Research Fundamentals PDF

# Research Fundamentals - **Significance of the Study** - Expresses the value or importance of the study or the contributions of the results. - Beneficiaries are arranged according to the degree of significance to them. - **Methods/Strategies of Quantitative Design** - **Experimental R...

# Research Fundamentals - **Significance of the Study** - Expresses the value or importance of the study or the contributions of the results. - Beneficiaries are arranged according to the degree of significance to them. - **Methods/Strategies of Quantitative Design** - **Experimental Research** - Uses a scientific approach towards manipulating one or more control variables and measuring their defect on the dependent variables - **Non-Experimental Research** - Describes a phenomenon simply as it stands, or a relationship between two or more variables, all without any interference - **References** - Listings of cited sources of materials that are arranged alphabetically - **Appendices** - Attachments of questionnaires, letters of transmittal, legal documents, and supplementary materials referred to or have been cited in the study - **Action Research Process (Henderson, et. al, 2012)** - Identify the problem and envision success - Adjust the theory and begin again - Analyze data and form conclusions - Report the results - Develop a plan of action - Collect data - **Research Design** - These are plans and procedures that include detailed methods of data collection and analysis. - **Qualitative** - Requires the collection of narrative data and utilizes an inductive reasoning approach - **Quantitative** - Requires the collection of numerical data and utilizes a deductive reasoning approach - **Mixed Method** - Combines both quantitative and qualitative types of data - **Scope and Delimitations of the Study** - Identifies the extent, boundary or coverage of the study in terms of: - Subjects - Objectives - Facilities - Areas - Time frame - Issues - **Research Questions** - One thing I would like to change is... - My practice could be improved by... - My students would do better if... - I need to learn how to... - I wonder why... - **Methods/Strategies of Qualitative** - **Ethnography** - Describes interactions between people in cultural and social settings - **Case Study** - In-depth study of individual activities, people, or groups - **Phenomenological Studies** - Explores and focuses on people's experience of a phenomena - **Narrative Research** - Studies individual lives and asks subjects to provide stories about their lives, which is them retold into a narrative chronology - **Hypothesis** - It is a statement of expectation or prediction that will be tested by research - **Null** - Predicts no effect or relationship between variables - **Alternative** - States research prediction of an effect or relationship - **Research Questions** - A good problem is characterized as one which: - Is of great interest to the researcher - Is useful to the concerned people in the field - Is novel and timebound - Has no ethical or moral impediments - **Presentation of Data** - It is the manner of organizing and reporting collected data. - Presentation can be done using: - Tables - Graphs - Charts - **Conclusions** - These are the valid outgrowth of the findings you would like to share together with your research statement. - **Recommendations** - These include suggestions to future researchers who would like to pursue investigations related to the same problem. - **Steps in Action Research** - Identify the problem - Define an intervention - Apply intervention and collect data - Analyze data and findings - Take action based on results - Share findings - **Data Collection Tools** - **Observations** - Anecdotal Records - Field Notes - Case Studies - Diaries - **Interviews** - Focus Group Discussions - **Authentic Assessment** - Portfolio - Documentary Analysis - **Narratives** - **Projective Techniques** - **Introduction** - It must be written in at least 1 or 2 pages. - Problem - Supporting Data - Previous related studies - Significance of the study - Statement of purpose and impact - Connection of the problem to the researcher ## **Ethics in Action Research** - **Four Types of Ethical Practices (Carson, et. al, 1989)** - **Ethics of Hope** - AR must ensure concern for the broad range of needs of students and school community. - **Ethics of Caring** - AR must put into consideration the general welfare of both students and teachers. - **Ethics of Openness** - AR participation, purpose, and intent must be made known to all involved. - **Ethics of Responsibility** - Teacher-researchers must be committed to principled action. - **Principle of Triangulation** - It is the use of multiple sources of data in order to establish trustworthiness or consistency of the facts - Example: Focus Group Discussions + Checklists + Survey Questionnaires - **Improving Research Culture** - Collective sharing with other schools and districts - Publishing and presenting papers - Collaborating with