Educational Research

Educational Research: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Approaches by R. Burke Johnson and Larry Christensen offers a comprehensive, easily digestible introduction to research methods for undergraduate and graduate students.

Educational Research: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Approaches by R. Burke Johnson and Larry Christensen offers a comprehensive, easily digestible introduction to research methods for undergraduate and graduate students. Readers will develop an understanding of the multiple research methods and strategies used in education and related fields, including how to read and critically evaluate published research and how to write a proposal, construct a questionnaire, and conduct an empirical research study on their own. TheSeventh Edition maintains the features that made this book a best-seller, including attention-grabbing chapter-opening vignettes, lively examples that engage student interest, a conversational and friendly writing style, and more. With the support of this highly readable text, readers will transform into critical consumers and users of research.

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PREFACE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
PART I. INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1. Introduction to Educational Research
WHY STUDY EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH?
AREAS OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
EXAMPLES OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
GENERAL KINDS OF RESEARCH
SOURCES OF KNOWLEDGE
THE SCIENTIFIC APPROACH TO KNOWLEDGE GENERATION
OBJECTIVES OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
DISPOSITIONS OF A GOOD RESEARCHER
OVERVIEW OF THIS BOOK
SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
RESEARCH EXERCISES
RELEVANT INTERNET SITES
RECOMMENDED READING
CHAPTER 2. Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Research
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE THREE RESEARCH PARADIGMS
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS: EXPERIMENTAL AND NONEXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS
MIXED RESEARCH (OR MIXED METHODS RESEARCH)
OUR RESEARCH TYPOLOGY
SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
RESEARCH EXERCISES
RELEVANT INTERNET SITES
RECOMMENDED READING
CHAPTER 3. Action Research for Lifelong Learning
DEFINING ACTION RESEARCH
ORIGINS OF ACTION RESEARCH
BASIC SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH VERSUS ACTION RESEARCH
TYPES OF ACTION RESEARCH
THE CYCLE OF ACTION RESEARCH
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF ACTION RESEARCH
ACTION RESEARCH JOURNALING
ACTION RESEARCH IN THE REMAINING CHAPTERS OF THIS BOOK
SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
RESEARCH EXERCISES
RELEVANT INTERNET SITES
RECOMMENDED READING
NOTE
PART II. PLANNING THE RESEARCH STUDY
CHAPTER 4. How to Critically Review the Literature and Develop Good Research Questions
SOURCES OF RESEARCH IDEAS
IDEAS THAT CAN’T BE RESOLVED THROUGH EMPIRICAL RESEARCH
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
FEASIBILITY OF THE STUDY
STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM
STATEMENT OF THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
STATEMENT OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS
FORMULATING HYPOTHESES
CONSUMER USE OF THE LITERATURE
ACTION RESEARCH REFLECTION
SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
PROPOSAL EXERCISES
RELEVANT INTERNET SITES
RECOMMENDED READING
CHAPTER 5. How to Write a Research Proposal
FRAMEWORK OF THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL
STRATEGIES FOR WRITING EACH SECTION OF THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL
STRATEGIES FOR EVALUATING YOUR RESEARCH PROPOSAL
ACTION RESEARCH REFLECTION
SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
PROPOSAL EXERCISE
RELEVANT INTERNET SITES
RECOMMENDED READING
CHAPTER 6. Research Ethics
WHAT ARE RESEARCH ETHICS?
ETHICAL CONCERNS
ETHICAL GUIDELINES FOR RESEARCH WITH HUMANS
INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD
ETHICAL ISSUES IN ELECTRONIC RESEARCH
ETHICAL ISSUES IN PREPARING THE RESEARCH REPORT
ACTION RESEARCH REFLECTION
SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
RESEARCH EXERCISES
PROPOSAL EXERCISES
RELEVANT INTERNET SITES
RECOMMENDED READING
PART III. FOUNDATIONS OF RESEARCH
CHAPTER 7. Standardized Measurement and Assessment
DEFINING MEASUREMENT
SCALES OF MEASUREMENT
ASSUMPTIONS UNDERLYING TESTING AND ASSESSMENT
IDENTIFYING A GOOD TEST OR ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE
RELIABILITY
VALIDITY
USING RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY INFORMATION IN YOUR RESEARCH
EDUCATIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS
SOURCES OF INFORMATION ABOUT TESTS
ACTION RESEARCH REFLECTION
SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
RESEARCH EXERCISES
PROPOSAL EXERCISES
RELEVANT INTERNET SITES
RECOMMENDED READING
NOTES
CHAPTER 8. Methods of Data Collection in Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Research
MIXING METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION
TESTS
QUESTIONNAIRES
INTERVIEWS
FOCUS GROUPS
OBSERVATION
CONSTRUCTED, SECONDARY, AND EXISTING DATA
ACTION RESEARCH REFLECTION
SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
RESEARCH EXERCISES
RELEVANT INTERNET SITES
RECOMMENDED READING
CHAPTER 9. How to Construct a Questionnaire
WHAT IS A QUESTIONNAIRE?
