Research
Educational Research
Educational research uses the scientific method to understand and develop learning processes used in the education field. The goal of educational research is to improve systems and approaches or find new tools and methods in the field to optimize efficiency. Educational research is used to find solutions to problems, answer questions, determine correlations, and generalize findings. Educational research involves gathering primary data or using existing data to make new propositions or predict future happenings. Educational research includes different types of research based on the purpose of the research that include traditional and action research.
Traditional Research
Traditional research is used in all fields of research to draw conclusions and to advance knowledge in a specific field. It is conducted by people outside the organization to find generalizable findings to problems. Traditional research uses both qualitative and quantitative data a to draw conclusions. This type of research uses the scientific method as a linear approach, hypothesis driven, and uses theories to support their claims. Sampling for traditional research is done randomly so that the results can be generalizable. There are different types of traditional research based on the purpose of the research that include basic, applied, and evaluation research.
Basic Research
Basic research is focused on advancing knowledge of a specific theory. This research is not meant to be applied but to expand or evaluate the knowledge already known. In this type of research, the research question is formulated based on theories, not problems. The data is collected from random sampling or through representatives to extend knowledge or generalize principles. The data collected is analyzed using statistical analysis.
Applied Research
Applied research is used to determine a solution to practical educational problems. This research is conducted in present time to gather an immediate response. Applied research is similar to basic research where results are used to test theories. However since it is applied immediately in a specific area it is only locally generalizable. Applied research is used by mostly teachers and administrators for decision making in the education field.
Evaluation Research
Evaluation research is used to evaluate the effectiveness of a program or activity. This research is used to make decisions and judgements as to whether keep, adapt, or change a program depending on the goal or success of the program. This type of research is also used to determine any areas that need improvement. Using this research can determine the benefits of a specific program based on the resources available.
Action Research
Action research is done in all fields of research and it is done by practitioners in the field. In educational research, action research is used to improve educational practices and professional practices. It is used to make decisions in present time at a specific site and thus has limited generalizability. Action research has local applicability because it is specific to the students and or school available. The research is conducted by individuals involved in the practice and the research question is derived from a problem that they face in the classrooms. The intent of action research is to improve the practice immediately or determine the effectiveness of practices.
Qualitative v. Quantitative Research Methods
Qualitative research is used to provide descriptions that enrich understanding of a phenomena. This design focuses on the researcher involved in social interactions to gather notes. The goal is to gain a deeper understanding of culture or context. It can also be used to describe multiple perspectives, behaviors and or realities. Some methods to gather qualitative data includes interviews, observations, questionnaires, and photographs.
Quantitative research is used to show relationships between variables, test theories, or predict outcomes. This research is focused on gathering measurable data using instruments to get numerical data. The researcher can be uninvolved in this design. The data that is collected can be analyzed using statistical analysis. Some methods to gather quantitative data include surveys, observations, and statistics.
Mixed Methods Research
Using a mixed methods approach is where both qualitative and quantitative methods are used to gather data. Using both approaches is beneficial in understanding the information presented at a deeper level. Using mixed methods can be used to identify trends or answers that otherwise would not have been discovered using only one method. This method will offer statistical and descriptive analyses. This method allows the researcher flexibility to be either involved or uninvolved.
Application/ Reflection
Applied Research Project
When framing the question for my research project I knew that I wanted to address an issue that I currently face in my career. As a math educator I noticed a common trend, most students only grasp the procedural process in mathematics, which is surface level learning. Students struggle to grasp the conceptual understanding in mathematics. So I chose to conduct an experiment that would determine if the Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning model used in a mathematics classroom enhances student learning and deeper their level of understanding. In regards to my project I used the literature review to guide my project and frame my question, "Does the implementation of Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning increase student mathematical understanding?". From analyzing the data I was able to determine that the intervention was effective and had a significant difference after running an ANOVA test. I found this research to be very satisfying knowing that the work I had begun with my students was effective.
Action Research Project
For our action research project we chose to focus on student engagement, participation, and achievement because they are common issues in most classrooms. However, last year with distance learning it has magnified this issue immensely. We decided to start looking at different online learning platforms that can help us better facilitate lessons, increase student interaction as well as improve the way we assess and engage students during distance learning. Our personal interest is to increase engagement, participation, and student achievement, to a similar level (or beyond) to the level we received pre-distance learning. Since distance learning is a relatively new medium for the majority of educators and students, we did not have a wide variety of resources or platforms to implement with our students, and they mostly resembled the traditional in-class model. This approach was not very successful when it came to assessing student learning, engaging students, or facilitating student learning. Therefore, our group decided to implement Nearpod as an online learning platform as we aim to increase student engagement, participation and overall level of achievement.
Reflection
I learned about various research designs, ways to frame a research question, different methods to gather samples, methods to collect data, descriptive statistics, and . I now have a better understanding of what it takes to conduct experimental research and how to analyze and interpret the data collected. Moving forward I will continue to approach issues and problems I face in my career with the mindset of a researcher to find and determine more effective ways to teach learners.
Resources:
Action Research vs. Traditional/basic research paper. Action research vs. traditional/basic research paper. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2021, from https://sckool.org/action-research-vs-traditionalbasic-research-paper.html.
Blog, F. (2020, September 4). What is educational research? + [types, scope & importance]. Formplus. Retrieved November 11, 2021, from https://www.formpl.us/blog/educational-research.
Frigola, G. (2021, October 4). Research methods. Medium. Retrieved November 11, 2021, from https://medium.com/@genis.hti/research-methods-4bacdea50b5e.
Fulbrook, P., By, Fulbrook, P., Paul Fulbrookhttps://teacherofsci.comPaul Fulbrook (TeacherOfSci) is a Science teacher, & Paul Fulbrook (TeacherOfSci) is a Science teacher. (2021, May 17). 15 Learning Theories in Education (A Complete Summary). TeacherOfSci. https://teacherofsci.com/learning-theories-in-education/.
Know the difference between quantitative and qualitative research. Yukti. (2020, August 26). Retrieved November 22, 2021, from https://www.yukti.io/know-the-difference-between-quantitative-and-qualitative-research/.
Research. INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY PORTFOLIO. (2016, April 12). Retrieved November 22, 2021, from https://wordpresscom8167.wordpress.com/research-6/.
What is educational research? Research Rundowns. (2009, July 19). Retrieved November 11, 2021, from https://researchrundowns.com/intro/whatisedresearch/.