Vicerrectorado de Docencia

Unidad de Apoyo a la Formación Académica

Quantitative Research in Education

Theme n.°1

Educational Research
 Vicerrectorado de Docencia
Unidad de Apoyo a la Formación Académica

Index
Pag.
1.1. What is Educational Research? 3
1.2. Purpose of Educational Research 4
1.3. Importance of Education Research 5
1.4. Ethics in Educational Research 7
1.5. Planning Educational Research 9
1.5.1 Identifying a Research Problem 10
1.5.2 Reviewing the Literature 11
1.5.3 Specifying a Purpose for Research 12
1.5.4 Collecting Data 12
1.5.5 Analyzing and Interpreting Data 13
1.5.6 Reporting and Evaluation of the Results 13
1.6 Qualitative Approach Review 15
1.6.1 Characteristics of Qualitative Research 15
1.6.2 Process of data collection, analysis and
Interpretation in Qualitative Research 16
Additional Resources 19
References 20
Self-assessment 22

Theme n.1°: Educational Research

2
 Vicerrectorado de Docencia
Unidad de Apoyo a la Formación Académica

1.1 What is Educational Research?

Educational research is a type of systematic investigation that applies empirical

methods to deal with challenges in education. It adopts rigorous and well-defined
scientific processes to gather and analyze data for problem-solving and knowledge
advancement (Winch et al., 2015).

The American Educational Research Association defines educational research as

follows: “Education research is the scientific field of study that examines education
and learning processes and the human attributes, interactions, organizations, and
institutions that shape educational outcomes“ https://www.aera.net/About-
AERA/What-is-Education-Research

Educational research is defined as the activity that focuses on the development of

a science of behavior in educational contexts. Its ultimate goal is to provide knowledge
that will allow teachers to accomplish their goals using the most effective methods.

Figure 1. Definition of Educational Research

Theme n.1°: Educational Research

3
 Vicerrectorado de Docencia
Unidad de Apoyo a la Formación Académica

Anderson & Arsenault (2005) define Educational Research as a type of systematic

investigation that reports problems in education by applying pragmatic or empirical
methods. It comprises exact and well-defined scientific methods for gathering and
analyzing data to resolve problems and improve knowledge. Careful, scientific study
research in education first focuses on the relationship between students' behavior and
classroom performance, that is, the relationship between students' social skills and
their learning styles.

1.2 . Purpose of Educational Research

Educational research aims to increase the existing knowledge by addressing

different problems in pedagogy. Those devoted to educational research also seek to
improve teaching and learning practices in areas such as, learner-motivation,
curriculum development, teaching methodologies, and classroom management.

Educational Research "... aims to bring a scholarly lens—the curiosity, the inquiry,
the rigor, the disciplinary variety—to what happens in the classroom... [It] begins with
intellectual curiosity, is conducted deliberately and systematically, is grounded in an
analysis of some evidence, and results in findings shared with peers to be reviewed
and to expand a knowledge base" (Chick 2018).

The reasons for undertaking educational research are:

• Examine classroom practices through a systematic process of inquiry.

• Find solutions to specific educational problems originated in classrooms.
• Identify successes and failures in learning and teaching practices with the
idea of improving them.
• Build theory relating to educational approaches.
• Disseminate experiences about teaching and learning processes.

Theme n.1°: Educational Research

4
 Vicerrectorado de Docencia
Unidad de Apoyo a la Formación Académica

In the same vein, Dr. Rushon (2013) from the University of Huddersfield explains
other reasons for educational research such as, exploring issues, shaping policies, and
improving practices.

Video: What is Educational Research

Rushton, I. (2013) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ucLcy_3jZo

1.3 . Importance of Educational Research

Freedman (2011) expressed that research can reveal insight into issues we didn't
know existed; and can bring up issues we hadn’t thought about asking. Research is
critical not only for identifying problems but also for developing solutions and making
decisions regarding the best strategies to use (Rosen, 2015).

