RESEARCH IN ADULT EDUCATIONRELIABILITY AND VALIDITY

P R E S E N T E D BY

D O R E E N D ’ A M I C O

N ATA L I E J A C OV E L L I

T E R E S A V I D A L

PURPOSE OF RESEARCH

To expand knowledge in a field

To close gaps in knowledge

TYPES OF RESEARCH

Basic ResearchSatisfies intellectual interest

Applied ResearchDirected at solving an immediate or practical problem

RESEARCH IN ADULT EDUCATION

Add to the knowledge base of AEApply in AE for improved practice

With limited research in AE, adult educators have had to rely on research from Education (pedagogy) and from the Social Sciences (psychology and sociology).

“The creation of a body of knowledge in adult education through systematic and disciplined inquiry has lagged…”

(Darkenwald & Merriam, p. 25)

PAST RESEARCH IN AEAdult Literacy at Michigan State ,Penn State, Georgia State,

Rutgers, Univ. of Penn, and National Center for Family Literacy

Adult Development and Learner Persistence at Harvard

Multiple Intelligence and Staff Education at World Education

GED at Brown & Georgia Universities ESL at American Institutes for Research

Adult Basic Education at Harvard and Abe Associates Inc.

Teaching & Learning at Rutgers University Leadership at Abt Associates Inc.

Assessment at Center for Literacy Studies & University of Tennessee

TYPES OF RESEARCHQuantitative Research • Begins with a predetermined hypothesis. • Emphasis on facts and causes• Uses objective measurement to gather numeric data

that can be used to prove/disprove the hypothesis.• Reported statistically

Qualitative Research • Focuses on the bigger picture, can raise further

questions.• Looks at data in context (real life situations), in specific

setting to group. Includes: interviews, observations.

QUALITY OF RESEARCH

Important for credibility. Answers questions:

“Can I trust the findings?” “Can I generalize these findings?”

Uses accepted standards of Reliability Validity

RELIABILITY IS CONSISTENCY

More relevant in quantitative studies.

The extent to which findings are repeatable. The extent to which a measure,

procedure or instrument yields the same result on repeated studies.

Reliability is a number between -1 and +1.

RELIABILITY IN QUALITATIVE STUDIES

Reliability concerns measurement which is not a part of qualitative research.

“…in qualitative paradigms the terms Credibility, Neutrality or Confirmability, Consistency or Dependability and Applicability or Transferability are to be the essential criteria for quality.” (Lincoln & Guba, 1985)

VALIDITY IS ACCURACY

Validity is the degree to which a study accurately reflects or assesses the specific concept that the researcher is attempting to measure.

VALIDITY IS IMPORTANT

“…in that it indicates to the research consumer how accurately cause was established and future events can be predicted.” (Merriam & Simpson, 2000, p. 58)

Validity of a study is determined by two measures: internal and external.

IMPROVE RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY: Gather data for a long time.

Conduct member checks (talk with participants) - take data back to participants to see if interpretations "ring true" to them.

Peer/Colleague examination - ask others if findings sound plausible.

IMPROVE RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY:

Statement of researcher's experience, assumptions, biases

Look for reference material. "Audit Trail" - notes researcher should detail

how data was collected, how the categories were derived and how decisions were made. Guba & Lincoln (as cited in Merriam & Simpson, 2000)

IMPROVE RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY:

Triangulate Use of a combination of research methods in a study, both qualitative and quantitative

Use of multiple investigators Use of multiple sources of dataUse of multiple methods to check findings

REFERENCESDarkenwald, G. G., & Merriam, S. B. (n.d.). Adult Education,

Foundations of Practice.

Golafshani, N. (2003, December). Understanding Reliability and Validity in Qualitative Research. The Qualitative Report, 8 (4), 597-607.

Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

Merriam, S. B., & Simpson, E. L. (2000). A Guide to Research for Educators and Trainers of Adults (Second ed.). Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company.

Mortensen, J. (2001). Current Research in Adult Learning and Literacy. Retrieved October 2013, from National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy: http://www.ncsall.net/index.php@id=296.html