PRINCIPLES OF QUESTIONNAIRE CONSTRUCTION
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
ACTION RESEARCH REFLECTION
SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
RESEARCH EXERCISES
PROPOSAL EXERCISE
RELEVANT INTERNET SITES
RECOMMENDED READING
NOTES
CHAPTER 10. Sampling in Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Research
TERMINOLOGY USED IN SAMPLING
RANDOM SAMPLING TECHNIQUES
NONRANDOM SAMPLING TECHNIQUES
RANDOM SELECTION AND RANDOM ASSIGNMENT
DETERMINING THE SAMPLE SIZE WHEN RANDOM SAMPLING IS USED
SAMPLING IN QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
SAMPLING IN MIXED RESEARCH
ACTION RESEARCH REFLECTION
SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
RESEARCH EXERCISES
PROPOSAL EXERCISES
RELEVANT INTERNET SITES
RECOMMENDED READING
NOTES
CHAPTER 11. Validity of Research Results in Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Research
VALIDITY ISSUES IN THE DESIGN OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
INTERNAL VALIDITY (I.E., CAUSATION VALIDITY)
EXTERNAL VALIDITY (I.E., GENERALIZING VALIDITY)
CONSTRUCT VALIDITY
STATISTICAL CONCLUSION VALIDITY
RESEARCH VALIDITY (OR “TRUSTWORTHINESS”) IN QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
RESEARCH VALIDITY (OR “LEGITIMATION”) IN MIXED (METHODS) RESEARCH
ACTION RESEARCH REFLECTION
SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
RESEARCH EXERCISES
RELEVANT INTERNET SITES
RECOMMENDED READING
NOTES
PART IV. SELECTING A RESEARCH METHOD
Section A. Quantitative Research Methods: Five Major Approaches
CHAPTER 12. Experimental Research: Weak and Strong Designs
THE EXPERIMENT
EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH SETTINGS
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE MANIPULATION
CONTROL OF CONFOUNDING VARIABLES
EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH DESIGNS
ACTION RESEARCH REFLECTION
SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
RESEARCH EXERCISES
RELEVANT INTERNET SITES
RECOMMENDED READING
NOTES
CHAPTER 13. Experimental Research: Quasi and Single-Case Designs
QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH DESIGNS
SINGLE-CASE EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS
ACTION RESEARCH REFLECTION
SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
RESEARCH EXERCISES
RELEVANT INTERNET SITES
RECOMMENDED READING
NOTE
CHAPTER 14. Nonexperimental Quantitative Research
STEPS IN NONEXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
INDEPENDENT VARIABLES IN NONEXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
SIMPLE CASES OF NONEXPERIMENTAL QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
THREE REQUIRED CONDITIONS FOR CAUSE-AND-EFFECT RELATIONSHIPS
APPLYING THE THREE REQUIRED CONDITIONS FOR CAUSATION IN NONEXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
TECHNIQUES OF CONTROL IN NONEXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH (I.E., HOW TO DESIGN STRONG NONEXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH)
INTERLUDE (THE STUDY OF CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPS IN EPIDEMIOLOGY)
CLASSIFYING NONEXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH BY TIME AND RESEARCH OBJECTIVE
THE TIME DIMENSION IN NONEXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH DESIGN
THE RESEARCH OBJECTIVE DIMENSION IN NONEXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH DESIGN
ACTION RESEARCH REFLECTION
SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
