use of educational research

Research MethodologyQualitative & Quantitative

By

Dr.Shazia Zamir

Contents

•USE OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH - Procedure of Educational Research- The Scientific Method

Research

• Research is a cyclical process of steps that typically begins with identifying a research problem. It then involves reviewing the literature, specifying a purpose for the study, collecting and analyzing data, and forming an interpretation of the information. This process ends in a report, distributed to audiences, that is evaluated and used in the educational community.(Cresswell, 2002)

Objectives Of Educational Research

Understanding: what? Prediction: of what? and Control: of what?

Activity on identification of problems in Education To write down the problem you would like to solve in your

respective area.

Procedure of Educational Research

Chapter One Step oneIdentify a problem or issue

One that needs to be resolved

Step twoHow? Specify the topic Justify why it needs to be studied Suggest the importance of this topic to a specific groupWhy Specify? Specifying limits broad topics makes them easier to research.Introduction also call the Statement of the Problem


• Chapter Two Literature Review, Defined Discovering summaries, books, journals, and indexed publications on a topic, selectively choosing which literature is relevant, and then writing a report that summarizes that literature.

Chapter ThreeSpecifying A Purpose• Key Chapter Introduces the entire study, signals the procedures to be

used (methodologies), and points to the results to be found. This chapter must be crafted carefully. Your explanation of how you are going to go about Collecting data so that others could replicate your study.

• Collecting Data identifying and selecting individuals for a study obtaining their permission to be studied and gathering information by administering instruments, through asking people questions or observing their behavior.


• Chapter FourAnalyzing and Interpreting the Data Analysis Means taking the data apart to see individual responses and putting it back together to summarize it. Presentation of findings, no explanation. Charts and Graphs Important to this chapter.

• Chapter Five Reporting and Evaluating Research Determining the audience and structuring the report in a format that is acceptable to this audience. Explains what this research means.


• The research problem• Formulation of research objectives• Research methodology• Data collection• Analysis and interpretation of data• Reporting the results

Scientific Method• Identification and definition of the problem: The researcher states

the identified problem in such a manner that it can b solved through experimentation or observation.

• Formulation of hypothesis: It allows to have an intelligent guess for the solution of the problem.

• Implication of hypothesis through deductive reasoning: Here, the researcher assumes the implications of suggested hypothesis, which may be true.

• Collection and analysis of evidence: The researcher tests the assumed implications of the hypothesis by collecting concerned evidence related to them through experimentation and observation.

• Verification of the hypothesis: Later on the researcher verifies whether the evidence support hypothesis. If it supports, the hypothesis is accepted, if it doesn‘t the hypothesis is not accepted and later on it is modified if it is necessary

Class Activity

Now select the area of your interest and do the following:

1. Write down a research topic/problem.

2. Write down the hypotheses.

Discussion

Activity

Choose a published journal article/thesis from library that relates to your area of research interest. Find the research problem, the literature review, the research questions, the data collection, the data analysis, and the interpretation of the study. Copy the article and label the six key components of the research process in the margins of the article.