Educational Research:

Introduction to the Concept

EDU 8603
Educational Research
Richard M. Jacobs, OSA, Ph.D.

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

The basic steps of research...

Scientific and disciplined inquiry is an
orderly process, involving:
recognition and identification of a
topic to be studied (problem)
problem
description and execution of
procedures to collection information
(method)
method
objective data analysis
statement of findings ( results)
results

Types of research...
Basic
Basic
the process of collecting and
analyzing information to develop
or enhance a theory

Applied
Applied
conducted for the purpose of applying
or testing theory and evaluating its
usefulness for solving problems

Evaluation
Evaluation
concerned with making decisions about
the quality, effectiveness, or value of
programs, products, or practices

The research continuum

laboratory

field

BASIC

APPLIED

theory
development

current
problems

why it works

what works

produces concepts

provides data

pure
research

evaluation
research

Approaches to reasoning...
Inductive
Inductive
developing generalizations from
a limited number of specific
observations or experiences
highly dependent on the number
and representativeness of the
specific observations used to
make the generalization

Deductive
Deductive
developing specific predictions from
general principles, observations, or
experiences
dependent on the truth of the
generalizations used as a basis for its
logic

Relating reasoning with research

methods
pure
research

laboratory work

field work

QUANTITATIVE

QUALITATIVE

researcher
objectivity

researcher
intersubjectivity

logical positivism:
factual

post-structuralism:
depth

snapshot

portrait

evaluation
research

Research methods...
Quantitative
Quantitative
collects and analyzes numerical data
obtained from formal instruments

Qualitative
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

Correlation coefficient ()
-1.00
strong negative

0.00

+1.00

strong positive
no
relationship

A positive correlationship
y

A negative correlationship
y

No correlationship
y

No correlationship
y

 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
Independent
an activity or characteristic
believed to make a difference
with respect to some behavior
(syn.) experimental variable,
cause, treatment

Dependent
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?
S
NO
E
Y

CausalComparative

YE
S

Is there a relationship or
prediction being made?

Correlational

NO

Experimental

NO

YE
S

Is the independent
variable manipulated?

Descriptive

Qualitative methods...
historical

research

ethnography
ethology
ethnomethodology
symbolic

interaction

grounded

theory
phenomenology
case study
action research

 historical research

studies available data to study,

understand, and interpret past events

 ethnography

studies cultural patterns and perspectives

of participants in their natural settings

 ethology

compares the origins, characteristics,

and culture of different societies

 ethnomethodology
studies how people make sense of their everyday
activities in order to behave in socially accepted ways

 symbolic interaction

investigates how people construct meaning and

shared perspectives by interacting with others

 grounded theory
investigates how inductively-derived theory about
phenomenon is grounded in the data of a particular setting

 phenomenology

considers how the experience of particular

participants exhibits a unique perspective

 case study

examines the characteristics of a

particular entity, phenomenon, or person

 action research
practitioner-based systematic reflection upon
practice aimed at improving professional practice

Generally speaking, qualitative

researchers.
spend a great deal of time in the
settings being studied (fieldwork)
fieldwork
rely on themselves as the main
instrument of data collection
(subjectivity;
subjectivity intersubjectivity)
intersubjectivity
analyze data using interpretative lenses

employ expressive language and voice

in descriptions and explanations
seek depth of perspective (i.e., waves
of data requiring ongoing
interpretation)
judged in terms of believability,
trustworthiness, coherence, and logic
of interpretations

Types of criticism...
Internal
Internal
evaluates the worth or
trustworthiness of the content
of the data
External
External
assesses the authenticity of the
data source

 data

sources
primary
secondary
tertiary

Limitations of the scientific and

disciplined inquiry approach
not

able to investigate philosophical

and/or moral/ethical problems (shoulds
and oughts) only factual matters
the presence of intervening and
confounding variables make assertions
probable rather than proven
imperfections in sampling, instruments,
procedures

Mini-Quiz
Identify

the research methodology

a study of the research on the effect

of anxiety on achievement from 1900
to 1990
historical

a study of the effect of socioeconomic

status on self-concept
causal-comparative

a study to compare the achievement of two

groups: one group taught in an anxietyproducing environment and one group taught
in an anxiety reducing environment

experimental

a study of the personal and educational

interactions in a group of teachers developing
social studies standards for a high school
curriculum

qualitative

a study to compare the achievement of a

group of students classified as high-anxious
and a group classified as low-anxious

causal-comparative

a study of teachers attitudes toward

unions
historical

a study of the effect of large-group

versus small-group instruction upon
achievement
experimental

a study of SAT preparation by three

students, with particular emphasis
on their anxiety
qualitative

a study to determine the relationship

between scores on an anxiety scale and
scores on an achievement measure

correlational

a survey of teachers to determine

how and to what degree they believe
anxiety affects achievement
descriptive

This module has focused on...

introductory research concepts
which enable educators to access,
understand, and evaluate research
findings and the claims purported
by researchers

The next module will focus on...

research problems
...as the foundation for a literature
review and the formulation of a
hypothesis