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Midterm Building with our experiences on our presentations Big Ideas - for the chapters Keywords/key expressions Difference between qualitative quantitative Research question and hypothesis Variables on quantitative Methodology: different than methods, includes the rationale for the methods (voices)...

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Midterm Building with our experiences on our presentations Big Ideas - for the chapters Keywords/key expressions Difference between qualitative quantitative Research question and hypothesis Variables on quantitative Methodology: different than methods, includes the rationale for the methods (voices), link to the rationale between what you're proposing to do and your question (method=specific steps) Chapters 1-4 back of every chapter at the key focus areas, key ideas, First section: provide definition 15 choices do 10 of the 15 - point form + example (50) Section 2: process for research - explain it 10 marks (10) Section 3: article - dissect it, pieces there or not there, explain the key parts + examples from the article (25) /85 marks

Section 1: 50 marks ● ● ● ● ●

Provide short def 10/15 Qual and quan Example of what it is Be sound in your answers

Section 2: ● ● ●

A process for research Explain the process 10 marks

Section 3: 25 marks ● ● ● ● ●

Article that was published by faculty and capstone student dissect article Show the pieces that are evident or not Explain the key parts of the research (chart) Example from article

**big ideas ●

Dependent variable vs independent variable

CHAPTER 1: Research: a process of steps used to collect and analyze information to increase our understanding of a topic or issue ● Research at a general level consists of 3 steps: ○ Pose a question ○ Collect data to answer the question ○ Present an answer to the question Why is research important: ● Adds to our knowledge ● Suggests improvements for practice ● Offers practicing educators new ideas to consider as they go about their jobs ● Helps practitioners evaluate approaches that they hope will work with individuals in educational settings ● Helps practicing educators build connections with other educators who are trying out similar ideas in different locations ● Provides information to policymakers when they research and debate educational topics Adding to knowledge: that educators undertake research to contribute to existing information about issues The six steps in the process of research: 1. Identifying a research problem 2. Reviewing the literature 3. Specifying a purpose for research 4. Collecting data 5. Analyzing and interpreting the data 6. Reporting and evaluating research Identifying a research problem: specifying an issue to study, developing a justification for studying it, and suggesting the importance of the study for select audiences that will read the report Reviewing the literature: locating summaries, books, journals, and indexed publications on a topic; selectively choosing which literature to include in your review; synthesizing the literature and then summarizing the literature written in a report Specifying a purpose for research: identifying the major intent or objective for a study and narrowing into specific research questions or hypothesis. The purpose

statement contains the major focus of the study, the participants in the study, and the location or site of the inquiry Collecting data: identifying and selecting individuals for a study, obtaining their permission to study them, and gathering information by asking people questions or observing their behaviours Analyzing and interpreting the data: drawing conclusions about it; representing it in tables, figures, and pictures to summarize it; and explaining the conclusions in words to provide answers to your research questions Reporting research: deciding on audiences, structuring the report in a format acceptable to these audiences, and then writing the report in a manner that is sensitive to all readers Evaluating research: assessing the quality of a study using standards advanced by individuals in education Quantitative research characteristics: ● Describing a research problem through a description of trends or a need for an explanation for the relationship among variables ● Providing a major role for the literature though suggesting the research questions to be asked and justifying the research problem and creating a need for the direction (purpose statement and research questions or hypothesis) of the study ● Creating purpose statements, research questions, and hypotheses that are specific, narrow, measurable, and observable ● Collecting numeric data from a large number of people using instruments with preset questions and responses ● Analyzing trends, comparing groups, or relating variables using statistical analysis and interpreting results by comparing them with prior predictions and past research ● Writing the research report using standard, fixed structures and evaluation criteria and taking an objective, unbiased approach Qualitative research characteristics: ● Exploring a problem and developing a detailed understanding of a central phenomenon ● Having the literature review play a minor role but justify the problem ● Starting the purpose and research questions in an open-ended way to capture the participants’ experiences ● Collecting data that is based on words (e.g., from interviews) or images (e.g., photos) from a small number of individuals so that the participants’ views are obtained

