Research Methods in Education introduces research methods as an integrated set of techniques for investigating questions about the educational world. This lively, innovative text helps students connect technique and substance, appreciate the value of both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, and make ethical research decisions. It weaves actual research 'stories’ into the presentation of research topics, and it emphasizes validity, authenticity, and practical significance as overarching research goals.
The text is divided into three sections:
Foundations of Research (five chapters),
Research Design and Data Collection (seven chapters), and
Analyzing and Reporting Data (three chapters). This tripartite conceptual framework honors traditional quantitative approaches while reflecting the growing popularity of qualitative studies, mixed method designs, and school-based techniques. This approach provides a comprehensive, conceptually unified, and well-written introduction to the exciting but complex field of educational research.
Spis treści
Preface
Part I. Foundations of Research
1. Science, Schooling, and Educational Research
Learning About the Educational World
The Educational Research Approach
Educational Research Philosophies
Conclusions
2. The Process and Problems of Educational Research
Educational Research Questions
Educational Research Basics
The Role of Educational Theory
Educational Research Goals
Educational Research Proposals, Part I
Conclusions
3. Ethics in Research
Historical Background
Ethical Principles
Conclusions
4. Conceptualization and Measurement
Concepts
Measurement Operations
Levels of Measurement
Evaluating Measures
Conclusions
5. Sampling
Sample Planning
Sampling Methods
Sampling Distributions
Conclusions
Part II. Research Design and Data Collection
6. Causation and Research Design
Causal Explanation
Criteria for Causal Explanations
Types of Research Designs
True Experimental Designs
Quasi-Experimental Designs
Threats to Validity in Experimental Designs
Nonexperiments
Conclusions
7. Evaluation Research
What Is Evaluation Research?
What Can an Evaluation Study Focus On?
How Can the Program Be Described? Creating a Program Logic Model
What Are the Alternatives in Evaluation Design?
Ethical Issues in Evaluation Research
Conclusions
8. Survey Research
Why Is Survey Research So Popular?
Errors in Survey Research
Questionnaire Design
Writing Questions
Survey Design Alternatives
Combining Methods
Survey Research Design in a Diverse Society
Ethical Issues in Survey Research
Conclusions
9. Qualitative Methods: Observing, Participating, Listening
Fundamentals of Qualitative Research
Participant Observation
Intensive Interviewing
Focus Groups
Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Methods
Ethical Issues in Qualitative Research
Conclusions
10. Single-Subject Design
Foundations of Single-Subject Design
Measuring Targets of Intervention
Types of Single-Subject Designs
Analyzing Single-Subject Designs
Ethical Issues in Single-Subject Design
Conclusions
11. Mixing and Comparing Methods and Studies
Mixed Methods
Comparing Reserch Designs
Performing Meta-Analyses
Conclusions
12. Teacher Research and Action Research
Teacher Research: Three Case Studies
Teacher Research: A Self-Planning Outline for Creating Your Own Project
Action Research and How It Differs From Teacher Research
Validity and Ethical Issues in Teacher Research and Action Research
Conclusions
Part III. Analyzing and Reporting Data
13. Quantitative Data Analysis
Why We Need Statistics
Preparing Data for Analysis
Displaying Univariate Distributions
Summarizing Univariate Distributions
Relationships (Associations) Among Variables
Presenting Data Ethically: How Not to Lie With Statistics
Conclusions
14. Qualitative Data Analysis
Features of Qualitative Data Analysis
Techniques of Qualitative Data Analysis
Alternatives in Qualitative Data Analysis
Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis
Ethics in Qualitative Data Analysis
Conclusions
15. Proposing and Reporting Research
Educational Research Proposals, Part II
Reporting Research
Ethics, Politics, and Research Reports
Conclusions
Appendix A: Questions to Ask About a Research Article
Appendix B: How to Read a Research Article
Appendix C: Finding Information, by Elizabeth Schneider and Russell K. Schutt
Appendix D: Table of Random Numbers
Glossary
References
Author Index
Subject Index
About the Authors
O autorze
Russell K. Schutt, Ph D, is professor emeritus of sociology at the University of Massachusetts Boston, where he received the 2007 Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Service and taught from 1979 to 2022. He is also a Clinical Research Scientist I at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and a Lecturer (part-time) in the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School. He completed his BA, MA, and Ph D degrees at the University of Illinois at Chicago and was a postdoctoral fellow in the Sociology of Social Control Training Program at Yale University (where he met Dan). In addition to ten editions of Investigating the Social World: The Process and Practice of Research and one of Understanding the Social World, as well as coauthored versions for the fields of social work, criminal justice, psychology, and education, his other books include Homelessness, Housing, and Mental Illness (2011), Social Neuroscience: Brain, Mind, and Society (coedited, 2015), and Organization in a Changing Environment (1986). He has authored and coauthored more than 65 peer reviewed journal articles, as well as book chapters and research reports on homelessness, mental health, organizations, law, and teaching research methods. His currently a Dual Principal Investigator (with Matcheri Keshavan, MD) in randomized comparative effectiveness trial of two socially-oriented interventions to improve community functioning among persons diagnosed with serious mental illness, funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). His other recently concluded research includes co-principal investigator on a National Science Foundation-funded study of the social impact of the pandemic in Boston, and co-investigator on a Veterans Health Administration-funded study of peer support. His earlier research has been funded by the National Cancer Institute, the Veterans Health Administration, the National Institute of Mental Health, the Fetzer Institute, and state agencies. Details are available at https://blogs.umb.edu/russellkschutt/.