Research Methods in Education: An Introduction

Wiersma W. Research Methods in Education_An Introduction (A&B,7 ed.,2000)(ISBN 0205284922)(600dpi)(483p) ......Page 3
Copyright ......Page 4
Contents v ......Page 6
Preface xvii ......Page 18
Acknowledgments xix ......Page 20
Introduction 1 ......Page 22
The Nature of Educational Research 2 ......Page 23
The Systematic Process of Research 3 ......Page 24
Internal Validity 4 ......Page 25
External Validity 6 ......Page 27
The Reliability of Educational Research 8 ......Page 29
Classification of Educational Research 9 ......Page 30
Basic and Applied Research 10 ......Page 31
General Methods of Research 13 ......Page 32
Survey Research 14 ......Page 35
Ethnographic Research 15 ......Page 36
The Role of Theory 17 ......Page 38
The Activities of the Research Process 19 ......Page 40
Summarizing Results and Drawing Conclusions 21 ......Page 42
The Function of Educational Research 23 ......Page 44
Exercises 25 ......Page 46
Reference 26......Page 47
Selection of a Research Problem 27 ......Page 48
Statement of the Research Problem 29 ......Page 50
Independent and Dependent Variables 32 ......Page 53
Other Possible Types of Variables 33 ......Page 54
Variables as They Are Measured 35 ......Page 56
Operational Definition 36 ......Page 57
Hypotheses and the Statement of the Problem 37 ......Page 58
Types and Forms of Hypotheses 39 ......Page 60
Examples of Hypotheses Related to Problem Statements 42 ......Page 63
Summary 48 ......Page 69
Exercises 49 ......Page 70
Reference 51 ......Page 72
3 The Review of the Literature 52-81 ......Page 73
Sources of Information 53 ......Page 74
Education Index 54 ......Page 75
An Example Using CIJE and RIE 56 ......Page 77
Other Indexes and Abstracts 60 ......Page 81
Review of Educational Research (RER) 61 ......Page 82
Abstracts and Reports in Periodicals 62 ......Page 83
Theses and Dissertations 63 ......Page 84
Books 64 ......Page 85
Computer Searches 65 ......Page 86
Limiting or Broadening a Search 66 ......Page 87
Searching a Database for a Specific Research Problem 67......Page 88
Selecting Studies for the Review of the Literature 70 ......Page 91
Assembling and Summarizing Information 73 ......Page 94
Abstract or Summary 74 ......Page 95
Interpreting and Using Information 75 ......Page 96
Critical Review 76 ......Page 97
Referencing 77 ......Page 98
Preparing the Bibliography 78 ......Page 99
Summary 79 ......Page 100
Exercises 80 ......Page 101
References 81 ......Page 102
The Purposes of Research Design 82 ......Page 103
The Concept of Controlling Variance 83 ......Page 104
Randomization 84 ......Page 105
Building in Factors as Independent Variables 86 ......Page 107
Holding Factors Constant 87 ......Page 108
Statistical Control 88 ......Page 109
Using Procedures for Control in Combination 90 ......Page 111
Freedom from Confounding 92 ......Page 113
Freedom from Bias 92 ......Page 112
Summary 93 ......Page 114
Exercises 94 ......Page 115
References 96 ......Page 117
The Meaning of Experimental Design 97 ......Page 118
Experimental Variables 99 ......Page 120
Criteria for a Well-Designed Experiment 100 ......Page 121
Experimental Validity 101 ......Page 122
Threats to Experimental Validity 103 ......Page 124
Posttest-Only Control Group Design 105 ......Page 126
Pretest-Posttest Control Group Design 107 ......Page 128
Solomon Four-Group Design 109 ......Page 130
Factorial Designs 111 ......Page 132
Repeated Measures Designs 114 ......Page 135
Designs Extended in Time 116 ......Page 137
Time Series Designs 118 ......Page 139
Interpreting Results of Experiments 119 ......Page 140
Randomness and Representativeness 123 ......Page 144
Exercises 124 ......Page 145
References 127 ......Page 148
The Problems of Validity 128 ......Page 149
Posttest-Only, Nonequivalent Control Group Design 129 ......Page 150
Pretest-Posttest, Nonequivalent Control Group Design 132 ......Page 153
Time Series Designs 134 ......Page 155
Single-Group Time Series Design 135 ......Page 136
Multiple-Group Time Series Design 137 ......Page 158
Variations in Time Series Designs 139 ......Page 160
Single-Subject Designs 140 ......Page 161
A-B Design 141 ......Page 162
A-B-A Design 143 ......Page 164
A-B-A-B Design 145 ......Page 166
Multiple-Baseline Design Across Behaviors 148 ......Page 169
Multiple-Baseline Design Across Situations 149 ......Page 170
Action Research and Quasi-Experimental Research 150 ......Page 171
Summary 153 ......Page 174
Exercises 154 ......Page 175
References 156 ......Page 177