Here are some reasons why research is necessary and valuable in education:
It is a tool for building knowledge. - Doing research offers teachers information,
theories, and evidence that contribute to developing knowledge in a field of
study. Creswell (2012) mentions that educators pursue research to gain a deeper
understanding of the problems, confirm or disconfirm results of previous studies, and
provide data about people and contexts that have not been recently studied.

Suppose that you decide to research how elementary schoolchildren learn

vocabulary in English. Prior research shows different strategies used to learn

Theme n.1°: Educational Research

5
 Vicerrectorado de Docencia
Unidad de Apoyo a la Formación Académica

vocabulary in other countries. Your study might replicate some of those studies but
would test results with new participants at a different location. Your study would
contribute to knowledge by expanding your understanding of the topic.

It helps improve practice. - Teachers, as agents of knowledge and change, have to

evaluate the practice in their classroom to enhance their teaching to the benefit of their
students (Morales, 2016). Teachers identify the problem, reflect on it, and try to solve
it. When teachers take into consideration their teaching practices and can identify and
acknowledge the issues and concerns of their classrooms, they become empowered
and independent to solve school issues on their own Ulla (2018). Through research,
those who are involved in teacher education programs are ready to make decisions
regarding the teaching practices in schools. They know how to read research studies,
locate useful conclusions from them, and apply the findings to their unique situations.
Teacher trainers today know about the academic capabilities of students, the
characteristics of good teacher training programs, the most common practices in
teacher training programs, and the needs and challenges that teachers and students
face in their daily practice.

Research equips educators with new ideas to apply them in their classrooms. For
example, a teacher working with children immigrants may find that small-group
interaction that focuses on using cultural objects from various countries may improve
the acquisition of the English language more effectively.

It provides directions for policy makers. - Research also provides policy makers
with information regarding issues that are complex and a comprehensive report study
is needed to facilitate for decision-making process. Policy makers may range from
Ministry of Education personnel, teachers, local school board members, and
administrators, and they discuss and take positions on educational issues that can
affect the community. For these individuals, research that is based on data-based
offers results that can help them weigh various perspectives (Creswell, 2012).

Theme n.1°: Educational Research

6
 Vicerrectorado de Docencia
Unidad de Apoyo a la Formación Académica

Source: https://educarepk.com/research-and-development-rd.html

1.4 Ethics in Educational Research

Whatever the specific nature of their work, social researchers must take into
account the consequences of the research on participants, and act in such a way as
to preserve their dignity as human beings: responsibility to participants. Ethics in
educational research focuses on creating awareness among researchers about how
their decisions could potentially affect human beings and the environment (Shawa,
2017). Ethics are closely related to morals that must be considered in the context of
working with humans. Educators around the world face new challenges that force
them to balance local, national, and global norms and morals as well as ethical values
in the process of educating (Gluchmanova, 2014).

Theme n.1°: Educational Research

7
 Vicerrectorado de Docencia
Unidad de Apoyo a la Formación Académica

Figure 2. Principles of Ethical Research

All steps of the research process imply ethical practices. Practicing ethics is a
complex matter that involves much more than merely complying with guidelines such
as those from professional associations or institutions where research takes place.
Ethics has become a more pervasive idea from the beginning of the research to its
final completion and dissemination. Ethics should be a primary consideration rather
than an afterthought, and it should be at the forefront of the professional`s agenda that
has decided to undertake research (Hesse-Bieber 2016)

Informed consent is the most important ethical principle. The basic idea is that
research participants decide to take part in the research after weighing the risks and
benefits associated with their participation. This means that they must be informed
about and understand what their participation in the research involves.
Privacy is the second central principle in the conception of the ethical issues of
research, in addition to autonomy. The two ways to protect it are anonymity (not
gathering identity-specific data) and confidentiality (not revealing identity-specific
data).
Petrova et al. (2014) highlight the importance of maintaining confidentiality of
participants’ identities, and that any violations of this should be made with the

Theme n.1°: Educational Research

8
 Vicerrectorado de Docencia
Unidad de Apoyo a la Formación Académica

agreement of the participants. The idea of anonymity is that information provided by

participants should reveal their identity at all.

