EDUC 894 Week 1

 Class Introductions  What is Research?  Syllabus, Assignments & Technology Support Dinner Break  Getting Going with Your Research ◦ Brainstorming Research Projects ◦ Forming Research Teams  Traditions of Research ◦ The Miner, The Traveler & the Activist Image Sources:

Who are we and where are we going?

 Pick some in the class who you don’t know as much about as you could  Find out some key information about them (see next slide)  Introduce them to the class

 Name (what you preferred to be called)  MA/MEd  What was the biggest / most important / most interesting thing you learned in EDUC 864?  What are you interested in researching?  Is there a particular research approach you feel more or less comfortable with?  What do you hope to get out of this course?

What is Research?

 A systematic process of collecting and analyzing data to increase our understanding of something by answering specific questions  Many different things to different people ◦ What is your image of research?image  What you are going to be doing this semester ◦ So what does the research process look like?look like

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Image Source: _Divinity_Library_57.jpg

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Identify the Research Problem Review the Literature Report and Evaluate Research Specify a Research Purpose Collect Data Analyze and Interpret Data Image Source: Supporting Resources for Creswell (2008) Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 3 rd edition

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Identify the Research Problem Review the Literature Report and Evaluate Research Specify a Research Purpose Collect Data Analyze and Interpret Data Image Source: Supporting Resources for Creswell (2008) Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 3 rd edition Obtain access to participants Write and hone RQs Select Methodology Create and pilot instruments Get Ethics Board Approval

Syllabus, Assignments & Technology Support

Let’s Eat!

Brainstorming Research Projects & Forming Research Teams

 A good research problem is: ◦ Interesting ◦ Important ◦ Novel  A good research question: ◦ Has an appropriate scope ◦ Is answerable (based on inferences from data) ◦ Corresponds with your research approach Research Topic Research Problem Research Purpose Research Question(s)

 Read and discuss Crotty & Firestone ◦ Try really really hard to pretend that Firestone is saying “objectivist / constructionist” not “quantitative / qualitatitve” ◦ Discuss the questions related to epistemological stance that I’ve posted on the course wiki  Jump into your project! ◦ Establish group processes and technologies ◦ Start moving from having a research topic to a specific research problem ◦ Think about what pre-planning you need to do to get access to subjects & take action