Education EDU 503 Assignment 1
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GuidetoCompletingEDU503Assignmentsrevised5-4-20.docxEDU 503 Research Methods
Guide to Completing Assignments
Dear Students,
With the research emphasized in this program, it is recommended that you limit your research question to either form 1 (family of differences) or form 2 (family of relationships). A quantitative research question will often take one of four forms. The first two are more basic and the last two, more advanced.
1. What is the difference between groups on mean differences or frequencies?
2. What is the degree of relationship between/among variables?
3. What is the prediction of variable(s) from other variable(s)?
4. What is the structure of this instrument?
On the other hand, qualitative research is a more advanced research method that could be learned after quantitative research is mastered. Questions such as “Why do you prefer listening to rock music more than other music genres?” are much more open-ended and exploratory and may require more development than we can cover in this introductory applied research course. If you choose to do a qualitative proposal, please inform the instructor and he/she will assist you with it.
Please limit yourself to only one research question for these assignments. Following these suggestions may save you problems in the long run.
Here are steps to assist you in completing your assignments.
1. Start out by discussing a research problem and guiding question that you would like to investigate for your proposal. Please limit yourself to one problem and one guiding question your proposal.
2. Next, state the family of research you will engage in (differences or relationships), state your specific research question, indicate the type of research that your question lends itself to (descriptive or inferential) and explained why. Please limit yourself to one specific research question. In actual research, you are likely to have several specific research questions.
3. Third, identify and describe each of the variables ( independent and dependent variables for differences or correlational variables for relationship) that you are considering for your proposal. Also describe the scale of measurement that fits with your variables. Please limit yourself to one independent variable and one dependent variable or to two correlational variables. In actual research, you are likely to have multiple variables.
4. Finally, identify and describe a potential design of the study (such as descriptive survey research, correlational research, experimental research, quasi-experimental research, causal-comparative research, etc.) and tell why you are using this design. The design of the study fits with the research questions, hypotheses, and levels of measurement of the variables.
Here are steps to assist you in completing your assignments.
Often, there are two strands of quantitative research that our students follow: one strand is with the family of differences and the other strand is with the family of relationships. The examples that follow will exemplify both of these families of research. It will be to your advantage to decide on a family of research before beginning the second assignment. If you are unable to do this, the professor will help to guide you.
Case 1 Family of Differences
Problem:
Identify one research problem that you would like to investigate that is based on the literature you have reviewed thus far in your doctoral program.
At risk students have been identified as those students likely to do poorly academically without intervention.
Guiding Question:
Your next step will be to identify one guiding question(s) that may ultimately lead to several more specific research questions that will translate into your proposal.
What is the role of mentoring in assisting at risk student achievement?
Research Family (differences or relationships):
Differences
Research Question:
This is a researchable question that typically involves the difference in two groups on some type of dependent variable.
Is there a difference in frequency of students who attended a dual enrollment program in high school than for those who did not in terms of returning for their second year of college?
Descriptive or Descriptive & Inferential:
If you do a descriptive study, you will only be concerned with the population of subjects that you have selected. You would use only descriptive statistics (i.e., mean and standard deviation for a study on differences or a correlation coefficient for relationships) to describe your findings. You would not seek to generalize your findings to a larger population. You would not use a hypothesis but would only use your research question.
Research Question:
Is there a difference in at-risk student academic achievement between those who receive mentoring and those who do not?
Research Hypothesis:
There is a difference in at-risk student academic achievement between those who receive mentoring and those who do not.
Null Hypothesis:
There is no difference in at-risk student academic achievement between those who receive mentoring and those who do not.
Operational Definitions of Variables:
You need to operationally define your variables before you identify the levels and scale of measurement. Here are some examples for you to consider:
You are studying Differences between two levels of one independent variable on a dependent variable.
Independent Variable: Mentoring; Levels (1=yes; 2=no);
Scale of Measurement ____ nominal
Dependent Variable: At risk student achievement; (mean standardized achievement test scores on the XYZ Reading Test); Levels (there are no levels with interval variables)
Scale of Measurement ____ interval
Research Design (descriptive survey research, experimental research, quasi-experimental research, causal-comparative research, qualitative research, action research, etc.)
