Quantitative Research Methods

1. Quantitative Research Methods Survey (Descriptive)CorrelationalCausal-ComparativeExperimental

2. Survey (Descriptive) Research Gatherings information about a topic from various sources, then interpreting the findings. • GOAL: To describe status of a groupor groups with regard to one or morevariables either at a given time pointor longitudinally over time • Single time point • Over time—Longitudinal / Cross-sectional

3. I. Direct-data Surveys • Definition— Involves collecting information directly from individuals, groups, or institutions by means of questionnaires, interviews, or observations. • Purposes— • 1. demographic • 2. equipment • 3. performance • 4. practice • 5. opinion

4. Demographic Survey —assigns people to subgroups based on identifying characteristics: Ethnic background Religious affiliation Socio-economic status Gender Age Education Nationality Regional origins Sample research focus Trends in the Ethnic Mix in County Elementary Schools Effects of Religious Affiliation on Moral-Education Programs Social Class and School Dropouts—A Statewide Survey I. Direct-data Surveys

5. Equipment & Supply Surveys — involve collecting data about the amount and quality of: Instructional materials Educational settings Sample research focus Computer Availability and Frequency of Classroom Use in Harford County The Size and Growth Rate of Morristown’s Classroom Libraries The Quality of Lighting in Rural Classrooms I. Direct-data Surveys (cont.)

6. Performance Survey — report howwell individuals, groups, or institutions carry out their assignments Sample research focus Achievement-Test Results by School, Grade, and Classroom Teachers’ Classroom-Efficiency Ratings and Merit Pay Ranking the County’s High-School Swimming Classes I. Direct-data Surveys (cont.)

7. Practice-focused Surveys— describe and compareways in which instructional functions are carried out Sample research focus The Popularity of Phonics Instruction in First-Grade Classrooms Types of Laboratory Experiences in Physics Classes—A Regional Survey Teachers’ Instructional Uses of the World Wide Web I. Direct-data Surveys (cont.)

8. Opinion Surveys— involve gathering people’s expressed (perceived) attitudes about classroom activities Sample research focus Teachers’ Appraisals of the City Schools’ Multi-Cultural Education Curriculum Students’ Opinions of Their Literature Textbooks Parents’ Attitudes about Homework I. Direct-data Surveys (cont.) See example (handout)— Survey Research: A Sample Procedure

9. I. Direct-data Surveys (cont.) • Example of a Research Article— Reading Instruction: Perceptions of Elementary School Principals /Gay & Airasian, p.p. 178-188 (8th edition)/

10. I. Example (cont.): 1. Research Concerns • Observation1: Success and failure of a school’s reading program depends largely upon the quality of school principal’s knowledge of and involvement in the school reading program. • Observation 2: The quality of school principals’ instructional leadership in school reading programs is directly linked to the quality of their knowledge about reading instruction. • Observation 3: Lack of systematic research in the area of concern: 3.1) Little is known about the principals’ perceptions of the issues in reading education. 3.2) No research is done on how the principals access information regarding issues in reading education.

11. I. Example (cont.) 2.Educational Problem • Principals who lack sufficient knowledge pf reading instruction tend to misguide teaching practices, while failing to ground their decisions in reliable research sources.

12. I. Example (cont.): 3. Research Questions • Research Question 1: What do practicing elementary school principals perceive are the critical and unresolved issues in reading education?

13. I. Example (cont.): 3. Research Questions • Research Question 2: What level of understanding do practicing elementary principals perceive they have of each issue?

14. I. Example (cont.): 3. Research Questions • Research Question 3: What sources do practicing elementary principals use and find helpful to inform themselves about current issues in reading education?

