For this assignment for Ed 603, you are going to complete additional
componants for your own study, that is for the research proposal you are
working on during this course.
The problem for your study should be written in
terms of one of the models discussed in Lesson 3
The design (according to Gay & Airasian, 2003,
page 96) is a general strategy for conducting a research study. depending on
the nature of the study's topic or question, the hypothesis (if appropriate),
variables, and participants, the researcher selects an appropriate research
design to carry the study. Both qualitative and quantitative researchers reply
on research designs.
The procedure section of a research plan (according
to Gay & Airasian, 2003, page 96) "... describes all the steps that
will be followed in conducting the study, from beginning to end, in the order
in which they will occur. The procedure will vary between qualitative and
quantitative approaches.
The procedure section typically begins with a
description of the strategy for selecting the sample or samples. If the study
includes a pretest, the procedure and timing of it should be described next.
From this point on, the procedure section will describe exactly what is going
to occur in the study. The nature of what will occur depends on the kind of
research study planned, since the procedures for different research approaches
are different.
The procedure section should also include any
indentified assumptions and limitations. An assumption is a fact presumed to be
true but not actually verified, while a limitation is some aspect of the study
that the researcher knows may alter the results.
The procedure section should be precise to the
point that someone else could read your plan and execute your study exactly as
you intended it to be conducted."
You should create a word processing document for the assignment. As you did
for previous assignments, at the top of the page, on the first line record the
following: Ed 603, Lesson 14 Assignment. On the second line record your name
and student number at MSUM (if you have one). On the third line record the date
you completed the assignment.
In the assignment you should include the following items or components about
the research proposal you are developing for this course. Here is an example
(from Gay & Airasian, 2003).
The effect of interactive multimedia on the
achievement of 10th-grade biologhy students.
The design used in this study was the posttest-only
control group design. This design was selected because it provides control for
most sources of invalidity and random assignment to groups was possible. A
pretest was not necessary since the final science grades from June 1993 were
available to check initial group equivalence and to help control mortality, a
potential threat to internal validity with this design.
At the beginning of the school year, 40 10th-grade
biology students will be selected from a population of approximately 200.
Selected students will be divided into two groups, and one group will be
designated to be the experimental group. The same teacher will teach both
classes.
During the school year, the non experimental group
of students will be taught biology using traditional lecture and discussion
methods. The students in the experimental group will be taught using IMM. Both
groups will cover the same subject matter and use the same text. The groups
will receive biology instruction for the same amount of time and in the same
room but not at the same time, as they will be taught by the same teacher.
Academic objectives will be the same for each class and all tests measuring achievement will be identical. Both classes will have the same homework reading assignments. In May, a biology achievement test will be administered to both classes at the same time.
Prior to the beginning of the study, after the 60
students were randomly selected and assigned to experimental and control
groups, final science grades from the previous school year will be obtained
from school records in order to check initial group equivalence. The means and
a t test for independent samples will indicate any initial differences between
the two groups. Then a t test for independent samples will be used to indicate
significant differences between the experimental and control groups on the
post-test (biology test of the National Proficiency Survey Seris).
After you have completed the assignment (and saved it on your computer) send
e-mail to your instructor indicating that you are sending the lesson 14
assignment in and then attach the file for the assignment to your email
message. The e-mail address for the instructor, John Wasson, is wassonj@teleport.com