Video: Ethics in Research

Byerwalter, K. (2011) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQio_IdL4e8

1.5 Planning Education Research

The goal of educational research is to generate knowledge that describes,

predicts, improves, and explains processes and practices related to education (Gall et
al., 2007). Undertaking research in educational settings requires the researcher to
have the right knowledge about the research process and also the appropriate skills
necessary to undertake the study. Educational research is a cyclical process where
one stage connects to the next. As with any research project, new information and
learning at each stage influences previous and subsequent steps which can lead to
changes in the research question and the research design. The following figure reflects
stages in the Educational Research Process.

Theme n.1°: Educational Research

9
 Vicerrectorado de Docencia
Unidad de Apoyo a la Formación Académica

Figure 3: The Research Process Cycle

Source: Creswell, J (2012) Educational Research

The following guidelines should help ensure both a good research experience and a
successful outcome for a novice educational researcher:

1.5.1 Identifying a research problem:

You begin a research study by identifying a topic to study: this is typically an issue
or problem in education that needs to be resolved. Identifying a research problem
consists of specifying an issue of interest, and developing a justification for studying it
for a specific audience that will read the report.

The formulation of the research problem constitutes the starting point and the most
important phase of any research process as it serves as the foundation of a research
effort. The success or failure of the research undertaking will depend on the
appropriateness of both the selection and formulation of the research problem
(Akhidime, 2017). By specifying a “problem,” you limit the subject matter and focus
attention on a specific aspect of the study.

Theme n.1°: Educational Research

10
 Vicerrectorado de Docencia
Unidad de Apoyo a la Formación Académica

Let’s analize the following scenario:

Juan plans to study about bullying in adolescents at a school.

He notices various problem in his own classroom. He starts
analyzing the problem: aggressive and abusive behaviors
among teenager students. He has to justify the problem by
providing evidence about the importance of this problem and
documenting how his study will provide new insight into the
problem.

1.5.2 Reviewing the Literature

A review of literature in educational research will provide foundation of knowledge

on the chosen topic by informing you about existing studies in the area. The literature
review will help you compare and contrast what you are doing in the context of the
research as well as how your research is different or original from what others have
done. This will help you justify why you need to carry out this particular research
(Lingard, 2018). Thus, literature review is essential in helping you frame and guide
your research in the direction you may not have thought of by providing insights and
different perspectives on the research topic.

Reviewing the literature involves locating summaries, books, journals, and indexed
publications on a topic; selectively choosing which literature to include in your review;
and then summarizing the literature in a written report. The skills needed for reviewing
the literature will develop with time and practice. You can learn how to locate journal
articles and Education and discipline-specific databases, and evaluate the quality of
research on your topic, and summarize it (Creswell, 2012).

Theme n.1°: Educational Research

11
 Vicerrectorado de Docencia
Unidad de Apoyo a la Formación Académica

Let’s examine Juan´s approach to reviewing the literature.

He needs to conduct a literature review which involves
searching reliable sources on bullying in schools and other
violent and aggressive behaviors. He consults the library
catalog at his university and plans to search several
databases. In order to review the literature, he needs to
learn how to cite the references appropriately to avoid
plagiarism.

1.5.3 Specifying a Purpose for Research

The purpose for research consists of identifying the aim of the study and it has to
be narrowed it into specific research questions or hypotheses that you plan to
answer in your research study.
The purpose statement contains the major focus of the study, the participants in
the study, and the location or site of the study. The research question has to be as
specific as possible. It should be written in such a way that the answer can be
stated in a number or a descriptive report (Patiño et al., 2016).

Let’s check with Juan. He now needs to identify the purpose of

his study and write down questions related to the problem,
carefully review his list of questions under themes, take only the
questions that are related to his main area of interest, narrow
the focus to only those specific questions which can be
reasonably tackled within the project. Juan will need to write a
good purpose statement and the research questions for his
study.

1.5.4 Collecting Data

Evidence will permit to provide answers to your research questions and

hypotheses. To obtain these answers, you engage in the step of collecting or gathering
data. Collecting data includes identifying and selecting participants for the research,
obtaining their permission for intervention, using different methods to gather
information such as, interviews, observations, surveys, etc. This step will produce a

Theme n.1°: Educational Research

12
 Vicerrectorado de Docencia
Unidad de Apoyo a la Formación Académica

collection of data (test scores, frequency of behaviors) or words (responses, opinions,

quotes).

