Basic Elements in Educational Research (Lecture 2)

Basic Elements in Educational Research

By KHO CHUNG WEI

Fill in the Blank

Which research approach should you use if the research problem requires you to...

- measure variables

- assess the impact of the variables on an outcome

- test theories or broad explanation

- apply results to a large number of people

Fill in the Blank

Which research approach should you use if the research problem requires you to...

- learn about the views of individuals

- assess a process over time

- generate theories based on participants' perspectives

- obtained detailed information about a few people or research sites

In this topic, you will:

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• ​Identify educational issues that are researchable

• Discuss the background of the study of your interest

• Write statement of the problem in the study of your interest

• Formuiate the research objectives, research questions, and research hypotheses for the study of your interest

• ​Determine the scope of the study

• ​State possible limitations of the study

• ​Discuss the significance of the study

• ​Define operational terms

Multiple Choice

Are purpose statement, research objectives, research questions and research hypotheses the same thing?

• Yes, they are one and the same.

• No, they are totally different from one another.

• No, but they are related to each other.

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The purpose statement

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= a statement that advances the overall direction or focus for the study​

​

Examples​

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between use of Internet communication between teachers and parents in a midwestern school district and student achievement on tests in high school social studies.

​

The purpose of this study is to explore parent stories regarding Internet communications with teachers about their students in one midwestern school district.​

Research questions

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= questions that narrow the purpose statement to specific questions that researchers seek to answer

• Quantitative: RQ relate to attributes or characteristics of individuals or organisations, i.e. variables

  ​Do parent-teacher Internet communications affect student performance in the classroom?

• Qualitative: ​RQ include the central concept being explored, i.e. central phenomenon

  What types of Internet experiences do parents have with teachers about the performance of the parents' children?​​

Multiple Choice

How many research questions do researchers typically state?

• One, so that they can focus on one specific thing.

• A few, so that they can fully explore a topic.

• As many as possible, so that they have more things to write about.

Hypotheses

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= statements in quantitative research in which the investigator makes a prediction or a conjecture about the outcome of a relationship among attributes or characteristics

• Not simply educated guess

• ​Based on results from past research and literature

​

Example

Students in high schools in the school district in which parents and teachers communicate through the Internet will have higher grades than students whose parents and teachers do not communicate through the Internet.​

Research objectives

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= statement of intent typically used in quantitative research that specifies goals that the investigator plans to achieve in a study

• Can be subdivided into major and minor objectives

• ​Frequently appear in survey and evaluation research

​Example

The objectives in this study are:

1. ​To describe the frequency of Internet communication between parents and teachers regarding the parents' children in high school social studies classes

2. To describe the types (or categories) of Internet communication between parents and teachers

3. To relate (a) frequency and (b) types of communication to student achievement in the class as measured by performance on tests

How to formulate PS, RQ & H in Quantitative Research

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STEP 1: Specify the variables

• variables = attributes ​stated in a specific applied way

• construct = ​attributes expressed in an abstract, general way

Multiple Choice

English Language Proficiency vs MUET Scores

Which one is a variable? Which is a construct?

• English Language proficiency is a variable. MUET scores is a construct.

• English Language proficiency is a construct. MUET scores is a variable.

• English Language proficiency and MUET scores are both constructs.

• English Language proficiency and MUET scores are both variables.

Types of variables

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​Dependent variable = variable that is presumed to be influenced by one or more independent variables

Types of variables

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Types of variables

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Multiple Choice

Which presumably occurs first?

• Dependent variable

• Independent variable

How to formulate PS, RQ & H in Quantitative Research

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STEP 2: Explain the probable relationship between the independent and dependent variables

• ​probable causation = attempt to establish a likely cause-and-effect relationship between variables (NOT TO PROVE)

• ​locate a theory in the literature

• examine the predicted relationship among the variables in the theory​

​Example​

​Smith's (2000) theory of gender achievement predicts that if achievement in math is gender related and girls are socialized to be better at math than boys, then girls will perform better in math than boys.

How to formulate PS in Quantitative Research

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Write PS in a single sentence.

1. ​Begin with key identifiers: The purpose of this study is to...

2. If involves theory-testing, state it here: ...test theory XYZ​ by...

3. ​Relate 2 or more variables

   OR Compare a variable composed of 2 or more groups in terms of DV

   OR ​Describe one variable

4. ​State IV before DV followed by Control/Mediating Variables (if used)

5. Identify the participants and research sites​

How to formulate RQ in Quantitative Research

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Pose a question

1. ​Begin with: How / What / Why

2. Specify the IV, DV, mediating or control variables

3. ​Use the words relate, compare, or describe to indicate the connection among the variables

4. Indicate the participants and research sites​

• Descriptive questions: How frequently do (participants) (variable) at (research site)?

• Relation​ship questions: How do (IV) relate to/influence (DV) for (participants) at (research site)?

• Comparison questions: ​How does G1 differ from G2 in terms of DV for (participants) at (research site)?

How to formulate H in Quantitative Research

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1. ​​State IV before DV followed by control variables (if used)

2. ​Explicitly state the groups

   OR Specify the relationship among the variables​

3. Make a prediction about ​changes in the groups / relationship

• ​Null hypothesis: Prediction that there is no relationship between IV and DV / no difference between groups in the general population

• Directional alternative hypothesis: ​Predicts the direction of a change, a difference, or a relationship for variables in the general population

• ​Non-directional alternative hypothesis: Predicts a difference / relationship but not the direction

• The hypotheses are tested using statistical procedures during data analysis.​​

How to formulate PS & RQ in Qualitative Research

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STEP 1: Identify the central phenomennon

• ​Central phenomenon = a concept or a process EXPLORED

• ​Focus on a SINGLE concept or process

​

How to formulate PS & RQ in Qualitative Research

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STEP 2: Expect that the PS and RQ may change during the research process

• ​Emerging process = the intent / purpose / RQ may change during the process of inquiry based on feedback / responses from the participants

​

How to formulate PS in Qualitative Research

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Write PS in a single sentence.

1. ​Begin with key identifiers: The purpose of this study is to...

2. Indicate the research design.

3. ​State the central phenomenon you plan to explore.

4. ​Use words that convey intent about exploration, e.g. explore, discover, understand, describe.

5. Mention participants and research site.

How to formulate RQ in Qualitative Research

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1. Ask only a few general questions.

2. Ask questions that use neutral exploratory language, e.g. generate, understand, discover, explore, describe

3. ​State the central phenomenon you plan to explore

4. ​Use words that convey intent about exploration, e.g. explore, discover, understand, describe

5. Write two types of qualitative RQ:

• Central question

• Subquestions​

Central question

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• ​the overarching question to be explored in a research study

• ​the most general question you can ask

• Strategies:​

1. ​Begin with how / what to suggest exploration (rather than why)

2. ​Specify the central phenomenon

3. ​Identify participants

4. Mention research site​

​What is (central phenomenon) for (participants) at (research site)?

Central question

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Subquestions

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• ​refine the central questions with more specificity to be addressed in the study

Task

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Read the 4 research articles under this topic. Compare and contrast the following information from each article whenever possible in the form of a table:

• variables

• central phenomenon

• purpose statement

• ​research questions

• hypotheses

• research objectives​

Then, determine if there are any problems with the PS, RQ, H, and RO.