Ed 603 - Lesson 1 - Introduction to Educational Research

Lesson 1 will consist of the following topics

· Text Assignment for Lesson 1

· Course description and course objectives

· Overview of course topics and date lesson available

· Course requirements and course evaluation

· Introduction to educational research

· Exercise on applied research activities

· Lesson 1 Assignment

· Lesson 1 Quiz

Text Assignment for Lesson 1

For lesson 1, read pages 3-9 in Educational Research: Competencies for Analysis and Application, Seventh Edition by L. R. Gay and Peter Airasian (2003, Merrill/Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-13-099463-4)

or read pages 1-5 in Educational Research: Competencies for Analysis and Application, Eighth Edition by Lorrie Gay, Geoffrey Mills, and Peter Airasian (2006, Prentice-Hall, ISBN 0-13-118534-9)

or read pages 2-16 in Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 3^rd Edition by John W. Creswell (2008, Merrill/Prentice Hall, ISBN-13: 978-0-13-613550-0)

. You may order the book through any bookstore or call the Minnesota State University Moorhead Bookstore and have them order it for you (phone number 218-477-2111).

Course description and course objectives

Course Description

The role of educational research in educational practice, types of educational research, the process of conducting educational research.

Ed 603 is offerred through Minnesota State University Moorhead, as an internet based course. The course will assist graduate students in education and related fields to achieve the following objectives.

Course Objectives

1. Understand the role of educational research for educational practice.
2. Understand the major types of educational research.
3. Understand the process involved in setting up an educational research project.
4. Understand how to conduct a review of related literature.
5. Ability to prepare a research plan or proposal.

Overview of course topics

Ed 603 will include the following topics. After each topic the date the lesson will be available on the internet is indicated.

• Lesson 1. Introduction to Educational Research 10/1/01
• Lesson 2. Types of Research Studies 10/8/01
• Lesson 3. Selecting a Research Topic 10/15/01
• Lesson 4. Conducting a Review of Related Literature 10/22/01
• Lesson 5. Formulation and Statement of a Research Hypothesis 10/29/01
• Lesson 6. Developing a Research Plan 11/5/01
• Lesson 7. Subjects and Instruments 11/12/01
• Lesson 8. Historical Research 11/19/01
• Lesson 9. Qualitative Research 11/26/01
• Lesson 10. Descriptive Research 12/3/01
• Lesson 11. Correlational Research 12/10/01
• Lesson 12. Causal-Comparative Research 12/17/01
• Lesson 13. Experimental Research 12/24/01
• Lesson 14. Threats to Internal and External Validity 12/31/01
• Lesson 15. Preparing the Research Report 1/7/02
• Final Project 1/7/02

Course requirements and course evaluation

Course Requirements

22. For each of 15 lessons, review the world wide web pages associated with the lesson, and complete the associated readings in the required text for the course, Educational Research: Competencies for Analysis and Application Sixth Edition by L. R. Gay and Peter Airasian, 2000, Merrill/Prentice-Hall. or Educational Research: Competencies for Analysis and Application Fifth Edition by L. R. Gay, 1996, Prentice-Hall.
23. Complete the assignment associated with each lesson and send the completed assignment by electronic mail, to the course instructor.
24. Send electronic mail to instructor with any questions or concerns about any lesson.
25. Complete the brief, web based quiz associated with each lesson.
26. Complete the applied, final project, preparing a comprehensive research plan or proposal and send the completed project to the course instructor.

Course Evaluation

A grade for the course will be based on proportion of possible points achieved on the lesson assignments, the lesson quizzes, and the final project.

Introduction to educational research

27. The Scientific Method and Educational Research - The goal of educational research is to explain, predict, and/or control educational phenomena.

28. Steps Involved in Conducting Educational Research

• Selection and definition of a problem - a problem, hypothesis or question.
• Execution of research procedures - how data are collected and from whom.
• Analysis of data - may involve statistics and testing of the research hypothesis.
• Drawing or stating conclusions.

29. Two Ways in Which Research Studies can be Classified

• Quantitative versus qualitative research. Quantitative studies collect and analyze numerical data. These are the kind of studies we will emphasize in Ed 603. Your major project for the course will be to prepare a research proposal for a quantitative study. Qualitative studies collect and analyze narrative data.
• Basic versus Applied Research. Basic research is primarily concerned with the development of theory. Applied research is generally concerned with the application of theory to the solution of problems. There are three types of applied research.

30. Three Types of Applied Research

• Evaluation Research. Evaluation is the process of collecting data to make decisions. Thus evaluation research would be the systematic process of gathering data to make decisions of educational relevance.

Examples:

Should Jimmy be placed in a program for pupils with specific learning disabilities?

Is the reading recovery program more effective in preventing later difficulties in learning to read than the traditional reading program?

• Research and Development (R & D) has the major function of developing effective products for use in the school.

Examples:

teacher training materials

student learning materials

Sets of behavioral objectives

A school management system

A HyperCard stack for information found in the periodic table of the elements

Project option for the Master's Degree in some schools

• Action Research - "The purpose of action research is to solve practical problems through the application of the scientific method." (Gay, 1996, page 10)

Exercise on Applied Research Activities

As an exercise, label each of the following as primarily involved with

A. Evaluation Research,

B. Research and Development, or

C. Action Research.

31. Is directed at the development of products that can be used in the schools.
32. Is concerned with immediate solutions to real problems.
33. Involves decision making regarding the relative worth of two or more alternative decisions.
34. Is Matilda eligible to participate in the school's gifted/talented program?
35. A committee of four teachers and four students meet regularly to develop a set of behavioral rules to be tried out and then published for use throughout the school.
36. We have noticed increasing hostility expressed in the halls between classes and during after school gym between Hispanic chiildren and African American children. What can we do about this?
37. The junior high English teachers will spend the summer creating a set of behavioral objectives for eighth grade writing skills.
38. Can the school lunch program buy food for the school lunch program more cheaply from Hornbachers or from Super Valu, at the same level of quality?
39. What can be done to prevent the "food fights" which seem to break out every Friday in the school cafeteria?

And the answers are:

40. Research and Development
41. Action Research
42. Evaluation Research
43. Evaluation Research
44. Research and Development
45. Action Research
46. Research and Development
47. Evaluation Research
48. Action Research

Lesson 1 Assignment

Click on Lesson 1 Assignment to go to the assignment for Lesson 1.

Lesson 1 Quiz

Click on Lesson 1 Quiz to go to the Quiz for Lesson 1.

Please send electronic mail to the course instructor if you have any questions about this lesson or other concerns.

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