· If the data from this study are simply being collected after the fact and no actual treatment is being implemented, then the likely design is descriptive survey research causal-comparative research if you are doing a descriptive and inferential study.
· If treatment is being implemented but you are lacking either a control group or random assignment to groups, then your design is most likely doing quasi-experimental research or action research.
· If treatment is being implemented and you are using both a control group and random assignment to groups, then your design is most likely experimental research.
Case 2 Family of Relationships
Problem:
Identify one research problem that you would like to investigate that is based on the literature you have reviewed thus far in your doctoral program.
Studies have shown that lack of physical activity in the work place relates to lowered productivity.
Guiding Question:
Your next step will be to identify one guiding question(s) that may ultimately lead to several more specific research questions that will translate into your proposal.
How will presenting employees with opportunities for physical activities in the work place change productivity?
Research Family (differences or relationships):
Relationships
Research Question:
This is a researchable question that typically involves the relationship of two correlational variables.
Is there a relationship between work place physical activity and production?
Descriptive or Descriptive & Inferential:
If you do a descriptive study, you will only be concerned with the population of subjects that you have selected. You would use only descriptive statistics (i.e., mean and standard deviation for a study on differences or a correlation coefficient for relationships) to describe your findings. You would not seek to generalize your findings to a larger population. You would not use a hypothesis but would only use your research question.
Research Question:
Is there a relationship between work place physical activity and production?
Research Hypothesis:
There is a relationship between work place physical activity and production.
Null Hypothesis:
There is no relationship between work place physical activity and production.
Operational Definitions of Variables: You need to operationally define your variables before you identify the levels and scale of measurement. Here are some examples for you to consider:
You are studying Relationships among 2 correlational variables.
Correlational Variable #1 work place physical activity (the number of minutes per week on the average spent in the workplace gym exercising); levels (there are no levels with interval variables)
Scale of Measurement ____ interval
Correlational Variable #2 production; (annual sale in dollars) levels (there are no levels with interval variables)
Scale of Measurement ____ interval
Research Design (descriptive survey research, correlational research, qualitative research, action research, etc.)
· If you are researching relationship variables, then your design is most likely descriptive research or you are making inferences, then it may be descriptive and correlational research.
(Complete the form for either Case 1 or Case 2 but not both)
Case 1: Family of Differences
2. Problem identified in Literature Preview
3. Guiding Question:
Provide a brief narrative summary that will support your decisions.
4. Research Family (differences)
5. Research Question:
6. Descriptive or Descriptive & Inferential:
Provide a brief narrative summary that will support your decisions.
7. Research Hypothesis:
8. Null Hypothesis:
9. Independent Variable: Levels:
Scale of Measurement:
10. Dependent Variable: Levels:
Scale of Measurement:
Provide a brief narrative summary that will support your decisions.
11. Research Design:
Provide a brief narrative summary that will support your decisions.
12. Instrumentation – Dependent Measures (tied to your dependent variable)
13. Statistical Procedures
14. Definition of Terms in your proposal the common reader may not understand (at least 3)
15. Proposal Summary
16. APA Style Reference Page with every author cited in the literature preview
Case 2: Family of Relationships
2. Problem identified in Literature Preview
3. Guiding Question:
Provide a brief narrative summary that will support your decisions.
4. Research Family (relationships)
5. Research Question:
6. Descriptive or Descriptive & Inferential:
Provide a brief narrative summary that will support your decisions.
7. Research Hypothesis:
8. Null Hypothesis:
9. Correlational Variable #1: Levels:
Scale of Measurement:
10. Correlational Variable #2: Levels:
Scale of Measurement:
Provide a brief narrative summary that will support your decisions.
11. Research Design:
Provide a brief narrative summary that will support your decisions.
12. Instrumentation – Dependent Measures (tie to your correlational variables)
13. Statistical Procedures
14. Definition of Terms in your proposal the common reader may not understand (at least 3)
15. Proposal Summary
16. APA Style Reference Page with every author cited in the literature preview
