Basic Introduction of Education Research

By Jingping Chen

For Reading Research Seminar of Sichuan Province

Pujiang, Chengdu 2009.12

Different categories of research研究的分类 According to different goals（根据研究目标的不同）

Descriptive studies（记叙型研究） Relational studies（相关性研究） Causal research（实验性研究）

According to different time series (根据时间序列的不同） Cross-sectional studies Longitudinal studies

According to different approaches（根据研究方法的不同） Qualitative research（定性化研究） quantitative research（定量化研究）

According to different forms （根据研究形式的不同） Action research（行动研究） , narrative inquiry（故事研究） , case

study（个案研究） , Discourse inquiry（对话分析研究） , etc.

Descriptive research, correlational research, experimental research 记叙型研究，相关性研究，实验型研究

Function功能 Example例子

Descriptive research

Describes a situation. How stories are used to teach reading in the elementary grades?

Relational research

Explores possible relationships among different things(two variables)

Are better readers also better spellers?

Causal research To determine whether one or more variables (for example, a program or treatment variable) causes or affects one or more outcome variables.

Which of two reading programs produces greater gains in reading comprehension?

General Process of a Formal Research 1. Turn your idea into a research question. 2. Review the Literature 3. Design the Study and Develop Methods 4. Writing your research proposal 5. Issues About Funding 6. Obtain Ethical and Trust approval 7. Collect and collate the data 8. Analyse the data and interpret findings 9. Report on the Study and Disseminate Findings

Qualitative research When to use it?

For generating new theories or hypotheses For achieving a deep understanding of the issues For developing detailed stories to describe a phenomenon For mixed methods research

Qualitative data In-depth interviews, direct observation, written documents, artifacts

Qualitative approaches to research are based on a "world view" which is holistic and has the following beliefs: There is not a single reality. Reality based upon perceptions that are different for each person and

change over time. What we know has meaning only within a given situation or context.

Quantitative Research

When to use it? For testing new theories or hypotheses

Quantitative data: numbers Important issue of quantitative research

SampledesignData analysisValidity

Quantitative research is based on the externalism which believes that there is objective truth

Research design Experimental design

If X, then Y. If not X, then not Y.

An example

Observations and measures (O) Treatments or programs (X) Groups, Assignment to group (R, N, C) Time

O R X1 　 O Ｏ　 R X2 OＯ　 R O

O R X1 　 O Ｏ　 R X2 OＯ　 R O

O R X1 　 O Ｏ　 R X2 OＯ　 R O

O R X1 　O Ｏ　 R X2 OＯ　 R O

Some important issues about researchWhat method should we use?Literature reviewEthnic issue (do no harm, voluntary

participation, confidentiality, informed consent, anonymity, right to service, IRB)

Validity (sampling, construct validity, external validity)

Data collecting and analysis (statistics, video)Critical thinking