantitative Research Plan• Methods Section: Road map of your study

– Research Participants: description of the participants,demographic data, number, source,

• Should define the population from which the participants weredrawn

• Ex. “Participants will be selected from a population of 157 studentsenrolled in a Algebra I course at a large urban high school inMiami, Florida. The population is tri-cultural, being composed ofprimarily Caucasian non-Hispanic students, African-Americanstudents and Hispanic students from a variety of Latin Americanbackgrounds.”

– Research Instruments: description of the particular instrumentsto be used and how they will measure the variables.

• Instrument is a test or tool used for data collection.


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A Quantitative Research Plan

• Materials/Apparatus – If special materials (booklets, training manuals) are to bedeveloped for use in the study they should be described in theResearch Plan

• Design:

– General Plan for conducting the research study. – Indicates the basic structure of the study and the goals to be

achieved.

• Procedure:

– Detailed explanation of the steps that will be followed.

– This will allow others to replicate your study and get the same orsimilar results.

– Includes Assumptions (important fact presumed to be true but notverified) and Limitations (some aspect that may negatively effectthe study and over which the researcher has no control) Samplesize & Length of Study


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A Quantitative Research Plan• Data Analysis:

– Description of the technique or techniques that will beused to analyze the study data.

– For some descriptive studies this may be nothing more thantabulating the responses.

– For most, it will usually involve one or more statistical tests.

– It is vital to provide a detailed description of your researchplan.

• Nothing more frustrating than to collect data and learn

– There is no appropriate analysis method available

– The analysis required is beyond the capability of the researcher

– The data collected cannot provide an answer for the hypothesis

presented


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A Quantitative Research Plan• Time Schedule:

– Important to have a realistic schedule in which tocomplete the research

– All too often, researchers do not have unlimited time tocomplete the study.

– Researchers tend to underestimate the time required tocomplete the study.

– Time schedule

• A listing of the major activities to be completed during theresearch study and an expected completion date.

• Ex.

– Surveys will be mailed to participants by June 30

– Surveys are to be returned by July 15


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Let’s Review

• We conduct research to increase our knowledge orunderstanding and to improve our practice.

• Typically research is presented in a thesis format in highereducation but it can appear in journals as well.

• One of the major reasons why educators are concerned

about research is the conflicting results.• Modern research follows a cyclical process rather than the

sequential format of the Scientific Method.

• Research can be classified by purpose or method

– Purpose: Basic, Applied, Evaluation, R& D, Action

– Method: Quantitative or Qualitative

• Quantitative Research: A collection of data for the purpose ofexplaining, predicting, or controlling a phenomenon ofinterest.


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When Should I Use A

Qualitative research Method?• When the research problem is

an exploration and

understanding of a centralphenomenon.


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Qualitative Methods• Grounded Theory: systematic, qualitative procedure used

to generate a theory that explains, at a broad conceptuallevel, a process, an action, or interaction about a substantivetopic.

• Ethnographic: for describing, analyzing, and interpreting aculture.

– Culture: group’s shared patterns of behavior, beliefs,and language that develop over time.

– Example: Case Study

• Narrative: inquirers describe the lives of individuals, collectand tell stories about people’s lives and write narratives aboutindividuals experiences. This would include the documentationof events.


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Qualitative Ingredients

• Identifying the Topic: topic of interest.

• Reviewing the Literature: examines literature for usefulinformation and strategies for carrying out the study.

• Selecting Participants: selected to provide datacollection, purposely collected, not randomly selected, fewerin number than quantitative studies.

• Collecting the Data: collected from participants,interviews, observations and artifacts.

• Analyzing and Interpreting the Data: analyzes thethemes and results of collected data and providesinterpretations.

• Reporting and Evaluating the Research: summarizesand integrates the data into a narrative and visual form.


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Research Ethics

• RespectingParticipantRightsParticipant Bill of Rights

Right to be briefed about study

Know the purpose of the study andany social consequences

Right to refuse or withdraw from

study at any time

Right to anonymity

Right to gain something from the

study


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Research Ethics• Honoring Research Sites

– Get permission first

– Don’t overly disturb operation

– Remember you may be a guest

• Reporting Research Fully & Honestly – Make sure your reporting is accurate.

– Report what you find even if it does not

support your hypothesis.


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But, I’ve Never Done This Before!


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Necessary Skills• Problem Solving-Working Puzzles

– Research steps are like puzzle pieces. Your job is to putthem together.

– Critical Analysis

• Lengthened Attention Span – You are going to need to focus on materials for longer

periods of time.

– Your reading is for a different purpose so you will not beable to skim through articles.

• Using Libraries, Electronic and Brick Varieties – This process is going to require that you spend time in the

library.

• Writing, Editing, and More Writing!

• Reflection


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Quantitative vs. Qualitative

Methods

• Description & explanationoriented

• Literature Review plays amajor role

• Purpose specific, andmeasurable

• Data CollectionPredetermined

instruments, numeric data• Statistical analysis

• Reporting, standard andfixed

• Exploratory &understanding oriented

• Literature review plays aminor role

• Purpose is general andbroad,

• Data Collection Emergingprotocols, text or image

data• Text analysis

• Reporting, flexible andemerging.


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Important Definitions

• Research Problem: an educational issue orproblem in a study.

• Research Topic: broad subject matter

being addressed in a study.

• Purpose: major intent or objective of thestudy.

• Research questions: questions theresearcher would like answered oraddressed in the study.


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Should I Study this Topic?

• Contribute to Knowledge &Practice?

• Access to the people & sitesnecessary to the study?

• Time, resources, skills to study thetopic?


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Flow of Ideas in a Statement of theProblem

TopicResearchProblem

Justification DeficienciesRelating toAudience

SubjectArea

• A concernor issue

• A problem

• Somethingthat needs asolution

• Evidence from theliterature

• Evidence frompractical experience

• What’s missing? • What do we needto know moreabout?

• How will addressingthis topic help others?


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D M h d N j l K hif 38

Examples, please…

Topic

ResearchProblem

PurposeStatement

ResearchQuestions

Distance learning

Lack of students indistance ed. Classes

To study whystudents do notattend distance ed.classes at acommunity college

Does the use of Website technology in the

classroom deterstudents fromenrolling in a distanceed. class?

General

Specific

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