Week 5 (Sept.26,06)

Frame & Refine Your Research Questions

Agenda for Today

Hot Topic Debate - Relate to our schools and teaching – (30)Process reading (30)

----------------- (10)Refine your research questions (30)Peer review – INTRO (20)About draft #1 (10)

Agenda I

Hot Topic Debate

Hot Topic Debate Is Full Inclusion of Disabled students

desirable?Discussion Leaders:

Jessica CarvelKatie DoughertyBrain Radcliffe

Megan Kappauf

Agenda II

Process Readings

Research Questions

Develop & Refine

What are characteristics of “good”

Research Questions (Process readings)

Characteristics of “good” research questions? Brainstorming

Researchable Why/Why not? Should philosophy be included in the high

school curriculum? What is the meaning of life?

Feasible? Is humanistically oriented classroom

effective?

Clear? How do teachers feel about special classes

for the educationally handicapped?

Defining terms

Significant – worth investigating? Weather getting the answers to a question

is worth the time and energy (and often money)

Three important questions to ask about the value/significance of the study 1 ? 2 ? 3 ?

Two weaknesses of student justification for a proposed study?

Ethical?

A Research Question: What’s Wrong? (5.2) Do LD/ADHD students engage in

meaningful discussions during literature circles?

How to fix this? What are the core principles of framing a

research question?

How to Refine the Research Question? Do LD/ADHD students engage in

meaningful discussions during literature circles?

Four core principles: Ask only real questions Avoid yes/no questions Eliminate jargon Avoid value-laden words or phrases

What happens when students identified with special needs engage in discussions during reading instruction?

Researchable?Feasible ClearSignificantEthical (later)… …

Question Refined

Characteristics of good research questions Researchable Feasible Clear Significant Ethical (later) … …

How about your own question? Researchable, feasible, clear, significant, ethical…?

10 Qualities of a good research purpose and/or research question

1. It is grounded in a theoretical framework.2. It is builds on, but also offers something

new to, previous research.3. It has the potential to suggest directions

for future research.4. It is a purpose or question that the

researcher is sincerely interested and/or invested in.

5. It addresses directly or indirectly some real problem in the world.

10 Qualities of a good research purpose and/or research question (cont.)

6. It takes ethical issues into consideration.7. It clearly states the variables or

constructs to be examined.8. It is not biased in terminology or position.9. It has multiple possible answers.10. It is simple, or at least manageable.

Agenda III

Frame and Refine Your Research Questions

Frame/Refine your research questions Group work

Frame your Research Question Form a group of 4/5 people Share with the group your observation

“what I’ve learned last week about teaching?”

Frame/refine your question and prepare for a 1-minute presentation/defense

1-minute presentation/defense What is your research question and sub-

questions? (Poster) Why do you think it is a good/not-so-good

research question?

You sincerely interested and/or invested in?Researchable?Feasible?Clear?Significant? Real world problemEthical?… …

Agenda IV

INTRODUCTION (Peer Review)

Steps of in doing a research study (review) Preparing a proposal describing the study

to be done and its significance (Course Project).

Collecting and analyzing data. Writing a report of the completed study.

3 major steps in doing a research study (Review)

Preparing a proposal describing the study to be done and its significance (EDU651)

Collecting and analyzing data (EDU652) Writing a report of the complete study

(EDU652)

Components of a Research Proposal Jigsaw

Action Research example #1 What is the structure of the research

report? Parts that make a whole

What is the background info-in what way does the author stated the problem?

What is the purpose of the study? What are the research question and sub-

questions?

Format of a Research Report/Proposal

Abstract

Introduction Problem Statement Purpose of the study Research questions Definition of terms

Review of the literature Methodology Results/Findings (Research Report) Significance of the study

(Text/body – 12-16 pages double spaced)

ReferencesBibliography

Appendices

Introduction Components (Draft #1) Problem Statement/Background

information Purpose of the study Research questions Definition of terms

An annotated bibliography of 8 entries

Pear Review

Q & A for Draft #1