Research Methology

Question	Answer
Influences of power, privilege, and position in planning and learning environments.	Education represents a key function in the interactions concerning power and knowledge. Power is organized advantageously to progress specific developments. Education is a political undertaking, shaped by those in power. (Aldridge & Goldman , 2006)
Approaches	Basic and Applied
Basic	method of gathering and evaluating data to acquire or improve theory, not to answer immediate concrete problems
Examples of Basic	The early work of Skinner on reinforcement with birds, or Piaget on the cognitive development of his two children.
Applied	Applies or measure theory to assess its effectiveness in discovering answers to current useful problems. Action research is an approach which is an applied research.
Methods	Quallitative and Quanitative
Qualitative	based predominantly on the gathering of descriptive data, which is then understood by integrating, grouping, and arranging it into patterns
Kinds of qualitative	Survey aka desriptive collecting data (test and questionares) understand current issues or topics
more quualitative	Ex: sample research Relationship between study time and test performance on GRE
Quantitative	gathering and investigation of numerical data to answer questions and test hypotheses
Types of Quantitative	Correlational decide the extent a statistical relationship exist amongst tow or more variables, realted to single group of participants (High Correlation does not revelal cause and effect between variables
Example of Quanitative	Is there a relationship between study times and test performance on the GRE?
Quanitative: Casual Comparison	aka ex-post factor research investigates whether a cause-effect relationship exists between variables where the cause (independent variable) has already occurred.
Experimental	mininimizes effect of irrelevant variables. Allows reseachers to assume cause and effect statements of topic. Strongest results of all quanitative approach
Experimental Example	:Does the use of negative reinforcement in the form of a grade cause anxiety?
Qualitative Methods Case studies	pinpoint the features of a specific object, occurrence or individual. Related to with yielding conclusions about the quality, effectiveness, merit, or value of educational programs and products or practices.
Example of case study	To what degree does Schema High School utilize constructivism in their classrooms?
Grounded Theory	the examination of various phases of data collection and interpretation. The stages allow for constant comparison analysis that results in narrowing the focus of the topic.
Example of Grounded Theory	Is there an underlying theory of the link between teacher appearance and student evaluations?
Action Research	This mostly qualitative, applied research approach aims at helping an educator or group of educators to change or improve a practice or to help them understand issues and problems for themselves.
Example of Action Research	How can teachers reduce test anxiety?
Ethnography	monitoring partakers in their natural occurring activities or setting over a period of time in order to obtain a deep understanding of their perspectives and context.
Sample of Ethnography	What are the cultural patterns and perspectives related to how parents view the link between class participation and academic achievement?
5. Historical	studying and investigating and interpreting past events
Example of Historical	What trends developed in primary school reading instruction from 1910-1945?
Content Analysis	used in a variety of fields, to include Educational research.
Content Analysis (Quantitative)	analysis involves an unbiased, orderly, measureable description of the communication content
Latent Content	dedicated to theoretical relationships among words and matching patterns.
Characteristics Purpose Method/Reasoning Hypothesis Nature Design Interaction with Context Data collection	Quantitative Research (aka. Empirical or Analytical) To generalize about or control phenomena Primarily Deductive: Specific predictions based on general observations, principles, or experiences Identified prior to research, purpose of research is to test it More narrowly focused and outcome oriented Clear, well-ordered sequence of steps Tries to eliminate the influence of contextual variables Primarily numerical data gathered through paper-and-pencil, non-interactive instruments (can also include narrative data)
Characteristics Purpose Method/Reasoning Hypothesis Nature Design Interaction with Context Data collection	Qualitative Research (aka. Interpretive) To provide in-depth descriptions of settings and people Primarily Inductive: Generalization based on specific observations and experiences Begins with guiding research questions, which will be refined during data collection and analysis Holistic and process oriented Flexible and changeable during research Tries to capture the richness of the context of the subjects and their perspectives Primarily narrative data, collected from fieldwork (can also include numerical data)
Ethical Guidelines	Informed Consent. Potential research participants must be provided with information that enables them to make an informed decision as to whether they want to participate in the research study.
Ethical Guidelines cont'd	Informed consent must be obtained from parents or guardians of minors.
Ethical Continued	2. Also, assent must be obtained from minors who are old enough or have enough intellectual capacity to say they are willing to participate. Assent means the minor agrees to participate after being informed of all the features of the study that could affect the participant’s willingness to participate.
Deception	1. If deception is used, debriefing should be used. Debriefing is a post study interview in which all aspects of the study are revealed, any reasons for deception are explained, and any questions the participant has about the study are answered.
Debriefing	Dehoaxing — informing study participants about deception that was used and the reasons for its use. Desensitizing — helping study participants deal with and eliminate any stress or other undesirable feelings that the study might have created
Freedom to Withdraw	must be informed that they are free to withdraw from the study at any time without penalty. If you have a power relationship with the participants (e.g., if you are their teacher or employer) you must be extra careful to make sure that they really do feel free to withdraw.
Protection from Mental and Physical Harm-	informed that they are free to withdraw from the study at any time without penalty. If you have a power relationship with the participants (e.g., if you are their teacher or employer) you must be extra careful to make sure that they really do feel free to withdraw.
Protection from Mental and Physical Harm	most fundamental ethical issue confronting the researcher. Fortunately, much educational research poses minimal risk to participants (as compared, for example, to medical research).
Confidentiality	Confidentiality is a basic requirement in all studies. It means that the researcher agrees not to reveal the identity of the participant to anyone other than the researcher and his or her staff.
Anonymity	Better and stronger not known by anyone in the study, including the researcher. An example would be where the researcher has a large group of people fill out a questionnaire but NOT write their names on it. In this way, the researcher ends up with data, but no names.

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	Created by Kellae Gyening about 8 years ago