why is research important propose theories test theories increase understanding improve teaching and...
Post on 16-Jan-2016
216 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
Why is research important
• Propose theories• Test theories• Increase understanding• Improve teaching and learning
Why is it important for you?
Two Schools of Research
Qualitative Quantitative
Skim and consider
• Purpose• Kinds of data collected• How data were collected• How data were analyzed
Qualitative v. QuantitativeQualitativeHypothesis generatingNaturalisticConcept developmentEvolving approachSpeculativeDescriptive dataSmall, nonrepresentative sampleProcess/how, whyInductiveNot generalizable
QuantitativeHypothesis testingExperimentalTheory testingStructured ProcessDetailed & specificQuantitative dataLarge, random samplesOutcomes/whatDeductiveGeneralizable
Historical Perspective
• Quantitative• 60’s brought social change and a change of
questions from WHAT to HOW AND WHY• Mixed methods
Common questions
• Generalizable• Subjective• Observer Effect• Reliable• Scientific (Empirical)• Can both methods be used together• Valid• Which is better
5 basic categories
Phenomenology• How one or more individuals understand a
phenomenon• Looking at something through the eyes of
those being observed
Ethnography• “culture” of a group of people• Community is important
Case study• Detailed account of one or more special cases
Grounded theory• Generating a theory • Grounded on observational evidence
Historical Research• Understand events that have already occurred
Action Research
• Can be qualitative/quantitative/mixed• Undertaken by individuals for their own,
personal use• Improve one’s teaching, leadership, address a
specific local concern• Focus on an individual, classroom, school,
district
Qualitative or Quantitative
• This study examines changes in the public schools’ legal responsibilities regarding students with disabilities over the past 50 years.
• This study involved a group of teachers investigating ways to determine strategies to engage their students in math.
Q or Q
• This study was conducted to determine whether the Acme Interest Test provided similar results to the Acne Interest Test.
• This study divided fifth grade students in a school into two groups at random and compared the results of two methods of conflict resolution on students’ aggressive behavior.
Q or Q
• This study administered a questionnaire to determine how social studies teachers felt about teaching world history to fifth graders.
• Likert-type scale 1 2 3 4 5• Open-ended question
When is Qualitative Research Appropriate?
• Theory development• Complexities and processes• Identify variables• Why something works or not• Looking at informal/unstructured linkages and
processes in organizations• Studying new phenomena
Disadvantages of Qualitative Res.
• Requires practice and training to be an observer
• Takes time, costly, difficult to replicate• Field notes are lengthy and difficult to
interpret• Observer may be biased• Difficult to write down everything• Active participation decreases validity
Advantages of Qualitative Res.
• Provides a complete picture of the environment being studied
• May provide a longitudinal perspective• Leads to new insights and hypotheses• Hypotheses are grounded in a naturalistic
setting• Less likely for researcher to overlook
phenomena that do not “fit” expectations
Get a taste• Asked of undergraduate seniors and MAT
students looking for initial certification:
• Overall at this point in your education, do you believe your college mathematics and science courses have contributed to your preparation as a teacher? What has influenced this belief?
• Review answers and come up with generalizations that you can back up!
Closure
• Flow of the research classes• Difference between qualitative and
quantitative methodologies• Concerns with qualitative methods• Idea of what kinds of questions can be
answered qualitatively• Feel for qualitative research
top related