RESEARCH EXERCISES
PROPOSAL EXERCISES
RELEVANT INTERNET SITES
RECOMMENDED READING
NOTES
Section B. Qualitative Research Methods: Five Major Approaches
CHAPTER 15. Narrative Inquiry and Case Study Research
NARRATIVE INQUIRY
CASE STUDY RESEARCH
ACTION RESEARCH REFLECTION
SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
RESEARCH EXERCISES
NARRATIVE INQUIRY EXAMPLES
CASE STUDY EXAMPLES
PROPOSAL EXERCISES
RELEVANT INTERNET SITES
RECOMMENDED READING
NOTES
CHAPTER 16. Phenomenology, Ethnography, and Grounded Theory
PHENOMENOLOGY
ETHNOGRAPHY
GROUNDED THEORY
ACTION RESEARCH REFLECTION
SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
RESEARCH EXERCISES
PROPOSAL EXERCISES
RELEVANT INTERNET SITES
RECOMMENDED READING
Section C. Mixed Methods Research: Many Approaches
CHAPTER 17. Mixed Research
THE RESEARCH CONTINUUM
TYPES OF MIXED RESEARCH DESIGNS
STAGES OF THE MIXED RESEARCH PROCESS
LIMITATIONS OF MIXED RESEARCH
ACTION RESEARCH REFLECTION
SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
RESEARCH EXERCISES
PROPOSAL EXERCISES
RELEVANT INTERNET SITES
RECOMMENDED READING
PART V. ANALYZING THE DATA
CHAPTER 18. Descriptive Statistics
DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS
FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTIONS
GRAPHIC REPRESENTATIONS OF DATA
MEASURES OF CENTRAL TENDENCY
MEASURES OF VARIABILITY
MEASURES OF RELATIVE STANDING
EXAMINING RELATIONSHIPS AMONG VARIABLES
ACTION RESEARCH REFLECTION
SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
RESEARCH EXERCISES
PROPOSAL EXERCISES
RELEVANT INTERNET SITES
RECOMMENDED READING
NOTES
CHAPTER 19. Inferential Statistics
SAMPLING DISTRIBUTIONS
ESTIMATION
HYPOTHESIS TESTING
HYPOTHESIS TESTING IN PRACTICE
ACTION RESEARCH REFLECTION
SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
RESEARCH EXERCISES
PROPOSAL EXERCISES
RELEVANT INTERNET SITES
RECOMMENDED READING
NOTES
CHAPTER 19 APPENDIX: TOTAL NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS RECOMMENDED FOR DIFFERENT STATISTICAL TESTS
CHAPTER 20. Data Analysis in Qualitative and Mixed Research
INTERIM ANALYSIS
MEMOING
ANALYSIS OF VISUAL DATA
DATA ENTRY AND STORAGE
SEGMENTING, CODING, AND DEVELOPING CATEGORY SYSTEMS
FIRST-STAGE AND SECOND-STAGE CODING
ENUMERATION
THEMATIC ANALYSIS AND CREATING HIERARCHICAL CATEGORY SYSTEMS
IDENTIFYING RELATIONSHIPS AMONG CATEGORIES
CORROBORATING AND VALIDATING RESULTS
COMPUTER PROGRAMS FOR QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS
DATA ANALYSIS IN MIXED RESEARCH
ACTION RESEARCH REFLECTION
SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
RESEARCH EXERCISES
PROPOSAL EXERCISES
RELEVANT INTERNET SITES
RECOMMENDED READING
NOTES
CHAPTER 20 APPENDIX: ADDITIONAL TYPES OF CODES FOR QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
PART VI. WRITING THE RESEARCH REPORT
CHAPTER 21. How to Prepare a Research Report and Use APA Style Guidelines
GENERAL PRINCIPLES RELATED TO WRITING THE RESEARCH REPORT (I)
WRITING AN APA-STYLE QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH REPORT (II)
EXAMPLE OF AN APA-STYLE MANUSCRIPT
WRITING QUALITATIVE RESEARCH REPORTS
WRITING MIXED RESEARCH REPORTS
ACTION RESEARCH REFLECTION
SUMMARY
KEY TERM
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
RESEARCH EXERCISES
PROPOSAL EXERCISES
RELEVANT INTERNET SITES
RECOMMENDED READING
APPENDIX: CITATIONS FOR JOURNAL ARTICLES NOTED IN THE MARGINS
GLOSSARY
REFERENCES
AUTHOR INDEX
SUBJECT INDEX
ABOUT THE AUTHORS