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Introduction to Educational Research (4th ed.) C. M. Charles/Craig A. Mertler. Chapter 1 Educational Research: Its Nature and Rules of Operation. Seeking Answers to Questions. Familiar sources of information: Tradition —relying on past behaviors Authority —seek out opinions of experts
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Introduction to Educational Research (4th ed.)C. M. Charles/Craig A. Mertler Chapter 1 Educational Research: Its Nature and Rules of Operation
Seeking Answers to Questions • Familiar sources of information: • Tradition—relying on past behaviors • Authority—seek out opinions of experts • Common sense—logical human reasoning • Familiar sources often prove to be unsuccessful…why? • Less familiar sources of information: • Science—study and theoretical explanation • Scientific method—systematic discovery of facts and relationships • Research—systematic investigation
The Scientific Method • Definition—strategy used to determine facts and relationships; then used to answer questions and resolve problems • Facts—agreements made by people knowledgeable in the field • Relationships—cause-and-effect associations among facts • Common sense—logical human reasoning • Scientific method is a procedure for thinking and making decisions objectively
The Scientific Method (cont’d.) • Steps involved in the process: • (1) Identify a problem • (2) State the main question inherent in the problem • (3) State a hypothesis • (4) Collect information related to the question • (5) Analyze and interpret information • (6) Form conclusions derived from analysis/interpretation • (7) Use conclusions to verify/reject hypothesis • Steps may not be followed in precise order; dependent on specific type of research being used
Educational Research • The application of the scientific method to educational phenomenon • Steps involved in the process: • (1) Identify a problem • (2) State the main question inherent in the problem • (3) State a hypothesis • (4) Review pertinent and related literature • (5) Collect information related to the question • (6) Analyze and interpret information • (7) Form conclusions derived from analysis/interpretation • (8) Use conclusions to verify/reject hypothesis
Educational Rules of Operation • Necessary to credibly obtain reliable/valid information from which to draw conclusions • Legal Principles (for the use of human subjects): • National Research Act of 1974 • Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (1974) • College/school district institutional review boards
Educational Rules of Operation (cont’d.) • Ethical Principles (moral aspects of research): • Principle of beneficence • Principle of honesty • Principle of accurate disclosure • Philosophical Principles (anticipated value of investigation): • Principle of significance • Principle of generalizability • Principle of replicability • Principle of probability
Educational Rules of Operation (cont’d.) • Procedural Principles: • Principle of researchability • Principle of parsimony • Principle of credibility • A few words about the benefits of practically-oriented research…
Applying Technology… Web sites addressing ethical research practices • Bowling Green State University, Office of Sponsored Programs and Research (SPAR) (http://www.bgsu.edu/offices/spar/hsrb) • University of Minnesota, Office of the Institutional Review Board (http://www.research.umn.edu/subjects/humans/form.htm) • Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects (Title 45 Code of Federal Regulations Part 46) (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/oprr/humansubjects/45cfr46.htm) • American Educational Research Association (AERA) Ethical Standards (http://www.aera.net/about/policy/ethics.htm) • American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) Code of Professional Ethics and Practices (http://www.aapor.org/ethics/code.html)