Framing research, elements of a research proposal, and the introduction section

1. Framing research, elements of a research proposal, and the introduction section Research Process and Design Spring 2006 Class #2

2. Today’s agenda • Introduction to educational research • Elements of a research proposal • Writing the introduction • Create groups Research Process and Design (Umbach)

3. Why do we do educational research? • Helps educators understand educational processes; make professional decisions • Provides information to policy groups to assist them with mandated changes in education • Serves the information needs of concerned public, professional, and private organizations • Reviews and interprets accumulated empirical evidence • Is readily available • Includes educators in the field in research projects Research Process and Design (Umbach)

4. Perhaps more important, why is it important for you to learn how to read, evaluate, and design research? Research Process and Design (Umbach)

5. Principles of Scientific Evidence-Based Inquiry (Table 1.1, M & S) • Adapted from National Research Council • Definition—evidenced-based inquiry is the search for knowledge using systematically gathered empirical data • Principle 1: pose significant questions that can be investigated empirically Research Process and Design (Umbach)

6. Principles of Scientific Evidence-Based Inquiry • Principle 2: link research to relevant theory or conceptual framework • Principle 3: use methods that allow direct investigation of the research question • Principle 4: provide a coherent and explicit chain of reasoning Research Process and Design (Umbach)

7. Principles of Scientific Evidence-Based Inquiry • Principle 5: replicate/generalize or extend across studies • Principle 6: disclose research to encourage professional scrutiny and critique Research Process and Design (Umbach)

8. The Research Process—Seven Phases • Select a general problem • Review the literature on the problem • Decide the specific research problem, question, or hypothesis • Determine the design and methodology • Collect data • Analyze data and present the results • Interpret the findings and state conclusions or summary regarding the problem Research Process and Design (Umbach)

9. Collect data Analyze and present data Interpret findings Research Process (M & S, p. 11) Select a general problem Conduct literature review State conclusion/ generalization about problem Preliminary search, later expanded Exhaustive review Select specific problem, research question, or hypothesis Statistical tables Integrative diagrams Decide design and methodology Research Process and Design (Umbach)

10. Research Design • Research design describes how the study was conducted • What is general plan • How research is set up • What happens to the subjects • What were methods of data collection Research Process and Design (Umbach)

11. Research Design • Match the design to the question(s) being asked so as to best answer the question(s) • Consider limitations and cautions in interpreting results from each design • Analyze data in keeping with research design • Provide the most valid, accurate answers to research questions • Congruency between the research question and the research design selected to answer that question • Implications related to the type of data analysis with specific research designs Research Process and Design (Umbach)

12. Three Major Categories of Research Design • Quantitative • Experimental (true, quasi, single-subject) • Nonexperimental (descriptive, comparative, correlational, ex post facto) • Qualitative • Mixed Methods Research Process and Design (Umbach)

13. Quantitative and Qualitative Research Approaches • Assumptions about the world • Quantitative—single reality (i.e., cause and effect, reduce to specific variables, test of theories) • Qualitative—multiple reality (i.e., multiple meanings of individual experiences, meanings are socially constructed) • Research purpose • Quantitative—establish relationships or explain causes of change • Qualitative—understand social phenomenon, explore a process, describe experiences, report stories Research Process and Design (Umbach)

14. Quantitative and Qualitative Research Approaches • Research methods and process • Quantitative—established set of procedures and steps • Qualitative—flexible design, emergent design • Prototypical studies • Quantitative—experimental or correlational designs, designed to reduce bias, error, and extraneous variables • Qualitative—takes into account bias and subjectivity Research Process and Design (Umbach)

15. Quantitative and Qualitative Research Approaches • Researcher role • Quantitative—detached from study to avoid bias • Qualitative—immersed in phenomenon being studied; participant observation • Importance of the context in the study • Quantitative—aims to establish universal context-free generalizations • Qualitative—develops context-bound summaries Research Process and Design (Umbach)

16. Elements of a research proposal (see handout for details) • Introduction • Should capture the reader’s interest and sell them on the idea that the study is worth doing • Can serve as a standalone document that describes your study • Review of the literature • Summarizes and analyzes previous research • Shows relationship of current study to what has been done • Method • Clearly describes how you plan to take answer your research questions or test your hypotheses Research Process and Design (Umbach)

17. Introduction should answer the following: • What do you plan to study? • Why is it important to study it? • How do you plan to study it? • Who do you plan to study? Research Process and Design (Umbach)

18. The introduction is likely to include: • The research problem • Studies that have addressed the problem • Deficiencies in the studies • Importance of the proposed research • Brief introduction to theoretical framework • Purpose statement • Research questions and/or hypotheses (sometimes included in the literature review section) • Brief description of method (who? and how?) • Limitations and delimitations Research Process and Design (Umbach)

19. One model for introduction (suggested by Creswell) Research problem Review of studies addressing problem Deficiencies of previous work Importance of study Purpose of study, research questions, and/or hypotheses Brief statement of method Research Process and Design (Umbach)

20. What research problem would you like to address in your proposal? Research Process and Design (Umbach)

21. For next week… • Introduction to quantitative research design - internal and external validity • Critiquing research articles (using antonio, et al. as an example) • Narrowing your research topic Research Process and Design (Umbach)