● Analyzing the data description and themes using text analysis and interpreting the larger meaning of the findings ● Writing the report using flexible, emerging structures and evaluative criteria and including the researchers’ subjective reflexivity and bias Research designs: the specific procedures involved in the research process: data collection, data analysis, and report writing Research designs associated with quantitative and qualitative research: ● Experimental designs: (also called intervention studies or group comparison studies) are procedures in quantitative research in which the investigator determines whether an activity or materials make a difference in results for participants ● Correlational designs: are procedures in quantitative research in which investigators measure the degree of association (or relation) between two or more variables using the statistical procedure of correlational analysis ● Survey designs: are procedures in quantitative research in which you administer a survey or questionnaire to a group of people (called the sample) to identify the trends in attitudes, opinions, behaviours, or characteristics of a large group of people (called a population) ● Grounded theory designs: are systematic, qualitative procedure that researchers use to generate a general explanation (grounded in the views of participants) that explains a process, action, or interaction among people ● Ethnographic designs: are qualitative procedures for describing, analyzing, and interpreting a cultural group’s shared patterns of behaviour, beliefs, and language that develops over time ● Narrative research designs: are qualitative procedures in which researchers describe the lives of individuals, collect and tell stories about these individuals’ lives, and write narratives about their experiences ● Mixed methods designs: are procedures for collecting, analyzing, and integrating (i.e., mixing) both quantitative and qualitative data in a single study or in a multistage series of studies ● Action research designs: are systematic procedures used by teachers (or other individuals in an educational setting) to gather quantitative and qualitative data to address improvements in their educational setting, their reaching, and the learning of their students Ethical issues: in qualitative research include issues such as informing participants of the purpose of the study, refraining from deceptive practices, sharing information with participants (including your role as a researcher) being respectful of the

research site, reciprocity, using ethical interview practices, maintaining confidentiality, and collaborating with participants ● Respect for audiences and the use of nondiscriminatory language are ethical issues ● The 3 basic principles of the Belmont Report are: ○ Beneficence of treatment of patients ○ Respect for patients ○ And justice Institutional review boards: these offices and boards strive to protect human subjects during research that is conducted. Educational researchers need to learn about the procedures involved in applying for approval from their institutional review board offices and follow guidelines in developing applications for approval and in designing consent forms for participants to complete that guarantee their protection Professional associations: individuals who participate in a study have certain rights. Before participating in research, they need to know the purpose and aims of the study, how the results will be used, and the likely social consequences the study will have in their lives. The also have the right to refuse to participate in a study and to withdraw at any time Ethical practices throughout the research process: ethics should be a primary consideration rather than an afterthought and should be at the forefront of the researchers agenda. Some ethical issues in data collection: ● Specific types of research designs ● Fail to disclose the purpose of the study to participants ● Only publish positive results ● Deprive some patients of helpful treatments ● Not pressure patients into signing consent forms ● Not to engage in practices that create power imbalances

Some ethical issues in data reporting: ● Respect to audiences who read ● Data should be reported honestly without changing the results ● Properly citing information ● Free of jargon ● High quality ● Research should not sit unpublished Skills needed to design and conduct research: ● Solving puzzles

● Long attention span ● Using a library ● Writing out your thoughts

CHAPTER 2: To locate the research problem in a study, ask yourself the following: ● What was the issue, problem, or controversy that the researcher wanted to address? ● What controversy leads to a need for this study? ● What was the concern being addressed behind this study? ● Is there a sentence like “the problem addressed in this study is…? Research topic: is the broad subject matter addressed by the study Research problems: are the educational issues, controversies, or concerns that guide the need for conducting a study Purpose: is the major intent or objective of the study used to address the problem Research question: narrows the purpose into specific questions that the research would like answered or addressed in the study Should a problem be researched: ● Study the problem if your study will fill a gap or void in existing literature ● Study the problem if your study replicates a past study but examines different participants and different research sites ● Study the problem if your study extends past research or examines the topic more thoroughly ● Study the problem if your study give voice to people silenced, not heard, or rejected in society ● Study the problem if your study informs practice Statement of the problem has five aspects: 1. The topic 2. The research problem 3. A justification of the importance of the problem as found in the past research and in practice 4. The deficiencies in our existing knowledge about the problem 5. The audiences that will benefit from a study of the problem Educational topic: is the broad subject matter that a researcher wishes to address in a study and that creates initial interest for the reader Practical research problems: are those that arise from a setting and activities of education

Research-based research problems: are problems that need further research because a gap in the research exists or because the research needs to be extended into other areas Justifying a research problem: means presenting reasons for the importance of studying the issue or concern Deficiency in the evidence: means that the past literature or practical experiences of the researchers do not adequately address the research problem Audience: in a “statement of the problem” section needs to be identified. It consists of individuals and groups who will read and potentially benefit from the information provided in your research study Strategies useful in writing the “statement of the problem”: ● Visualize this section as 5 paragraphs, with each paragraph addressing one of the 5 aspects of this section ● Frequent references to the literature throughout the introductory passage ● Examine the flow of ideas ● Use quotes from participants in a study or from notes obtained from observing participants

Slideshow #2

Chapter 1: The process of conducting research using quantitative and qualitative approaches: ● The researcher poses a question. ● The researcher collects data to answer the question. ● The researcher presents an answer to the question Importance of research: Reason 1 : Research adds to our knowledge. - Addresses gaps in knowledge - Expands knowledge - Replicates knowledge - Adds voices of individuals to knowledge Reason 2 : Research helps improve practice. - Educators gain new ideas for their job. - Educators gain new insights into approaches. - Educators can connect with other educators. Reason 3 : Research helps inform policy debates. - Research allows people to weigh different perspectives on issues. - Research enables people to make informed decisions regarding policy Problems with research today: ● Contradictory or vague findings ● Questionable data ● Unclear statements about the intent of the study ● Lack of full disclosure of the data collection procedure ● Inarticulate rendering of the research problem What is a research paradigm? - “a philosophical and theoretical framework of a scientific school or discipline within which theories, laws, and generalizations and the experiments performed in support of them are formulated; broadly: a philosophical or theoretical framework of any kind”