school admin to explore changes - Conducting seminars with parents and teachers - Conducting in-house trainings in schools - **Limitations of the Study** - Defines the constraints or weaknesses that are not within the control of the researcher. - Those that are not expected to be covered by the study. (Zulueta & Costales, 2005) - **Methods in Mixed Method** - **Sequential** - May begin with qualitative interview for exploratory purposes and followed by quantitative survey method for generalization. - **Concurrent** - Converging or merging qualitative and quantitative methods - **Transformative** - Using theoretical lens as an overarching perspective - **Action Research Reporting and Sharing** ## **Action Research** - **Research Fundamentals** - What are research ethics? - Research ethics are moral principles that guide researchers to conduct and report research without deception or intention to harm participants of the study or members of the society as a whole, whether knowingly or unknowingly. - Ethics - Honesty - Integrity - Respect - Protection of Data Privacy - Consent - Permission - Research Proposal vs. Research Report | Research Proposal | Research Report | |---------------------|--------------------| | Communicates a researchers plan for a study | Communicates results and what was done | | States what will be done | States the analysis of data, findings, implications and conclusions | | Denotes future actions | Denotes past actions | | Both use third person pronouns to maintain formality of the paper | | - **Action Research vs. Formal Research** - **Lewin's Action Research Spiral (Mertler, 2009)** - Identifying a general or initial idea - Take first action step - Planning - Reconnaissance or fact finding - Evaluate - Take second action step... - Amended plan - **Needs and Demands for Action Research** - **Action Research Spiral (Kemmis & Mctaggart, 2007)** - Observe - Act - Plan - Reflect - **What is Action Research?** - Action research is characterized as research that is done by teachers for themselves. (Merller, 2009) - **Types of Action Research (Ferrance, 2000)** - **Collaborative Action Research** - Single issue of a common problem - Supervisor, community, parents, organizations - Instruction, assessment, policy - **Individual Action Research** - Single classroom issue - Supervisor, co-teacher, parents - Instruction, assessment - **Action Research (Eileen Ferrance, 2000)** - Diagram: Identifies the problem \> Gather Data \> Interpret Data \> Act on Evidence \> Evaluate Results \> Next Steps - Who can be an action researcher? - Any teacher who intends to: - Understand more about teaching and learning - Develop teaching skills and knowledge - Take action to improve student learning - **Action Research Interacting Spiral (Ernest Stringer, 2007)** - Diagram: Look \> Think \> Act - **Bachman's Action Research Cycle (Lorenz Bachman, 2001)** - Diagram: - Identify \> Plan \> Act and Observe \> Reflect - **Action Research** - An actual research method - **Classroom Research** - Concentrates on the inputs to the classroom (syllabus, IMs, outputs, and achievement scores) - **Teacher Research** - Connected with the concept of teacher development and empowerment - **Susman's Action Research Model (Gerald Susman, 1983)** - **Diagnosing** - Indentifying or defining a problem - **Specifying Learning** - Identifying general findings - **Action Planning** - Considering alternative courses of action - **Evaluating** - Studying the consequences of an action - **Taking Action** - Selecting a course of action - **Action Research vs. Formal Research** | Action Research | Formal Research | | ------------- |:-------------:| | Goal: Solve problems of local concern | Goal: Develop and test theories for wide population | | Sources of data: Opinions of researcher are consiered as data | Sources of data: Opinions of researchers are NOT considered as data | | Sampling techniques: Purposive samples | Sampling techniques: Random samples with large population | | Research design: Flexible, quick time frame | Research design: Rigorous, done over long periods | - **Action Research vs. Formal Research** | Action Research | Formal Research | | ------------- |:-------------:| | Application of results: Practical significance | Application of results: Theoretical significance | | Output: Driven by intervention | Output: Driven by results, hypothesis testing and findings | | Conclusion: Covers only specific context and locale | Conclusion: Entails general truth and universal knowledge and theories | | Recommendation: Stated in one statement or brief paragraph | Recommendation: Horizontal mapping with findings, conclusions and SOP | - **Calhoun's Action Research Cycle (Emily F. Calhoun, 1994)** - Diagram: 1. Select Area \> 2. Collect Data \> 3. Organize Data \> 4. Analyze & Interpret Data \> 5. Take Action - **Types of Action Research (Ferrance, 2000)** - **District-Wide Action Research** - District issue or organizational structure concerns - District commitment, leadership partners - Allocation of resources, policy change, structure evaluation - **School-Wide Action Research** - School problem or area of collective interest - School commitment, leadership, partners - School restructuring, policy change, program evaluation - **Action Research** - Process for Improvement - Cyclical - Practical and Relevant - Collaborative - Within context of teacher's environment - Quest for immediate solutions - **Varieties of Action Research (Trespeces, 1993)** - **Diagnostic** - Researcher steps into an existing problem and diagnoses the situation. - **Participatory** - Data is used to make recommendations for the resolution of the problem. - **Empirical** - Conclusions are exclusively derived from concrete, verifiable evidence. - **Experimental** - Conducted with a scientific approach using two sets of variables and a hypothesis. - **Research Constraints** - Time constraint - Lack of competence - Lack of interest - Lack of confidence - Lack of statistical skills - Difficulty in identifying problem - Financial constraint - Lack of reading initiative - Complexity in gathering data - Lack of administrative support - **What is Action Research?** - Action research allows teachers to examine their own classrooms, instructional strategies, assessment procedures, and interactions with student-learners in order to improve the quality and effectiveness. - **Action Research Interacting Spiral (Ernest Stringer, 2007)** - Diagram: Look \> Think \> Act. - **Bachman's Action Research Cycle (Lorenz Bachman, 2001)** - Diagram: Identify \> Plan \> Act and Observe \> Reflect - **Action Research** - An actual research method - **Classroom Research** - Concentrates on the inputs to the classroom (syllabus, IMs, outputs, and achievement scores) - **Teacher Research** - Connected with the concept of teacher development and empowerment - **Susman's Action Research Model (Gerald Susman, 1983)** - **Diagnosing** - Indentifying or defining a problem - **Specifying Learning** - Identifying general findings - **Action Planning** - Considering alternative courses of action - **Evaluating** - Studying the consequences of an action - **Taking Action** - Selecting a course of action - **Action Research vs. Formal Research** | Action Research | Formal Research | | ------------- |:-------------:| | Goal: Solve problems of local concern | Goal: Develop and test theories for wide population | | Sources of data: Opinions of researcher are consiered as data | Sources of data: Opinions of researchers are NOT considered as data | | Sampling techniques: Purposive samples | Sampling techniques: Random samples with large population | | Research design: Flexible, quick time frame | Research design: Rigorous, done over long periods | - **Action Research vs. Formal Research** | Action Research | Formal Research | | ------------- |:-------------:| | Application of results: Practical significance | Application of results: Theoretical significance | | Output: Driven by intervention | Output: Driven by results, hypothesis testing and findings | | Conclusion: Covers only specific context and locale | Conclusion: Entails general truth and universal knowledge and theories | | Recommendation: Stated in one statement or brief paragraph | Recommendation: Horizontal mapping with findings, conclusions and SOP | - **Calhoun's Action Research Cycle (Emily F. Calhoun, 1994)** - Diagram: 1. Select Area \> 2. Collect Data \> 3. Organize Data \> 4. Analyze & Interpret Data \> 5. Take Action - **Types of Action Research (Ferrance, 2000)** - **District-Wide Action Research** - District issue or organizational structure concerns - District commitment, leadership partners - Allocation of resources, policy change, structure evaluation - **School-Wide Action Research** - School problem or area of collective interest - School commitment, leadership, partners - School restructuring, policy change, program evaluation - **Action Research** - Process for Improvement - Cyclical - Practical and Relevant - Collaborative - Within context of teacher's environment - Quest for immediate solutions - **Varieties of Action Research (Trespeces, 1993)** - **Diagnostic** - Researcher steps into an existing problem and diagnoses the situation. - **Participatory** - Data is used to make recommendations for the resolution of the problem. - **Empirical** - Conclusions are exclusively derived from concrete, verifiable evidence. - **Experimental** - Conducted with a scientific approach using two sets of variables and a hypothesis. - **Research Constraints** - Time constraint - Lack of competence - Lack of interest - Lack of confidence - Lack of statistical skills - Difficulty in identifying problem - Financial constraint - Lack of reading initiative - Complexity in gathering data - Lack of administrative support - **What is Action Research?** - Action research allows teachers to examine their own classrooms, instructional strategies, assessment procedures, and interactions with student-learners in order to improve the quality and effectiveness.