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A Critical Eye to Finding High Quality Research Ronald Dietel

A Critical Eye to Finding High Quality Research Ronald Dietel. UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST). Communicating in the Emerging Knowledge Utilization Era-NEKIA Communicators Institute

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A Critical Eye to Finding High Quality Research Ronald Dietel

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  1. A Critical Eye to Finding High Quality Research Ronald Dietel UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information StudiesNational Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) Communicating in the Emerging Knowledge Utilization Era-NEKIA Communicators Institute June 2-3, 2005

  2. Why It Is Hard to Find High Quality Research That Improves Learning • Primary influence on achievement are non-school factors • Difficulty in successfully implementing reform and change • Difficulty in transferring reform to new settings • Even if well done, perception of bias frequently exists

  3. Research Problems • Topics of little relevance or reinforce common sense • Flawed research designs • Poor measurement methods • Failure to make the right comparisons • Contradictory findings • Political influence

  4. What to Look For In High Quality Research • First things-a clear title • Title-Developing an approach to understanding the intellectual components and psychometric properties of simulation-based curricula • Title- Policymakers’ Views of Student Assessment • Report authors • Reputation • How many authors? • Published in a peer-reviewed journal?

  5. What a Good Abstract Should Do • Points to a relevant problem or need • States a research question or questions • Describes methods • Lists a key finding or two • Concise

  6. A Good Literature Review • Builds the need for the study • Shows breadth of research on this topic • Quality of references • Avoids over-citation of the author or authors

  7. Good Research Questions • Build from the literature review • Address important need or needs • Are a reasonable number • Can be measured • Are answered at the end

  8. Good Design • Provides data that helps answer the research questions • Probably uses an experimental design • Sufficient sample size • Reflects the population from which the sample is taken • States the limits of the study

  9. Analysis/Findings • Restates research questions, then helps to answer them • Discuss statistical significance • Discuss effect size • Discuss transfer of findings to the population • Tables and figures increase understanding

  10. What the Conclusions Should Do • Answer or help answer the research questions • Be supported from the data • Reinforce study limitations • Suggest next steps

  11. A Few More Thoughts • Appendices can be helpful especially if they include instruments • Develop a review checklist • Evaluate-Is the research useful to your audience?

  12. What to Do When The Research Doesn’t Measure Up • Get at least one other opinion • Inform key people • Become a better research user yourself • Remember “It all depends!”

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