Data collection methods are important because the way the information is collected
and the explanations that can generate will be essential for answering your research
questions and this will also make your research more reliable (Creswell, 2012).

Let’s see how Juan will address data collection. At this point in the research
process, Juan has to think about where he will conduct his study about
bullying, who will participate in the study, what ethical considerations will be
taken into account, what data will be collected, and which method to gather
data will be appropriate.
1.5.5 Analyzing and Interpreting Data

Analyzing and interpreting the data involve drawing conclusions about the findings.
This will be represented in tables or figures and become part of the report analysis.
The report analysis and interpretation are part of the sections called Findings and
Discussions.

How will Juan analyze and interpret the data in his research? If Juan
gathers information through a survey design, he will need to enter the
questionnaire responses into a computer program, choose a statistical
procedure, conduct the analyses, report the results in tables, and interpret
the results. If he conducts face-to-face interviews, he will collect
audiotapes of students, parents, teachers talking about violent behaviors
and bullying at school and transcribe these tapes to obtain a written record.
Juan will need to analyze his data and make an interpretation to answer his
research questions. He will interpret the meaning of the data supporting
with the suggestions found in past studies.

1.5.6 Reporting and Evaluation of the Results

Reporting research involves structuring the report in a format acceptable to the

chosen audiences. This also includes writing the report in such a way that is sensitive
to all readers. The structure for the research report will vary for each audience, from

Theme n.1°: Educational Research

13
 Vicerrectorado de Docencia
Unidad de Apoyo a la Formación Académica

a formal format for theses and dissertations to a more informal document for school
reports. In all types of reports, however, it is essential to be respectful and to avoid
discriminating language on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, race, or ethnic
group.

Evaluating research means assessing the quality of a study using standards

established by individuals in education. Since it is difficult to measure knowledge while
it is being generated, the best thing to do is to ask experts in the field, in a process
called “expert review” to evaluate research (National Academy of Sciences (US) 2001).

Unfortunately, there are no standards for evaluating educational research in the

academic research community. There is still a need of determining some means to
evaluate the quality of studies in the educational fields, especially published reports
presented to school and educational agencies audiences.

Let’s look at how Juan thinks about how he will organize his final
report for his school committee. He should have a general idea about
what the major sections of the study will be and how he will present
his data analysis and interpretation. He will need to decide if his
research will be published in a journal or will become an informative
report only which may include recommendations. Whatever the
audience and structure for the report, he must use respectful and
non-discriminatory language.

Theme n.1°: Educational Research

14
 Vicerrectorado de Docencia
Unidad de Apoyo a la Formación Académica

Figure 4. Process of Research

1.6 Qualitative Approach Review.

Qualitative research is a behavioral research method that relies on non-numerical
data derived from observations and recordings that approximate and characterize
phenomena. In other words, it’s concerned with understanding human behavior from
the perspective of the subject (Creswell, 2012).

1.6.1 Characteristics of Qualitative Research

Theme n.1°: Educational Research

15
 Vicerrectorado de Docencia
Unidad de Apoyo a la Formación Académica

Figure 6. Characteristics of Qualitative Research

1.6.2 Process of data collection, analysis, and interpretation in Qualitative

Research

Qualitative research leads the researcher to explore a research problem without

knowing the variables. Qualitative researchers are interested in understanding the
meaning people have constructed regarding the phenomenon. Literature might
provide little information or might not appropriately address the phenomenon; that is
why it is necessary to learn more from participants through exploration. A central
phenomenon is the key concept, idea, or process studied in qualitative research. For
example, a research problem about the difficulties in teaching children with dyslexia
requires both an exploration (because we need to better know how to teach these
children) and an understanding (because of its complexity) of the process of teaching
and learning.

