Educational Research

Chapter 3Preparing and Evaluating a Research Plan

Gay and Airasian

Topics Discussed in this Chapter

Characteristics of a research plan General considerations in

developing a research plan Components of a research plan Evaluation of a research plan

Characteristics of a Research Plan

A research plan is a detailed description of the procedures that will be used to investigate your topic or problem

Characteristics of a Research Plan

General components of a research plan Justification for the hypotheses or

exploration of the research problem Detailed presentation of the steps to

be followed in conducting the study

Characteristics of a Research Plan

A quantitative plan will… state the hypothesis, determine the participants, select measuring instruments, choose a specific research design, specify procedures to conduct the study,

and stipulate the statistical techniques.

Characteristics of a Research Plan

A qualitative plan will… identify the general research issue, explain how the researcher intends to gain

entry to the research site, identify the participants, estimate the time that will be spent in the field, determine the best ways to collect data, and identify appropriate ways to analyze the data.

Characteristics of a Research Plan

Purposes of a written research plan Forces the researcher to think

through every aspect of the study Facilitates the evaluation of the

proposed study Provides detailed procedures to guide

the conduct of the study

General Considerations

Three general issues to consider when developing a research plan Ethics of research Legal restrictions Co-operation from participants

General Considerations Ethics of research

Six ethical principles Competence Integrity Professional and scientific responsibility Respect for people’s rights and dignity Concern for other’s welfare Social responsibility

General Considerations

Ethics of research Additional ethical issues in qualitative

research Unique emerging nature of qualitative designs

increase the likelihood of unanticipated and unreviewed ethical issues

Unique personal involvement and engagement of the researcher with the research context and participants raise issues related to the objective collection and interpretation of data as well as the possibility of observing potentially illegal or unprofessional behavior

General Considerations

Legal restrictions National Research Act of 1974

Protects participants Protection from harm Informed consent

Stipulates that proposed research activities involving human subjects must be reviewed and approved by an authorized group

Internal Review Boards and Committees on Human Subjects

General Considerations

Legal restrictions Family Educational Rights and Privacy

Act of 1974 Protects student’s privacy

Access to student’s records Need for written permission to use data

identifying students Known as the Buckley Amendment

General Considerations

Deception Situations in which complete information

related to the study is not given to participants

Focus is on the likelihood that such information would influence or change participant’s responses

Some research studies can be negatively affected by informing participants of certain details

Use of deceptive practices must be undertaken very, very carefully

General Considerations Cooperation of participants

Gaining entry to the research site Approval needed at several levels

Site Administrators Teachers Students

Approval is not cooperation

General Considerations

Cooperation from participants Strategies to enhance cooperation

Clearly explain the benefits of the study Afford stakeholders the opportunity to

review drafts of the report for their approval

Brief stakeholders on the findings Provide professional development

sessions for stakeholders

Components of a Research Plan

Five major components Introduction Method Data analysis Time Schedule Budget

Components of a Research Plan Introduction

Three sections Statement of the topic Review of the literature Statement of hypotheses

Statement of the topic The topic is identified with a discussion of the

background and rationale Quantitative topics are stated at the beginning of

the research plan while qualitative statements emerge as the research is conducted

Components of a Research Plan

Introduction (continued) Review of the literature

Provides an overview of the topic and positions the study in the context of what is known, and more importantly what is not known, about the topic

Quantitative reviews are done in the beginning of the study while qualitative reviews are ongoing as issues are identified

Components of a Research Plan

Introduction (continued) Statement of hypotheses

A formal statement specifying the hypothesis, support for specific expected relationships between variables, and operational definitions of all variables

Quantitative statements reflect deductively reasoned hypotheses while qualitative studies do not usually discuss hypotheses

Components of a Research Plan

Method Five sections

Participants Instruments Materials/apparatus Design Procedures

Participants Identifies the number, source, characteristics of the

population and sample, and sampling procedures Quantitative studies identify large samples and probability

sampling techniques while qualitative studies identify small samples and non-probability sampling techniques

Components of a Research Plan Method (continued)

Instruments Descriptions of the specific measures of

each variable, the technical characteristics of the instruments, and the administration and scoring of the instruments

Quantitative studies describe non-interactive instruments (e.g., tests, questionnaires, surveys, etc,) while qualitative studies describe interactive techniques (e.g., interviews and unstructured observations)

Components of a Research Plan Method (continued)

Materials/apparatus Descriptions of specific material such as

manuals, computer programs, etc.) Design

Descriptions of the basic structure of the study and the specific research design chosen

Quantitative studies describe structured, static designs while qualitative studies describe flexible, emergent designs

Components of a Research Plan Method (continued)

Procedures Detailed descriptions of all the major

steps that will be followed in conducting the study, assumptions of the study, and limitations of the study

Quantitative and qualitative studies differ in terms of the emphasis placed on different steps, but they do not differ in terms of the steps discussed

Components of a Research Plan

Data analysis Descriptions of the techniques used

to analyze the data Quantitative studies focus on the

selection and application of appropriate statistical procedures to analyze numerical data while qualitative studies use appropriate procedures to interpret narrative data

Components of a Research Plan

Time schedule Description of the major activities and

corresponding anticipated completion dates

Budget Descriptions of anticipated costs that

are likely to be incurred

Evaluation of a Research Plan Informal assessment

Critiques by the researcher, advisors, peers and colleagues, etc.

Critiques by experienced researchers Formal assessment

Field tests Pilot studies

Modifications based on the results of both informal and formal evaluations