RESEARCH METHODS IN EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

Importance of research in Educational Psychology

The methods

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Importance of research in educational psychology

Explain students’ behavior and the learning process, so their behavior patterns can be understood.

Get insight on students’ developmental and learning difficulties and their causes.

Analyze developmental and leaning needs of students.

A basis for decision making and planning for students’ learning.

provides systematic and well informed solutions for learning and developmental problems.

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Research MethodsVarious research methods are

applied in educational psychology for studying behavior, development and the learning process.

Method of investigation is chosen according to the nature of the problem, objectives of investigation and scope.

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METHODS

1. Observation2. Case studies3. Survey4. Correlation5. Experimental

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Observation method Watching, listening and recording behavior

appearing in a particular setting (in classroom, in library, in playground or in sports groups).

General objective of observation method is to describe the behavior (what & how it occurs)

It is not concerned with giving explanations or reasons.

No need for intervention (during observation) or asking questions.

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Types of observation: Naturalistic and laboratory observation

Naturalistic observation: watching and recording behavior in a natural setting.

Laboratory observation: observing and recording behavior in a specially designed and controlled situation.

Examples of naturalistic observation: how the students behave when they are

given new learning materials in class. how they behave when they work in groups

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Ways/ techniques of recordingObservation method requires special techniques, strategies or tools for recording and describing behavior.

One or more of the following can be used:

ChecklistRating scaleAnecdotal recordsRunning records

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Checklist Checklist: a list of behavior,

characteristic s or events to be checked their occurrence.

The list is prepared before observation schedule.

During observation, the researcher just checks the items in the list and tick or cross where relevant.

Checklist directs the attention of the researcher on the behavior, event or characteristic to be observed.

It ensures accuracy in recording.

A CHECKLIST

Classroom interaction 01

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Behavior Occurrence

Teacher asks questions

x

Teacher uses language I

Students work together

Students give examples

Teacher clarifies tasks

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Rating scale It records and describes quality and frequency of the characteristic observed; how frequent or how good the behavior occurs.

A rating scale has two parts; a statement/phrase and a set of options.

Options which represent the quality of variables can be phrasal or in the form of numbers.

It is more detailed and in-depth technique of recording than checklist.

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Behavior

Scale

very frequently

frequently

sometimes

rarely

Not use

Teacher uses Language I

Students work in groups

Students give examples

Teacher clarifies tasks

Teacher asks questions

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Anecdotal recordsAnecdotes are actual events that

occur in the observation setting.This techniques involves taking anecdotes of events that appear unique, important or interesting.

The behavior is not specified in advance.

It shows the actual behavior very clearly.

It allows accurate analysis to be done later.

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Running recordsA researcher records almost

everything that occurs in the event, process or situation.

Specification of data to be observed is not done in advance. What to record is determined in the process.

Not everything can be recorded. Some important and key data may be lost.

This technique requires note book and some short hand skills and /or aided by an audio and/or video recorder.

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It is a tedious technique of collecting

data. Recorded data may be difficult to

analyze. Comments on observation methodObserver biasIt only describes behavior. It does not

explain reasons of the occurrence of behavior.

It is a basis for more in-depth studiesUseful for developing hypotheses

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CASE STUDIES

A detailed and in-depth study of a single case; an individual, a homogeneous group, a school, a class, a process, a programme or a situation.

In a school, a teacher can study a single child in depth on various aspects; emotional, intellectual, social, moral and personal.

It combines various strategies of

collecting data; tests; interviews; observation; assessment records; personality testing; portfolio; cumulative records; intelligent tests; and anything available and useful for

understanding a case.

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Case study continues………..The study can give a detailed

information about a unit/case but it cannot yield cause-effect relationship

The results can not be generalized to another case but prediction can be made.

Case studies are applied when a problem has occurred or a progress of certain treatment.

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Survey methodThe objective is to study behavior,

opinion, experiences, attitude or demographic data among many people.

It involves a large number of people and sometimes a wide geographical area.

Self-reported technique which includes questionnaire and interview is a key data collection technique.

So, sampling and construction of questions is important.

A researcher chooses a

representative sample from the larger population.

Findings can be generalized to the larger population as this is the main focus and purpose.

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Correlation studiesDescribe the degree of relationship

between two or more variables (behavior, events or characteristics).

Variables are studied as they are (no artificial situation is created) to see how much they are related.

Example: • Scores of students and time take for

revision• Performance in subject A and subject B

Variables can be negatively or positively correlated

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Positive correlation: when increase in one variable shows increase in another variable or vice-versa.

Negative correlation: when one variable increases, another variable decreases.

Zero correlation: It happens where there is no indication of correspondence between two variables.

Do not seek to find out the causes and effect of such relationship.

They do not tell us what causes what but they help to predict situations.

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The result can be used for

intervention or controlling behavior not wanted to occur.

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Experimental studies The objective of experimental studies is to

establish cause-effect relationship of behavior.

Two variables are measured to determine if one causes another.

The cause is always manipulated. If the change in the manipulated behavior causes changes in another variable (effect) we can say that there is cause-effect relationship.

Experiments are carefully designed and conducted in a carefully regulated and controlled setting.

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An experiment is guided by a hypothesis

which consists of independent and dependent variables.

Example:Objective: To find out ‘if severe

punishments to students cause them to develop negative attitude towards learning’

Hypothesis: ‘students who are severely punished will develop more negative attitudes towards learning than those who are slightly punished’.

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Independent variable: the manipulated, influential factor hypothesized as having effect on the dependent variable (severe punishment). Dependent variable: A variable which is expected to change when independent variable is manipulated (negative attitudes toward learning)

Experiment must consist of at least two groups of subjects; experimental group and control group.

Experimental group: A group that receives treatment or manipulation in the experiment.

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Control group: A group that receives no treatment in the experiment.

Control group is used to compare the results with the experimental group and gives the experimenter confidence that the observed changes has been caused by the independent variable.

If changes are observed only in the experimental group and not in the control group, it can be concluded that the manipulation of the independent variable has caused changes.

1. Which one of the following psychological research methods would you use if you want to measure the cause-effect relationship of behavior of childrenA. Experimental methodB. Case study methodC. Correlation methodD. Observation method

2. When observers want to record pre-determined specific events or behavior in the observation schedule, they use:A. Rating scaleB. ChecklistC. Anecdotal recordsD. Running records

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3. An in-depth and intensive study of a single case is known as:A. SurveyB. Experimental studyC. Case studyD. Correlation study

4. The objective of this study is to measure the degree of relation between two variables like performance of subject A and subject B.A. Observation methodB. Case study method C. Experimental methodD. Correlation method

5. The function of a rating scale in recording behaviour is to:A. Describe whether the behaviour has occurredB. Measure the quality or the frequency of behaviourC. Record actual interesting events observedD. Record everything that occurs in the situation.

 

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