1. Research Methods in Education
EDU 5900 AB. RAHIM BAKAR

2. Why Study Educational Research?
To become "research literate."  
Because we live in a society that's driven by research
To improve your critical thinking skills
To learn how to critically evaluate published research.  
To learn how to conduct research in case the need arises one day.
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3. Objectives of Educational Research
There are five major objectives of educational research.  
Exploration. This is done when you are trying to generate ideas about something.
Description. This is done when you want to describe the characteristics of something or some phenomenon.
Explanation. This is done when you want to show how and why a phenomenon operates as it does. If you are interested in causality, you are usually interested in explanation.
Prediction. This is your objective when your primary interest is in making accurate predictions. Note that the advanced sciences make much more accurate predictions than the newer social and behavioral sciences.
Influence. This objective is a little different. It involves the application of research results to impact the world. A demonstration program is an example of this.
EDU 5900 AB. RAHIM BAKAR

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5. Categories of research
Quantitative
Qualitative
Purpose
Study relationship, cause and effect
Understand social phenomena
Design
Developed prior to the study
Evolves during study
Approach
Deductive, test theory
Inductive, generate theory
Tools
Standardized and objective instrument
Face-to-face interaction
Sample
Fairly large
Small
Analysis
Statistical analysis of numeric data
Narrative description and interpretation
EDU 5900 AB. RAHIM BAKAR

6. Which category of research to choose?
Nature of questions or problems being studied not preference for methods
(some suitable for quantitative and some suitable for qualitative)
Suggestions: may use both to verify he findings of the other; as a groundwork for the other; explore different aspects of the same research questions
EDU 5900 AB. RAHIM BAKAR

7. Experimental Non-experimental Descriptive research Pre-experiment
Quantitative
Experimental
Non-experimental
Descriptive research
Pre-experiment
True experiment
Quasi-experiment
[many designs]
Ex post facto
Correlation research
Survey research
EDU 5900 AB. RAHIM BAKAR

8. Experimental research
The most rigorous
Actually establish different treatment and study the effect
Result clear cut interpretation
Example: a history teacher may want to know how can he teach important concepts to his students?
He may compare two different approaches to teaching history
EDU 5900 AB. RAHIM BAKAR

9. Correlation research
To establish relationship between two or more variables
Concurrent correlation studies
Relationship is drawn from the same point in study. Example: relationship between ….
Predictive correlation studies
Using one characteristics to predict the other. Example: use SPM grade to predict CGPA
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10. Ex post facto Also known as causal-comparative study
To determine the cause of the difference between two group of people when experimental research is not possible
Example to determine if family structure (single-two parent family) cause poor performance in education
EDU 5900 AB. RAHIM BAKAR

11. Survey research Purpose to explore and describe
Do not investigate relationship
Large sample
Slice of time
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12. Developmental study Trend study Cohort study Panel study
Data are gathered at several points in time
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13. Case study Involve small sample
Purpose similar to survey and trend studies
More depth
Direct observation or interviews
Single subject, a club, a school, a teenage gang
Also known as a type of qualitative research
EDU 5900 AB. RAHIM BAKAR

14. Qualitative Ethnography:
an in-depth study of natural occurring behavior within a culture or social group
Case Studies
in-depth study of a single unit (an individual, a group, a program, an organization etc.)
Document or content analysis
Analyzing or interpreting recorded materials within its own contact
Naturalistic Observation
Unconstructive observation. People being observed are aware of the observation
Focused interview
Unstructured and open-ended format to draw subject response on a topic of interest
Historical Research
Analyze documents and artifacts to what has happened in the past.
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15. Questions that educational researchers ask
Theoretical
[focus on developing theories or testing theories]
Practical
[aim at solving specific problem]
What is intelligence?
How effective is peer tutoring?
How does the child learn?
What is the relative effectiveness of method a compared with method B?
Why does one forget?
How does teaching…. Affect….?
More commonly done is to test the existing theory
EDU 5900 AB. RAHIM BAKAR

16. Basic and Applied Research
Aimed at obtaining empirical data to formulate and expand theory.
Aim is to expand the frontiers of knowledge without regard to practical application
Applied
Aimed at solving immediate problems
Not aimed at generalization
[a study on the effectiveness of a teaching method on…]
EDU 5900 AB. RAHIM BAKAR

17. Focuses on solving practitioner’s local problems.
Action Research
Focuses on solving practitioner’s local problems.
It is generally conducted by the practitioners after they have learned about the methods of research and research concepts that are discussed in your textbook.
It is important to understand that action research is also a state of mind; for example, teachers who are action researchers are constantly observing their students for patterns and thinking about ways to improve instruction, classroom management, and so forth.
EDU 5900 AB. RAHIM BAKAR

18. TYPICAL STAGES IN RESEARCH
Select a problem
Review literature
Design the research
Collect data
Analyze data
Interpret the findings
Report results
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