Educational Research: Introduction to the Concept

ELT-713 Research Methods I

Dr. Hasan BEDİR

What Research Is Not Research isn’t information gathering:

Gathering information from resources such books or magazines isn’t research.

No contribution to new knowledge.

Research isn’t the transportation of facts: Merely transporting facts from one resource

to another doesn’t constitute research. No contribution to new knowledge although

this might make existing knowledge more accessible.

Research...

The systematic application of a family of methods employed to provide trustworthy information about problems

…an ongoing process based on many accumulated understandings and explanations that, when taken together lead to generalizations about problems and the development of theories

What Research Is Research is:

“…the systematic process of collecting and analyzing information (data) in order to increase our understanding of the phenomenon about which we are concerned or interested.”1

Research Characteristics1. Originates with a question or problem.2. Requires clear articulation of a goal.3. Follows a specific plan or procedure.4. Often divides main problem into

subproblems.5. Guided by specific problem, question, or

hypothesis.6. Accepts certain critical assumptions.7. Requires collection and interpretation of

data.8. Tests hypothesis or answers to the research

questions.9. Suggests further studies

Scientific and Disciplined Inquiry

Four general steps Identify a topic Collect data Analyze data Report the results and implications

Flexibility of these steps to incorporate a range of purposes and methods

Functions of Research

Basic research Conducted to develop, test, or refine

theory Examples related to learning theory

Piaget Constructivism Mastery learning Gardner’s multiple intelligences

The basic steps of research...

Scientific and disciplined inquiry is an orderly process, involving:

description and execution of procedures to collection information (“method”)

objective data analysis statement of findings (“results”)

recognition and identification of a topic to be studied (“problem”)

Sources of Research Problems Observation. Literature reviews. Professional conferences. Experts.

Stating the Research Problem Once you’ve identified a research

problem: State that problem clearly and completely. Determine the feasibility of the research.

Identify subproblems: Completely researchable units. Small in number. Add up to the total problem. Must be clearly tied to the interpretation of

the data.

Purpose statement

Purpose statement: Describes the intent of the study, the

objectives, and the major idea of a study. This idea builds on a need (the problem) and is refined into specific questions, the research questions.

The purpose statement Could for example look like this:

The purpose of this ____ (fill in: strategy of inquiry, such as ethnography, case study or other) study is (or will be) to _____ (understand?

describe? develop? discover?) the ________ (central

phenomenon being studied) for _____ (the participants,

such as the individual, groups, organization) at _____ (research site). At this stage in the research, the _____ (central phenomenon to be

studied) will be generally defined as ____ (provide a general definition).

Types of research...

Basic……the process of collecting and

analyzing information to develop or enhance a theory

Applied……conducted for the purpose of applying

or testing theory and evaluating its usefulness for solving problems

Evaluation……concerned with making decisions about

the quality, effectiveness, or value of programs, products, or practices

The research continuum…

pure research

evaluation research

BASIC APPLIED

theory development

current problems

why it works what works

produces concepts provides data

laboratory field

Research methods...

Quantitative……collects and analyzes numerical data

obtained from formal instruments

Qualitative……collects and analyzes nonnumeric

data over an extended period of time to situate meaning within a particular perspective or context

Quantitative methods...

descriptive research (“survey research”) correlational research

causal-comparative research (“ex post facto research”)

experimental research

descriptive research (“survey research”)…collects data in order to answer

questions about the current status of the subject or topic of study

…uses formal instruments to study preferences, attitudes, practices, concerns, or interests of a sample

correlational research…determines whether and to what

degree a relationship exists between two or more variables

…the presence of a correlation does not indicate a cause-effect relationship primarily due to multiple confounding factors

causal-comparative research (“ex post facto research”) …at least two different groups are

compared on a dependent variable or measure of performance (called the “effect”) because the independent variable (called the “cause”) has already occurred or cannot be manipulated

Variable...

…a concept (e.g., intelligence, height, aptitude) that can assume any one of a range of values

Research variables...

Independent……an activity or characteristic

believed to make a difference with respect to some behavior

…(syn.) experimental variable, cause, treatment

Dependent……the change or difference occurring a

a result of the independent variable…(syn.) criterion variable, effect,

outcome, posttest

experimental research…the researcher selects participants

and divides them into two or more groups having similar characteristics and, then, applies the treatment(s) to the groups and measures the effects upon the groups

Quantitative method decision tree…

Is there a cause-effect relationship?

Is the independent variable manipulated?

Is there a relationship or prediction being made?

