Library Lessons This Week

During this week's lessons, you will explore the final 2 research designs Creswell considers in his text. Both of these designs are very common in relation to practitioner research.  When practitioners conduct research "on the job" then mixed method designs and action research designs provide for the practical application of research in the work setting. As I have noted before, the format of the chapters should be very familiar by now. Creswell uses the same method to introduce the characteristics and types of each design and provides a step by step process for conducting that particular type of research.  The lessons this week are brief given that Creswell provides a straightforward discussion of each of the designs. If you require additional information or explanation, I encourage you to use the links provided or to visit the reference room for more resources related to qualitative research designs. There are a plethora of research designs to choose from. Choosing the research design you intend to use will be an important guiding element for you when completing Section IV of your Research Proposal.

As a review, the main elements of your Research Proposal will be:

1. Statement of the Problem
   1. Topic for the study appropriate for your field
   2. The research problem within this topic
   3. A justification for the problem based on past research and practice
   4. Deficiencies or shortcomings of past research or practical knowledge
   5. The importance of addressing the problem for diverse audiences
2. Literature Review (Study-by-Study)
   1. Analysis and synthesis of the primary research that assist in validating and supporting the research problem using a study-by-study approach grouped under broad themes
   2. Summarize major themes and present reasons for a proposed study or the importance of studying a research problem
3. Specifying a Purpose and Research Questions or Hypotheses
   1. A concise statement of the purpose of the study based on the research approach chosen (qualitative or quantitative)
   2. The research questions or hypotheses to be addressed as appropriate for the research approach
4. Methods
   1. Statement of research approach and research design
   2. Setting for your study (what type of access do you have?)
   3. Participants and how selected (sampling)
   4. Instrumentation - Provide necessary operational definitions of variables, identify types of data needed,  and instruments or measures used.  Include actual copy of the survey or instrument as well as evidence of reliability and validity
   5. Summary of data collection procedures
   6. Summary of data analysis techniques that will be employed
5. References
6. Appendices

This week's Lessons will continue to cover necessary skills and knowledge for Section IV.

Lesson 1

Chapter 17 begins like the previous chapters with a brief history of mixed-method designs.  This history is a bit more interesting (I think) than some of the others given the debate surrounding its development and the discussion of the integration of worldviews and methods.  You will likely have more discussion related to philosophical assumptions in your psychology and social foundations courses. Prior to introducing the types of mixed method designs Creswell presents strategies for identifying whether a published study is one that has used a mixed method design.  While there are distinct designs, each of them borrows procedures for data collection and analysis from other quantitative and qualitative research designs previously discussed.  An important decision is deciding which approach takes precedence or whether you will try for a balance between qualitative and quantitative and then also whether you will analyze the data separately or concurrently. The final section of the chapter includes the steps necessary to carry out a mixed method study. These steps are ones you should work through as you are writing Section IV of your Research Proposal if you are choosing a mixed method design for your research.

Lesson Links

Here are a few links from the resources page that provide additional information for this week.

• Mixed Method Evaluation research
• Mixed Methods Approach

Lesson Activities

• Read the directions for the Chapter Seventeen quiz, and complete the quiz in elearning. You will have 90 minutes for this quiz.
• Beginning on page 525 be sure to work through the section of "applying what you have learned..." This chapter includes an empirical research article that employs a mixed-method design.
• If you are using a mixed method design use the steps outlined in Chapter 17 to identify the important elements you will need to include within your Proposal. Such elements might include how you will identify and select participants, identify the types of data you will collect, the coding processes you will use at various points in your study, and how you will validate your theory.

Lesson 2

Chapter 18 provides a brief history of action research and then introduces the two types of action research designs - practical and participatory. Studies that you may have read that use an action research design also likely appeal to you because they often have very practical findings that can immediately be applied if you have a similar setting. figure 18.5 on pages 558 and 559 provides an excellent overview of steps in an action research model.  The final section of the chapter includes the steps necessary to carry out an action research study. These steps are ones you should work through as you are writing Section IV of your Research Proposal if you are choosing an action research design for your research.

Lesson Links

Here are a few links from the resources page that provide additional information for this week.

• Links to Action Research Papers
• Action Research Tools
• Action Research International Online Journal
• Educational Action Research

Lesson Activities

• Read the directions for the Chapter Eighteen quiz, and complete the quiz in elearning. You will have 90 minutes for this quiz.
• Beginning on page 565 be sure to work through the section of "applying what you have learned..." This chapter includes an empirical research article that employs an ethnographic design.
• If you are using an action research design use the steps outlined in Chapter 18 to identify the important elements you will need to include within your Proposal. Such elements might include identify your intent and relate it to your research problem, describe the type of purposeful sampling you will use, describe the types of data you will collect and the procedures you will use to enter and at what level you will be a participant and/or observer, and how you will organize and analyze your data.

Lesson 3

Work on Final Draft of Your Research Proposal

Contact the
Library Staff

Need Help?

Have a question but can't find the answer? Here are some options:

• Check the Course FAQ page to see if your question has already been answered.
• Check the Proposal FAQ page to see if your question has already been answered.
• Email the Head Librarian (Dr. Curda)*.
• Email the Assistant Librarian (Melissa)*.
• Check with the other library patrons.

*Remember to include your name and the course name (Educational Research) or number (EDF 6481) in your message.