Educational Research for teachers

Winter 2013

Barbara Walker,

Wayne RESA Library Consultant

Walkerb@resa.net

734-334-1545

Focus of this workshop

To access professional reading materials to improve instruction

To meet legislative demands for research-based practices

Those involved in school improvement

Model how to find accurate, relevant information

Working on advanced degree

Workshop Overview

Research Strategies/models

Scientific Based Research def.

Sources of information

Searching tips

Evaluation of Resources

Today’s teachers required to:Use Best Practices

Use data based decision making

Provide proof of Scientific Based Research for funding

Model information literacy and research skills for students

Be evaluated based on data.

Defining Scientific Based Research

Defined in Elementary and Secondary School Education Act (No Child Left Behind Act) of 2001 in Title IX, Part A (37)

See handout!

Scientific Based Research – Hands on practice

Review & discuss article abstracts provided:

Are they research articles? Why or why not?

Would they qualify as SBR under federal guidelines?

Other ways these articles may be useful.

Research Models

Big Six

21st. Century Learners – ALA

University guidelines

Research Steps1: Select a topic.

2: Develop a topic statement.

3: Select appropriate research tools

4: Search for information

5: Evaluate relevancy of materials

6: Write the paper

7: Cite using a standard format

Starting your search - Define topic

State your topic in a clear short sentence.

Identify the concepts that reflect the main ideas in your research statement.

List keyword, synonyms, related terms and plurals.

Search tips

HELPAdvanced vs. basic levelBooleanField searchingLimit/expand

Scholarly or peer reviewedDate, etc.

Phrase searchingTruncation/wildcards/pluralControlled vocabulary

Boolean Operator

George Boole, 1815-64 mathematician & logician

And

OR

NOT

Sources of information

MeLCat (library resources)

MeL databasesAcademic One Collection

Eric

M.O.R.E

Recommended Websites

Recommended Internet Sites

Teachingforlearning.org - MDE

Do What Works http://dww.ed.gov

What Works Clearinghouse - Institute of education sciences http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc

Google Scholar

CARS checklist forevaluation of websites

Credibility

Accuracy

Reasonableness

SupportEvaluating Internet Research Sources by Robert Harris (see

handout)

s

And don’t forget to cite:

EasyBib http://easybib.com

Son of Citation machine http://citationmachine.net

KnightCite http://www.calvin.edu/library/knightcite/index.php