Conducting Educational Research: "Guide to Completing a Thesis, Dissertation, or Action Research Project" / Edition 2

by Daniel Joseph Boudah

Overview

Designed to be used during the research process, Conducting Educational Research: Guide for Completing a Major Project, Second Edition, walks readers through each step of a research project or thesis, including developing a research question, performing a literature search, developing a research plan, collecting and analyzing data, drawing conclusions, and sharing the conclusions with others. Throughout the book, Daniel J. Boudah covers all types of research (including experimental, descriptive, qualitative, group designs, and single subject designs) and helps readers link research questions to designs, designs to data sources and data sources to appropriate analyses. Each chapter includes activities and exercises to ensure the researcher is asking the right questions and producing a quality project.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781544351698
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	09/18/2019
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	7.38(w) x 9.12(h) x (d)

About the Author

Daniel J. Boudah is a Professor in the Department of Special Education, Research & Foundations, and a former departmental Director of Graduate Studies at East Carolina University. Dr. Boudah previously taught general education and special education in public schools. He has been awarded federal and other grants and carried out school-based research in the areas of teacher planning and inquiry, learning strategies, content enhancement, systems change, and collaborative instruction. He has published work in professional journals, textbooks, newsletters, and teacher-training materials. Dr. Boudah has spoken at numerous national, international, and state conferences. He has received awards for excellence from several organizations in the field of education. Dr. Boudah has conducted many professional development, curriculum design, program evaluation, grant and foundation proposal development, and system change activities with public and private schools, as well as public and private agencies, to develop and support services to low-performing and at-risk students. He is a past president of the Council for Learning Disabilities. Dr. Boudah’s continuing professional interests include programs and services for low-performing students and students with disabilities, learning and instructional strategies, dropout prevention, and systems change. Dr. Boudah can be reached at [e-mail]

Table of Contents

Preface xiii

Acknowledgments xvii

Chapter 1 Research in Education 1

Conducting Research in Education: Art or Science? 2

The Current Research-to-Practice Gap 3

Examples of Research at the Policy and Classroom Levels 4

Examples at the Classroom Level 5

Research Types, Designs, and Methodologies 8

Types of Research 8

Research Methodologies 11

Selected Organizations That Support Research in Education 12

Putting It All Together 13

Steps in the Research Process 14

Summary 14

Activity 16

Your Research Project in Action 17

Further Reading 17

References 18

Activity Answers 19

Chapter 2 Identifying a Research Problem and Question, and Searching Relevant Literature 20

Identifying a Research Problem 21

What Is a Research Problem? 21

Where Do You Find a Problem or Phenomenon to Study? 21

Narrowing or Clarifying Your Problem 21

Identifying a Possible Research Question 22

What Is a Research Question? 22

Examples of Good Research Questions 22

Writing a Hypothesis 23

The Purposes of a Literature Review 26

To Help Figure Out What Works 26

To Pursue a Topic, Problem, or Question of Professional and/or Personal Interest 26