Survey Research: Its Scope and Description 157 ......Page 178
Causal-Comparative Research Examples 158 ......Page 179
Correlational Research Examples 159 ......Page 180
Other Survey Research 160 ......Page 181
Longitudinal Designs 161 ......Page 182
Cross-Sectional Designs 163 ......Page 184
The Methodology of Survey Research 164 ......Page 185
Questionnaire Surveys 166 ......Page 187
Item Construction 169 ......Page 190
Item Format 170 ......Page 191
Pilot Run of the Items 171 ......Page 192
The Cover Letter 172 ......Page 193
Questionnaire Format 173 ......Page 194
Procedures for Increasing Response Rate 175 ......Page 196
Follow-up Procedures 177 ......Page 198
Identifying Sources of Nonresponse 178 ......Page 199
Incomplete and Possible Dishonest Response 179 ......Page 200
Community Surveys 180 ......Page 201
Interview Surveys 183 ......Page 204
Interview Items 185 ......Page 206
Conducting the Interview 186 ......Page 207
Potential Sources of Error 188 ......Page 209
Telephone Interviews 189 ......Page 210
Other Surveys 190 ......Page 211
Analyzing and Reporting Survey Results 191 ......Page 212
Hypothetical Example 2 192 ......Page 213
Summary 193 ......Page 214
Exercises 194 ......Page 215
References 196 ......Page 217
The Epistemology of Qualitative Research 198 ......Page 219
Working Design 200 ......Page 221
Data Collection 201 ......Page 222
Data Analysis and Interpretation 202 ......Page 223
Possible Codes 203 ......Page 224
Coding Examples 204 ......Page 225
Types of Designs in Qualitative Research 206 ......Page 227
Perspectives for Qualitative Research 207 ......Page 228
Example: Funnel Approach 208 ......Page 229
Example: Modified Analytic Induction Approach 210 ......Page 231
Reliability and Validity of Qualitative Research 211 ......Page 232
Capabilities of Computer Software in Qualitative Research 212......Page 233
Exercises 215 ......Page 236
References 217 ......Page 238
9. Historical Research 218-236 ......Page 239
The Value of Historical Research 219 ......Page 240
The Methodology of Historical Research 221 ......Page 242
Identification of the Research Problem 222 ......Page 243
Describing a Distribution of Scores 325 ......Page 246
Internal Criticism 226 ......Page 247
Synthesis of Information 227 ......Page 248
Analysis, Interpretation, and Formulating 228 ......Page 249
Quantitative Methods in Historical Research 229 ......Page 250
Comments on the Reporting of Historical Research 230 ......Page 251
Reports in Professional Journals 231 ......Page 252
Summary 233 ......Page 254
Exercises 234 ......Page 255
References 235 ......Page 256
The Nature of Ethnography in Education 237 ......Page 258
The Phenomenological Nature 238 ......Page 259
The Naturalistic Nature 239 ......Page 260
A Conceptual Schema for Ethnographic Research 240 ......Page 261
The Process of Ethnographic Research 242 ......Page 263
Identification of the Phenomenon to Be Studied 244 ......Page 265
Identification of Subjects 246 ......Page 267
Data Collection 247 ......Page 268
Observation 248 ......Page 269
Videotaping 249 ......Page 270
Reviewing Other Sources 250 ......Page 271
Triangulation 251 ......Page 272
Analysis 252 ......Page 273
Coding 253 ......Page 274
Use of Numbers 254 ......Page 275
Drawing Conclusions 256 ......Page 277
Examples of Ethnographic Research in Education 256 ......Page 278
The Reliability and Validity of Ethnographic Research 259 ......Page 280
Reliability 260 ......Page 281
Use of a Random Number Table 271 ......Page 292
The Role of Ethnographic Research 264 ......Page 285
Summary 265 ......Page 286
Exercises 266 ......Page 287
References 267 ......Page 288
The Concept of a Random Sample 269 ......Page 290
Random Selection and Random Assignment 270 ......Page 291
Use of the Computer in Sample Selection 273 ......Page 294
Sampling Error and Sampling Bias 274 ......Page 295
Criteria for a Sampling Design 275 ......Page 296
Stratified Random Sampling 276 ......Page 298
Allocation of Sample Size Among Strata 277 ......Page 299
Cluster Sampling 279 ......Page 300
Systematic Sampling 280 ......Page 301
Possible Problem of Periodicity 281 ......Page 302
Considerations in Determining Sample Size—Random Sampling 282......Page 303
Purposeful Sampling 284 ......Page 305
Comprehensive Sampling 285 ......Page 306
Extreme Case Sampling 286 ......Page 307
Other Variations of Purposeful Sampling 287 ......Page 308
Sample Size of Purposeful Samples 288 ......Page 309
Summary 291 ......Page 312
Key Concepts 292 ......Page 313