15. I. Example (cont.): 4. Parts of the Instrument (Questionnaire) • Part I:Demographic Information - School size - Years of experience - Types of reading approaches used in the school • Part II: Three tasks— (1) Principals perspectives on the presence of the issue (2) Ranking of the issues (3) Self-rating of the principals’ understanding of each issue (4-point scale) • Part III: Extent of the principals’ familiarity and use of the informational resources related to the issue

16. I. Example (cont.): 5. Sampling • Stratified– a sub-group (or strata) is represented in the sample in the same proportion that they exist in the population. /Gay & Airasian, Table 4.1, p. 112/

17. Np=41,467 possible population (total target population) Ns=1,261 study population Quality Educational data (QED) of elementary public school principals in the US, 1989-1990 school year Sampling Frame- A record of population Population Stratified Random Sampling

18. I. Example (cont.): 5. Sampling • Stratified Random Sampling Quality Educational Data (QED) of elementary public school principals in the US, 1989-1990 school year. Ns=1,261—study population Np=41,467—possible population (total target population) Stratas:(a) School Size (1-299; 300-599; 600-899;…) (b) School Type (Elementary K-3; Elementary K-6)

19. I. Example (end): 5. Sampling • Why Stratified Random Sampling? Stratas:(a) School Size (1-299; 300-599; 600-899;…) (b) School Type (Elementary K-3; Elementary K-6) … to increase the precision of the variable estimates.

20. II. Literature-review Surveys • Definition— an amalgamation of diverse research reports bearing on a particular question. Sometimes the data needed in research on classroom issues are not gathered by directly surveying people or institutions but, instead, are gathered by reviewing the literature that bears on the research question and by summarizing the findings.

21. II. Literature-review Surveys (cont.) Aims: • Revealing diversity – • in ways of teaching morality in elementary schools • In policies • In systems for reporting students’ progress • Illustrating applications • Why a self-discovery science approach may or may not work with primary pupils? • Under which circumstances is the ‘natural phonics’ program appropriate? • High school biology field trips—why or why not? • Synthesizing knowledge (meta-analysis)

22. II. Literature-review Surveys (cont.) • Synthesizing knowledge (meta-analysis) • Delineate the domain to be studied classroom discipline reading readiness computer literacy (b) Use the chosen expression to direct the search of the literature (c) Identify themes and trends that are prominent in the books and articles that are found (d) Writing a summary of the outcomes of analysis

23. Correlational Research • GOAL: To examine whether there arerelationships between variables whenexperimental research is not possible E.g., is there a correlation between student motivation and self-efficacy?

24. Predictive Studies • Predictive studies:scores on one variable (a predictor) can be used to predict scores on some other variable (criterion) • Still correlational in nature but the researcher assumesthat one precedes the other E.g., can SAT scores predict 1st year college GPA? Can measures of occupational stress andresilience in teachers predict turnover?

25. Size and Direction • Correlation coefficient ranges from –1.0 to +1.0 • Coefficients of approximately 0indicates there is no relationshipbetween the variables • Significance of the finding will depend onmagnitude (size) of the coefficient andthe number of people in the study

26. Graphs of CorrelationalRelationships Y Y Y X X X Negative No relationship Positive

27. Correlational Research(cont.) • Advantage: Can investigate relationships among large number of variables in a single study • Disadvantage: Can not infer cause and effect May obtain supirious correlations – the apparent correlation is actually caused by other unmeasured variables that are associated with the variables we have correlated in systematic ways E.g., increase in shoe size from ages 1-12 ispositively correlated with growth in vocabulary

28. Causal-Comparative Research • GOAL: Studycause and effect Discovery of possible causes for a pattern of behavior by comparing participantswith whom this pattern is present to participants with whom it is absent (or present to a lesser degree). • Comparing two groups of individuals drawn from the same population that are different on a critical variable but are otherwise comparable E.g., compare students with emotional disturbance to students without emotional disturbance who are drawn from the same population to identify possible causes of emotional disturbance.

29. Experimental Research • The only design that can result in relatively definitive statements about causal relationships between variables: “One variable (independent variable) causes another (dependent variable). e.g., differential educational programming (IV) results in better reading comprehension in elementary Latino students (DV)