To Pinpoint an Area of Further Study 26

To Provide a Rationale/Background for Study 27

To Survey or Analyze Research Methodology 27

The Process of Conducting a Literature Search 27

Determining Your Focus 27

Searching Literature Databases 28

Putting It All Together 33

Summary 34

Discussion Questions 34

Your Research Project in Action 34

Further Reading 35

References 36

Chapter 3 Understanding Relevant Literature and Writing a Literature Review 37

Analyzing Literature Search Outcomes 38

Analyzing the Abstract and Introduction 38

Analyzing the Results Section 40

Analyzing the Discussion Section 41

Analyzing the Method Section 43

Writing a Literature Review 48

Organizing Your Review information 49

Synthesizing the Literature Information 49

Writing Your Review 49

Revisiting and Revising Research Questions 51

Putting It All Together 51

Summary 51

Check Sheet for Understanding Relevant Literature 51

Discussion Questions 53

Your Research Project in Action 54

Further Reading 54

References 54

Literature Examples 55

Chapter 4 Issues in Validity and Reliability 56

What Are Validity, Trustworthiness, and Reliability? 56

Types of Validity and Their Threats 57

Internal Validity 57

External Validity 60

Construct Validity 61

Reliability 63

Internal Reliability 63

External Reliability 66

Trustworthiness 67

Credibility of the Researcher 68

Credibility of Methods and Findings 69

Ways to Address Challenges to Trustworthiness 72

Putting it All Together 74

Possible Responses 77

Summary 78

Discussion Questions 79

Your Research Project in Action 79

References 80

Literature Examples 81

Chapter 5 Designing and Conducting Experimental Research 82

Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Research 83

Questions Point to Designs 84

What Variables Do You Want to Investigate? 85

Revisiting Validity 87

Group Designs 88

Posttest Only 88

Pretest-Posttest 89

Comparison Group 89

Factorial 90

Time-Series 91

Single-Subject Designs 91

Measurement of Dependent Variables 93

Observations 95

Tests and Permanent Records 96

Criterion-Referenced Assessment 97

Continuous Assessment 99

Interviews 100

Types of Data 101

Nominal Data 102

Ordinal Data 102

Interval Data 102

Ratio Data 102

Putting It All Together 103

Implementing Interventions 105

Consent for Participation 105

Summary 106

Discussion Questions 106

Your Research Project in Action 107

Further Reading 108

References 108

Literature Examples 109

Chapter 6 Designing and Conducting Qualitative Research 110

What Is Qualitative Research? 111

Qualitative Design: The Planning Process 112

Determine a Focus for the Inquiry and Fit of Paradigm 113

Determine Instrumentation and the Sources of Data 117

Data Collection and Recording Procedures 122

Determining Successive Phases and Logistics of the Inquiry 125

Putting It All Together 128

Summary 129

Discussion Questions 130

Your Research Project in Action 130

Further Reading 131

References 131

Literature Examples 132

Chapter 7 Designing and Conducting Descriptive Research 133

Types of Quantitative Descriptive Research 134

Basic Descriptive 134

Correlational 135

Causal Comparative 136

Survey Methods 138

Survey Design 140

Creating Questions/Items 141

Question and Response Formats 141

Question Reliability 144

Question Validity 144

Checking Your Survey Instrument 145

Selecting Your Sample 145

Conducting Descriptive Research 146

Interview 147

Nonresponse 148

Accessing Extant Databases 149

Mixed Methods Research 150

Researcher Notes 151

Putting It All Together 152

Summary 153

Discussion Questions 154

Your Research Project in Action 154

Further Reading 155

References 155

Literature Examples 155

Chapter 8 Creating a Research Proposal 156

The Purpose of a Research Proposal 156

What Is a Research Proposal? 156

What Are the Parts of a Research Proposal? 157

What Does a Research Proposal Look Like? 157

Identifying a Problem 159

Investigating and Identifying Relevant Literature 159

Identifying a Research Question 159

Identifying a Research Design and Method 160

What Is Your Purpose and What Are Your Objectives? 160

What Variables Do You Want to Investigate? 161

What Data Will You Collect? 162

Identifying Research Procedures and Plans 163

Who Will Participate in Your Study? 163

Where Will the Study Take Place? Where and How Will the Data Be Collected? 164

How Will the Intervention Be Implemented? 164

What Instruments Need to Be Created or Acquired? 165

When Will the Study Take Place? 165

What Will the Study Cost? 165

Identifying Potential Analyses 167

What Statistics or Qualitative Procedures Will You Use? 167

What is the Expected Outcome or Importance of the Study? 168

Protection of Human Participants 168

Pilot Testing 169

Putting It All Together 169

Proposal Format 172

A Research Proposal Versus a Grant Application 174

Summary 175

Discussion Questions 175

Your Research Project in Action 176

Further Reading 177

References 177

Literature Examples 177

Chapter 9 Analyzing and Interpreting Experimental Research 178

Experimental Data 179

Types of Data 179

Selecting a Statistic Consistent With Your Design and Appropriate to Your Data 179

Interpreting the Results of Analyses 184

Data Entry 184

Understanding Output From Statistical Analysis 185

Reporting Experimental Results 186

Data Displays 187

Single-Subject Designs 189

Discussing Experimental Results 191

Statistical Conclusion Validity 194

Putting It All Together 195

Summary 195

Discussion Questions 195

Your Research Project in Action 195

Further Reading 196

References 196

Literature Examples 196

Chapter 10 Analyzing and Interpreting Qualitative Data 197

Data Management 197

Using Technology 198

Organizing Documents 198

Data Analysis 199

General Techniques for Data Analysis 200

Reading Data 200

Coding Data 200

Using Grounded Theory 204

Trustworthiness 208

Documenting and Reporting Results 209

Putting It All Together 212

Summary 215

Discussion Questions 216

Your Research Project in Action 216

Further Reading 217

References 217

Literature Examples 218

Chapter 11 Analyzing and Interpreting Descriptive Research 219

Descriptive Data Analysis and Interpretation 220

Data Displays 220

Correlational Research 222

Data Entry 222

Selecting a Statistic Consistent With Your Design and Appropriate to Your Data 222

Interpreting Results of Analyses 223

Scatter Plot 225

Discussing Results 226

Causal Comparative Research 227

Selecting a Statistic Consistent With Your Design and Appropriate to Your Data 227

Interpreting Results of Analyses 228

Discussing Results 231

Mixed Methods Research 232

Putting It All Together 233

Summary 235

Discussion Questions 235

Your Research Project in Action 236

Further Reading 236

References 236

Literature Examples 237

Chapter 12 Writing Research Reports 238

Writing for Publication 238

Nuts and Bolts 239

Sections of a Manuscript 242

Getting Your Writing Published 246

Instructions for Authors 247

Submission and Review Process 247

The Ethics 248

Putting It All Together 249

Summary 249

References 250

Literature Examples 250

Appendix A Organizations That Support Educational Research 251

Appendix B Using Microsoft® Excel to Analyze Data 261

Glossary 267

Index 274

About the Author 284