PowerPoint Edited by:

Dr. Tarek Chebbi

Florida International University
How to Design and Evaluate Research in Education
Index of Chapters
• Ch. 1: Nature of Research • Ch. 13: Experimental Research
• Ch. 2: Research Problem • Ch. 14: Single-Subject Research
• Ch. 3: Variables & Hypothesis • Ch. 15: Correlational Research
• Ch. 4: Ethics & Research • Ch. 16: Causal-Comparative
• Ch. 5: Literature Review • Ch. 17: Survey Research
• Ch. 6: Sampling • Ch. 18: Qualitative Research
• Ch. 19: Observation & Interview
• Ch. 7: Instrumentation
• Ch. 20: Content Analysis
• Ch. 8: Validity & Reliability
• Ch. 21: Ethnographic Research
• Ch. 9: Internal Validity • Ch. 22: Historical Research
• Ch. 10: Descriptive Statistics • Ch. 23: Action Research
• Ch. 11: Inferential Statistics • Ch. 24: Research Reports
• Ch. 12: Statistics Perspective
 The Nature of Research

•Chapter One
 Key Ideas

• Reasons research is important

• Problems with research today
• Research defined
• The Research Process
• Ethical Considerations in Research
• Skills needed for research
 What is Research?

•The researcher asks a question

•The researcher collects data
•The researcher indicates how the data answered the
question
(In other words, research is a process for providing answers to questions… a way of knowing,… an
approach to creating new and useful knowledge. (Grosof and Sardy, 2001), or it is an approach by
which we attempt to find out, systematically, with the support of demonstrable facts and
standards, how the world and its component works (Babbie, 2002).
 Importance of Research

Reason 1: Research Adds Knowledge

•Addresses gaps in knowledge
• Expands knowledge
• Adds voices of individuals to knowledge
• (Minority groups may get their issues heard due to research. For example, Child labour: with
research, the matter of child labour was brought to national and International attention).
 Importance of Research

Reason 2: Research Helps Improve Practice

•Educators gain new ideas
•Educators gain new insight into methods
•Educators gain new insight into students
 Lines of Research

What lines of
Research Research help
Lines You?

What does
the Research Say?
(Literature review)

What do you
Want to do?
(the research Question)
 Importance of Research

Reason 3: Research Informs Policy Debates (eg. How to establish

budgets for …)

•Research helps people weigh different perspectives on issues

•Research helps people make informed decisions regarding policy

 Importance of Research

Reason 4: Research Builds Research Skills, such as :

•Organizational skills
•Analytical skills
•Writing skills
•Presentation skills
 Problems With Research Today
•Contradictory or vague findings
•Questionable data
•Unclear intent of the study
•Lack of full disclosure of the data collected
•Unclear research problem
 The Research Spiral

Identify the
Research Problem

Write & Present Review the

Report Literature

Analyze and Specify a

Interpret Research
Data Purpose
•Collect Data
 Research Spiral:
Identify the Research Problem
•Specify a problem
•Justify a problem
•Suggest a need to study it for audiences
 Research Spiral:
Reviewing the Literature
•Locate the Resources
•Books
•Journals
•Electronic Resources
•Select Resources
•Determine the relevant resources for the topic
•Organize the resources by developing a “Literature Map”
•Summarize the resources in a Literature Review
 Research Spiral:
Specify a Purpose for the Research
•Identify the purpose statement
•Narrow the purpose statement:
•Quantitative: Research Questions and or hypothesis
•Qualitative: Central Phenomenon and sub-questions
 Research Spiral: Collecting Data
•Determine the data collection method
•Select the individuals to study
•Design data collection instruments and outline procedures
•Obtain permissions
•Gather information
 Research Spiral:
Analyzing and Interpreting Data
•Breaking down the data
•Representing the data
•Explaining the data
 Research Spiral:
Reporting and Evaluating Research
•Determine the audience for the report
•Structure the report
•Write the report sensitively and accurately
•Use standard format to present findings.
 Ethical Considerations in Research

•Respect the rights of the participants

•Honor the requests and restrictions of the research site
•Report the research fully and honestly
•Ensure that the participants are NOT subjected to any harm
(whether physical or psychological)
 Skills Needed for Research

•Curiosity to solve puzzles

•Patience and determination
•Use of the library and technology
•Writing and editing
Types of Research Studies