Experimental Causal-Comparative

Correlational Descriptive

YES

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

data sources……primary

…secondary

…tertiary

Research Design: Proposal The proposal shall tell the reader:

What kind of knowledge do you seek? Which strategies will you employ?

Content: Introduction including:

Description of domain/problem area Review of key literature (relevant findings in this area) Purpose of the study (purpose statement) Research questions

Research design and research methods: What will you do? What kind of data? How? Where (which setting)? When/how long?

As far as possible: How will you work with (analyse) the data? (analytic concepts, core theories you will use)

Are you aware of any ethical considerations and practicalities you need to think through?

High-Quality Research(1 of 2)

Good research requires: The scope and limitations of the work to be

clearly defined. The process to be clearly explained so that

it can be reproduced and verified by other researchers.

A thoroughly planned design that is as objective as possible.

High-Quality Research(2 of 2)

Good research requires: Highly ethical standards be applied. All limitations be documented. Data be adequately analyzed and

explained. All findings be presented unambiguously

and all conclusions be justified by sufficient evidence.

Guidelines on the presentation of your thesis

In your thesis you will be asked to follow a fairly fixed format: please look upon it as a form of support rather than a limitation.

Title page

Give your thesis a brief, clear, and informative title.

For layout, follow the University's requirements.

Abstract This is a brief, at-a -glance summary of your

thesis. It should contain 10 to 12 sentences, or

approximately 200 words and should state clearly what the thesis is about, summarizing your main points, providing the reader with a brief review of the research study, including any conclusions you may have drawn.

The abstract page should follow the title page and be your page number two. It should be in block form, in other words, do not indent paragraph

Table of Contents This page functions as an index as well

as an introduction for the reader, so it should be clear, correct and consistent.

One way of achieving this is by progressively indenting the titles of the sections (1, 1.1, 1.1.1 etc ).

Page numbering ends with the final section of the main body of your text; so the bibliography and appendices are not paginated

Introduction This section will introduce the topic, will

outline the structure of the thesis and will also be used to give any essential background information.

One of the aims of the introduction is to capture the interest of the reader.

A good way of achieving this is to describe how you became interested in the topic.

Review of the Literature This is where most of the sources are cited and

where you review previous research studies that have contributed to the field.

You must demonstrate your familiarity with the most important literature in the field, using at least 15 serious sources.

Avoid uncritical reviews where you simply give a list of your readings.

Only books and articles which relate directly to the topic should be selected.

Everything you refer to must be relevant to your research, arranged in a logical order, going from general to specific, making links and adding your own thoughts on the subject.

Research Design and Method

This section describes how the problem was investigated and why particular methods and techniques were employed.

It includes a detailed explanation of the data collection procedures, research tools and subject population used.

Analysis An analysis is essential for a successful thesis. This section is also referred to as the 'results'

or the 'discussion' section, where you revisit the research question(s), perform a critical analysis of your study's results and discuss the outcomes.

You may wish to go back and reference the literary review, demonstrating how your own study built upon the foundations outlined there.

Even if you cannot provide solutions to the problem, you are expected to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the issue.

Conclusion Many consider this final chapter of the thesis

to be its most important section. In the conclusion, the author summarizes the main findings of the analysis and states plainly whether or not their hypothesis was correct.

This section should not be a repetition of what you have already said.

Instead, it should highlight your main conclusions and show how the results are of direct relevance to you in your further development as a teacher

Implications and Suggestions

Any deficiencies in the research design must be mentioned here and suggestions about more suitable approaches should be given.

Recommendations can also be made for future research in the field

Bibliography This is a list of the books and articles which

have been cited or referred to. It should be complete, consistent, clear and correct.

The bibliography for a thesis has three main functions:

it indicates the extent of your background reading

it allows you to acknowledge your sources

it demonstrates your familiarity with academic norms.

Appendices

Copies of any research instruments (questionnaires, handouts,tests etc.) that have been used should be included here.

Useful Websites

http://computer.org http://www.acm.org http://www.niaid.nih.gov/ncn/grants/writ

e/index.htm http://fdncenter.org/learn/shortcourse/pr

op1.html http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1998/nsf9891/n

sf9891.htm

Useful Websites http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/~jw/thesis.html http://www.sce.carleton.ca/faculty/chinneck/thesis.html http://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/dec/essay.dissertation.

html http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/anth595/thesis.htmlhttp://lorien.ncl.ac.uk/ming/Dept/Tips/writing/writeindex.htm

Questions?

Thank You!