References 294 ......Page 315
Concepts of Measurement 295 ......Page 316
Types of Measurement Scales 296 ......Page 317
Empirical Procedures for Estimating Reliability 297 ......Page 318
Validity of Measurement 299 ......Page 320
Content-Related Evidence 300 ......Page 321
Construct-Related Evidence 301 ......Page 322
The Variables Measured in Educational Research 302 ......Page 323
Achievement Tests in Academic and Skills Areas 303 ......Page 324
Likert Scale 305 ......Page 326
Semantic Differential 307 ......Page 328
Aptitude Tests 309 ......Page 330
Personality Measures 310 ......Page 331
Rating Scales 311 ......Page 332
Observation Systems 312 ......Page 333
Measures Involving Holistic Scoring 314 ......Page 335
Where to Find Test Information 315 ......Page 336
Coding Data 316 ......Page 337
Summary 318 ......Page 339
Exercises 320 ......Page 341
References 322 ......Page 343
The Multiple Meanings of Statistics 323 ......Page 344
Distributions 324 ......Page 245
Measures of Central Tendency 325 ......Page 346
Measures of Variability 326 ......Page 347
Shapes of Distributions 327 ......Page 348
Properties of Standard Scores 328 ......Page 349
Correlation—A Measure of Relationship 330 ......Page 351
Uses of Correlation 333 ......Page 354
Different Correlation Coefficients 334 ......Page 355
Data Analysis by Computer 336 ......Page 357
Summary 340 ......Page 361
Exercises 341 ......Page 362
Note 343 ......Page 364
Context for Using Inferential Statistics 344 ......Page 365
Testing Hypotheses and Estimating Parameters 345 ......Page 366
Concept of Sampling Distribution 346 ......Page 367
Building a Confidence Interval—The Example Continued  350......Page 371
Possible Errors in Hypothesis Testing 351 ......Page 372
Inferences from Statistics to Parameters: A Review 352 ......Page 373
The t-Distribution—Another Sampling Distribution 354 ......Page 375
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) 356 ......Page 377
The Chi-Square (x^2) Test and Distribution 362 ......Page 383
Correlational Analyses 365 ......Page 386
Analysis of Covariance 367 ......Page 388
Selecting an Appropriate Statistical Analysis 368 ......Page 389
Comments About Statistical Analysis 370 ......Page 391
Meta-Analysis 371 ......Page 392
Summary 374 ......Page 395
Exercises 375 ......Page 396
References 378 ......Page 399
Major Sections of the Research Proposal 379 ......Page 400
Identification of the Problem 380 ......Page 401
Review of the Literature 382 ......Page 403
Methods or Procedures 385 ......Page 406
Significance of the Proposed Research 387 ......Page 408
Budget 388 ......Page 409
Major Sections of the Research Report 389 ......Page 410
Introduction, Including the Statement of the Problem 390 ......Page 411
Methods or Procedures 391 ......Page 412
Results 392 ......Page 413
Use of Tables 393 ......Page 414
Conclusions, Recommendations, and Implications 395 ......Page 416
Abstract 396 ......Page 417
Appendix 397 ......Page 418
Putting a Report Together 398 ......Page 419
Software for Word Processing 399 ......Page 420
Guidelines for Presenting Papers at Meetings 400 ......Page 421
Presentations to Dissertation and Thesis Committees 402 ......Page 423
Summary 403 ......Page 424
Exercises 404 ......Page 425
References 405 ......Page 426
Types of Errors and Shortcomings in Reports 407 ......Page 428
Introduction 408 ......Page 429
Methods or Procedures 409 ......Page 430
Results 410 ......Page 431
Conclusions, Recommendations, and Implications 411 ......Page 432
Overall Impressions When Evaluating a Report 412 ......Page 433
Quality of the Proposed Research 413 ......Page 434
Summary 414 ......Page 435
Key Concepts 415 ......Page 
References 415 ......Page 436
Appendix 1 Conducting a CD-ROM Search Using SilverPIatter 416......Page 437
Appendix 2 Ethical and Legal Considerations in Conducting Research 418 ......Page 439
Appendix 3 Solutions to Exercises 423 ......Page 444
Appendix 4 Tables 443 ......Page 464
Table A. Ordinates and Areas of the Normal Curve 444 ......Page 465
Table B. Critical Values of t 446 ......Page 467
Table C. Upper Percentage Points of the x^2 Distribution 447 ......Page 468
Table D. Upper Percentage Points of the E-Distribution 448 ......Page 469
Table E. Critical Values of the Correlation Coefficient 454 ......Page 475
Glossary of Research Methods Terms 455 ......Page 476
Name Index 463 ......Page 484
Subject Index 465 ......Page 486
Disk Instructions 475 ......Page 496
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