Intervention studies

Associational studies

Descriptive studies
 Intervention Studies

are used to determine if changes in one variable cause

corresponding changes in an outcome variable. The researcher
intervenes in the environment in order to gain the control
necessary for verifying cause and effect relationships.
Experimental research falls under the heading of an intervention
study.
 Associational Studies

are used to investigate relationships. These studies are

conducted by measuring variables without purposefully
intervening in the environment other than to take
measurements. Relationships found among variables can
suggest cause and effect, but cannot verify that the changes in
one variable are responsible for changes in other variable.
Correlational and Causal-Comparative research fit under the
general heading of associational studies.
 Descriptive Studies

are used to describe the characteristics of individuals, places,

events, or anything else that can be described. Survey
research, qualitative research, content-analysis research, and
historical research all usually fit best under the general
heading of descriptive studies.
 Descriptive Studies
is a type of research where the researcher manipulates some
conditions (e.g., method of instruction) to see if this will effect
an outcome (e.g., test scores). Experimental research falls in
the general category of intervention research because the
researcher intervenes in the environment that he or she is
studying. An experiment is the most conclusive way to
determine cause and effect relationships. That is because the
researcher has the most complete control in this type of study
than in any other type of study.
 Correlational research
is a type of research where researchers measure two or more
variables (e.g., self-esteem and motivation) to see if they are
related. These measurements are taken without otherwise
intervening in the environment. Although the outcomes of
correlational research might suggest that changes in one
variable causes changes in other variables, this cannot be
verified without an experiment. Correlational research falls in
the general category of associational research.
 Causal-comparative Research

is conducted to compare two or more groups that already differ

on some variable of interest (e.g., public school students and
private school students). Such research is called "causal" because
the researcher looks for other differences caused by the group
difference (e.g., school achievement) or for differences that might
cause the group difference (e.g., income of parents). This research
does not verify cause and effect as an experiment would, but
suggests possible cause and effect relationships. Causal-
comparative research falls in the general category of associational
research.
 Survey Research:

is conducted by asking the same questions to a large number

of individuals. The purpose of survey research is to
determine the characteristics, including attitudes and
opinions, of a defined group of individuals (e.g., parents in a
school district). Survey research fits under the general
heading of descriptive research.
 Historical Research

is conducted to study the past in order to reconstruct as

accurately as possible what happened during that time and
to explain why it did. Historical research fits loosely under the
general heading of descriptive research.
 Content Analysis

research is conducted by studying documents and materials.

The purpose of this research is to unobtrusively study the
characteristics of individuals. Content analysis research fits
under the general heading of descriptive research.
 Qualitative Research

is a type of in-depth study of the behaviors and interactions

of a defined group of individuals. Qualitative researchers
keep track of many variables and use many different types of
measuring techniques in order to collect a rich set of data
that describes these individuals and their interactions as
completely as possible. Qualitative research fits loosely under
the general heading of descriptive research.
 Experimental Research
Most conclusive of all scientific methods.
The researcher establishes treatments and studies the effects,
which can lead to clear interpretations.
•The Experimental Group
•The Control Group
•The independent variable: What is being tested
•The dependent variable: What is the outcome (i.e., score)
 Correlational Research
• Examines a relationship among two or more variables; looks for
cause and effect.
• Can help make more intelligent predictions.
• This approach requires no manipulation or intervention, except to
administer the instrument(s).
• Used when you want to look for and describe relationships that
may exist naturally.
 Causal-Comparative Research
•Determines the cause for, or consequences of, differences
between groups of people.
•Interpretations are limited due to the fact that the
investigator can not say conclusively whether a particular
factor is a cause for or a result of a behavior.
•Differences may occur, but the investigator will not be able to
say for sure what caused the difference.
 Survey Research
•Collects data to study specific characteristics of a group.
•Variety of survey techniques exist, such as:
•Close-ended questions
•Open-ended questions
•There are difficulties with survey research. Such as:
•Ensuring that questions are clear and not misleading
•Getting participants to answer questions honestly
•Getting acceptable return/participation rate.
 Ethnographic Research

•A form of Qualitative Research

•Emphasizes documenting or portraying the everyday
experiences of individuals by observing and interviewing
them in a naturalistic setting.
•Data can include descriptions, audiotapes, video footage,
flowcharts showing relationships, etc.
 Historical Research
• Another form of Qualitative Research.
• Some aspect of the past is studied.
• Data are collected and evaluated objectively in order to establish
whether causes, effects, or trends of a past event may explain
present or future events or occurrences.
• The major problem with this research is the question of using an
event or time sequence as a true outcome.
 Action Research
Differs from previous methods in two ways:
1) Generalizations to other persons, settings, or situations
is of minimal importance
researchers focus on getting information that will enable
them to change conditions in a particular situation (i.e.,
identifying methods to improve specialised services at a
school)
2) Subjects become active members of the research
process by collecting data, etc.