Conducting Educational Research by Tuckman, Bruce W. -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

PART 1 Introduction

Chapter 1 The Role of Research

■ What Is Research? ■ Validity in Research ■ Internal and External Validity ■ Dealing With Reality ■ Survey Research ■ Characteristics of the Research Process ■ Some Ethical Considerations ■ Steps in the Research Process ■ Self-Evaluations

PART 2 Fundamental Steps of Research

Chapter 2 Selecting a Problem

■ Characteristics of a Problem ■ Narrowing the Range of Problems ■ Classroom Research Problems ■ Another Problem Framework ■ Programmatic Research as a Source of Problems ■ Specific Considerations in Choosing a Problem

Chapter 3 Reviewing the Literature

■ The Purpose of the Review ■ Literature Review sources ■ Conducting a Literature Search ■ Reviewing and Abstracting ■ Writing the Literature Review

Chapter 4 Identifying and Labeling Variables

■ A Research Question and its Variables ■ The Independent Variable ■ The Dependent Variable ■ The Relationship Between Independent and dependent variables ■ The Moderator Variable ■ Control Variables ■ Intervening Variables ■ The Combined Variables ■ Some Considerations for Variable Choice

Chapter 5 Constructing hypotheses and meta-analyses

■ Formulating Hypotheses ■ Hypotheses Based on Conceptualizing ■ Going From Theory to Hypotheses: An Example ■ Meta-Analysis: Constructing Hypotheses by Synthesizing Past Research ■ Some Further Illustrations ■ Testing a Hypothesis

Chapter 6 Constructing operational definitions of variables

■ Why have operational Definitions? ■ Basing an Operational Definition on Observable Criteria ■ Alternative Ways of Generating Operational Definitions ■ The Criterion of Exclusiveness ■ Operational Definitions and the Research Process ■ The Research Spectrum

PART 3 Types of Research

Chapter 7 Applying Design Criteria Internal and External Validity

Chapter 8 Experimental Research Designs

■ A Shorthand for Displaying Designs ■ Preexperimental Designs (Non-Designs) ■ True Experimental Designs ■ Factorial Designs ■ Quasi-Experimental Designs ■ Ex post Facto designs ■ Designs to Control for External Validity Based on Reactive Effects

Chapter 9 Correlational and Causal-Comparative studies

■ Correlational Research ■ Steps to Conducting a Correlational Study ■ Causal-Comparative Research ■ Longitudinal Research ■ Threats to Internal and External validity for the Three Designs

Chapter 10 Identifying and Describing Procedures for Observation and Mesurement

■ Test Reliability ■ Test Validity ■ Types of Measurement Scales ■ Ordinal Scales ■ Describing Test Performances ■ Standardized, or Norm-Referenced, Tests ■ Criterion-Referenced Tests ■ Constructing a Paper-and-Pencil Performance Test ■ Constructing a Scale ■ Constructing an Observation Recording Device

■ What is survey Research? ■ What do Questionnaires and interviews measure? ■ Question Formats: How to Ask the Questions ■ Response modes: how to answer the Questions ■ Constructing a Questionnaire or Interview Schedule ■ Sampling Procedures ■ Procedures for Administering a Questionnaire ■ Conducting an interview study ■ Coding and scoring

PART 4 Concluding Steps of Research

Chapter 12 Carrying out statistical analyses

■ Measures of Central tendency and variability ■ Coding and Rostering data ■ Choosing the appropriate statistical test ■ Carrying out parametric statistical tests ■ Correlation and Regression analyses ■ Carrying out nonparametric statistical tests

Chapter 13 Writing a Research Report

■ The Research proposal ■ The Introduction Section ■ The Method Section ■ The Results Section ■ The Discussion Section ■ The References ■ The Abstract ■ Preparing Tables ■ Preparing Figures and Graphs ■ Getting an Article Published

PART 5 Additional Approaches

Chapter 14 Conducting Evaluation studies

■ Formative Versus Summative Evaluation ■ A Model for Summative Evaluation ■ Defining the Goals of a Program ■ Measuring the Goals of a Program (the Dependent Variable) ■ Assessing Attainment of a Program’s Goals ■ Design, Data Collection, and Statistical Analysis

Chapter 15 Qualitative Research Concepts and Analyses

■ Characteristics of Qualitative Research ■ Identifying General Research Problems ■ Specifying the Questions to Answer ■ Research Methodology ■ Data Sources ■ Conducting a Case Study ■ Analyzing the Data and Preparing the Report

Chapter 16 Action Research

■ What Is Action Research? ■ Assumptions That Guide Action Research ■ The Process of Action Research ■ Evaluating Action Research

PART 6 The “Consumer” of Research

Chapter 17 Analyzing and Critiquing a Research Study

■ The Introductory Section ■ The Method Section ■ The Results and Discussion Sections ■ A Sample Research Report: Analysis and Critique ■ An Example Evaluation

PART 7 Appendixes

Appendix A Tables Appendix B Worksheets for Performing Statistical Tests

References About the Authors