CH02 Selecting a Topic.pdf

Educational Research – Chapter 2 Gay, Airasian, and Mills Topics Discussed in this Chapter ◼ Identifying a Research Topic ◼ Reviewing the Literature ◼ Developing and Stating Hypotheses...

Educational Research – Chapter 2 Gay, Airasian, and Mills Topics Discussed in this Chapter ◼ Identifying a Research Topic ◼ Reviewing the Literature ◼ Developing and Stating Hypotheses Identifying a Topic ◼ A research topic focuses the study to a defined, manageable size ◼ It provides structure for the steps in the scientific method ◼ It is discussed in many ways ◼ Research question ◼ Research problem ◼ Purpose of the research 1 Educational Research – Chapter 2 Gay, Airasian, and Mills Identifying a Topic ◼ Four main sources of topics ◼ Theory – an organized body of concepts, generalizations and principles that can be subjected to investigation ◼ Provides conceptually rich topics ◼ Provides confirmation of some aspects of theory ◼ Personal experience ◼ Replication ◼ Library immersion Obj. 1.1 Identifying a Topic ◼ Narrowing and focusing topics ◼ Three problems with broad topics ◼ Enlarges the scope of the review of the literature beyond reason ◼ Complicates the organization of the review of the literature itself ◼ Creates studies that are too general, too difficult to carry out, and too difficult to interpret Obj. 1.3 2 Educational Research – Chapter 2 Gay, Airasian, and Mills Identifying a Topic ◼ Suggestions for narrowing topics ◼ Talk to experts in the field ◼ Professors in your college or department ◼ Researchers you know ◼ Read secondary sources that provide overviews of your topic ◼ Handbooks ◼ Encyclopedias ◼ Reviews Obj. 1.2. & 1.4 Identifying a Topic ◼ Quantitative and qualitative studies – differences in when a topic is narrowed ◼ Quantitative studies tend to narrow the topic initially ◼ Qualitative studies tend to narrow the topic throughout the research process itself Obj. 1.4 3 Educational Research – Chapter 2 Gay, Airasian, and Mills Identifying a Topic ◼ Researchable and non-researchable topics ◼ Researchable topics… ◼ can be investigated through the collection and analysis of data. ◼ have theoretical or practical significance. ◼ have been conducted ethically. ◼ contribute to the educational processes ◼ can be adequately researched given the expertise, resources, and time constraints of the researcher. Obj. 1.5 Identifying a Topic ◼ Non-researchable topics… ◼ address philosophical or ethical issues. ◼ Cannot be resolved through the collection and analysis of data ◼ address “should” questions. ◼ Ultimately these are matters of opinion Obj. 1.6 4 Educational Research – Chapter 2 Gay, Airasian, and Mills Identifying a Topic ◼ The formal statement of a quantitative research topic… ◼ identifies the variables of interest. ◼ describes the specific relationship between the variables. ◼ identifies the nature of the participants. Obj. 1.7 & 1.8 Identifying a Topic ◼ The formal statement of a qualitative research topic… ◼ emerges over the course of the study. ◼ begins as an initial statement that tends to be stated as a general issue or concern. ◼ becomes focused as more is learned about the context, participants, and phenomena of interest. ◼ is typically stated late in a written study. Obj. 1.8 5