Similarities between Quantitative and Qualitative Research: ● Both follow the six steps in the process of research ● Both have introductions that establish the importance of the research problem ● Both use interviews and observations Differences between Quantitative and Qualitative Research: ● Quantitative research problems direct hypotheses and questions; Qualitative problems establishes importance ● Quantitative data collection is more closed-ended; Qualitative more openended ● Quantitative data analysis is based on statistics; Qualitative analysis based on text or image analysis ● Quantitative reporting has a set structure; Qualitative reporting is more flexible ● Different points on a continuum

Chapter 2: What is a research problem: A research problem is an educational issue or concern that an investigator presents and justifies in a research study. Locating the research problem: Look in the opening paragraphs of the study for one or more of the following: ● What is the issue or problem? ● What controversy leads to the need for a study? ● What concern is being addressed behind the study? ● Is there a sentence such as, “The problem being addressed in this study is...”? Why the Research Problem Is Important: ● It establishes the importance of the topic. ● It creates reader interest. ● It focuses the reader’s attention on how the study will add to the literature. How the Problem Differs From Other Parts of Research: ● A research topic is the broad subject matter being addressed in a study. ● A research problem is an educational issue or problem addressed in the study. ● A purpose is the major intent or objective of the study. ● Research questions are those that the researcher would like answered or addressed in the study.

Determining Whether a Problem Should Be Researched: ● Can you study the problem? - Do you have access to people and sites? - Do you have the time, resources, and skills to carry out the research? ● Should you study the problem? - Does it advance knowledge? - Does it contribute to practice? ● Will your study fill a gap or void in the existing literature? ● Will your study replicate a past study but examine different participants and different research sites? ● Will your study extend past research or examine the topic more thoroughly? ● Will your study give voice to people not heard, silenced, or rejected in society? ● Will your study inform practice? Use quantitative research if your research problem requires you to: ● Measure variables ● Assess the impact of these variables on an outcome ● Test theories or broad explanations ● Apply results to a large number of people

Use qualitative research if your research problem requires you to: ● Learn about the views of the people you plan to study ● Assess a process over time ● Generate theories based on participant perspectives ● Obtain detailed information about a few people or research sites The Narrative Hook: ● The narrative hook should be the first sentence of the study. ● Functions of the narrative hook - Causes the reader to pay attention - Elicits an emotional or attitudinal response from the reader - Causes the reader to continue reading ● Information that can be included in the narrative hook - Statistical data / striking fact - A provocative question - Need for research - Importance of the topic - Intent of the study

Chapter 3 What is a review of literature? A written summary of journal articles, books, and other documents that describe the past and current state of info on the topic of your research study. Also organizes the literature into subtopics and documents for the propose of the study. Most educators base their review off of only journal articles but a good review also has conference papers, books, and government documents. You should also use both quantitative and qualitative sources. All researchers create a literature review as a step in the research process. Literature review is necessary because: · It documents how your study adds to existing literature-study will not add to literature if research has been duplicated · Provide evidence that the educators need your study (learning new ideas, sharing the latest findings with others, identifying practises that may better your classroom) ·

Builds research skills and ability to navigate the library

·

Helps you be an investigator to follow leads in research

· Gives you examples of others research that you can help you use as an example and models in own research Literature review: Qualitative vs Quantitative Qualitative: · Minimal amounts of literature cited at beginning of study so the readers views aren’t influenced by literature-no foreshadowing of research questions ·

Literature justifies or documents the need for the study-importance of study

· At the end of the study literature supports and modifies existing findings in literature (compares and contrasts to own study vs literature) Quantitative: ·

Uses a lot of literature at beginning of study

·

Justifies and documents need for study (importance of research problem)

· Provides rationale for the direction of study (backs up purpose statement and research question or hypothesis)

·

Foreshadows purpose of study

·

Supports theories and explanations used in study

· At the end of the study literature confirms or disconfirms prior predictions from the literature and makes theoretical predictions Six Steps in Conducting a Literature Review: 1.

Identifying key terms a.

b.

Create short general research question

c.

Use words the authors report in the literature

d.

2.

Writing a preliminary “working title” for project and thinking of 2 to 3 key word that summarize the project

Check databases and library- scan tables of contents of educational journals as well for key terms relating to your study

Locate Literature a.

Look for dependable sources i. Academic libraries-has large collection of materials that are dependablei.e. the databases that funshawe has ii. Primary source-right from the sourcepictures, letters, or reports done by the individual who conducted the research or origin...