Theme n.1°: Educational Research

16
 Vicerrectorado de Docencia
Unidad de Apoyo a la Formación Académica

Although literature review in qualitative inquiry helps justify the study, it plays a
minor role at the beginning of the study since it may not facilitate a major direction for
the research questions. The reason for this is that the researcher relies more on the
views of participants in the study rather than on the information provided in the
literature. For example, one qualitative researcher who studied bullying in schools
cited several studies at the beginning of the research to provide evidence for the
problem but did not use the literature to specify the research questions. Instead, this
researcher attempted to answer in the research the most general, open question
possible, “What is bullying?” and to learn how students constructed their view of this
experience.

In qualitative research, the purpose is to develop an in-depth exploration of a

central phenomenon instead of generalizing it to a population. Thus, the qualitative
researcher purposefully or intentionally selects individuals and sites (this is called
purposeful sampling) to have a deeper understanding of the phenomenon. There are
many different purposeful sampling strategies, and qualitative researchers need to
select one or more based on their intent of the sampling.

In qualitative research, the purpose statement and the research questions are
stated so that the researcher gives more weight to the views of the participants and
can learn from participants. When collecting data, the researcher develops forms,
called protocols. These forms facilitate to recording of data as the study proceeds as
they contain general questions so that the participants can provide answers to the
questions. The questions often change as others may emerge during the study.
Examples of these forms include an interview protocol, which consists of four or five
questions, or an observational protocol, in which the researcher records notes about
the behavior of participants.

Qualitative researchers conduct a preliminary analysis of the data by reading

through it to obtain a general sense of the data. The major analysis of qualitative data
Theme n.1°: Educational Research
17
 Vicerrectorado de Docencia
Unidad de Apoyo a la Formación Académica

consists of coding the data. The process of coding is one of reducing a text or image
database to descriptions and themes of people, places, or events. It involves
examining the text database line by line, asking oneself what the participant is saying,
and then assigning a code label to the text segments. The data analysis reflects the
description and themes as well as the interrelation of themes. In addition, you discuss
your role or position in a research study, called being reflexive. This means that you
reflect on your own biases, values, and assumptions and actively write them into the
research.

Qualitative researchers represent their findings in visual displays that may include
figures, diagrams, comparison tables, and demographic tables. They report findings
in narrative discussions comprising many forms, such as a chronology, questions, or
commentary about any changes that the participants experience. From the reporting
of findings, researchers make interpretations of the meaning of the research based on
advancing personal views, making comparisons between the findings and the
literature, and suggesting limitations and future research

In reporting qualitative research, researchers employ various formats to report

their studies. A study may begin with a long, personal narrative told in a descriptive
form similar to an objective, scientific report generated in quantitative research. With
such variability, it is not surprising that the standards for evaluating qualitative research
also are flexible. Good qualitative reports, however, need to be realistic and
persuasive to convince the reader that the study is accurate and reliable.

Theme n.1°: Educational Research

18
 Vicerrectorado de Docencia
Unidad de Apoyo a la Formación Académica

Additional Resources
➢ A report that discusses the role of Research in Teacher Education Available
from
https://www.thersa.org/reports/the-role-of-research-in-teacher-education-
reviewing-the-evidence

➢ Pickett, A. (2018, February 4) 7 steps to explain the Research Process. [Archivo

de Vídeo] Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C8CGfDvh2A
A video that reviews the research process

➢ Sennott, S. (2019, June 26) 4 Ethics in Educational Research. [Archivo de

Vídeo] Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy36isQk2X0
Dr. Samuel Sennot, Portland State University Portland State University,
discusses Ethics in Educational Research

➢ Spring Arbor University Community. (2011, June 1) Introduction to Educational

Research. [Archivo de Vídeo] Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQCdMbAWWTs
A video that explains the difference between Quantitative and Qualitative
Research

Theme n.1°: Educational Research

19
 Vicerrectorado de Docencia
Unidad de Apoyo a la Formación Académica

References
Akhidime, A. (2017). The importance and development of research problem: a
Didactic discuss. International Journal of Economics, Commerce & Management.
Vol.V Issue 8. http://ijecm.co.uk

Anderson, G., & Arsenault N. (2005). Fundamentals of Educational Research.2nd ed.

Philadelphia, PA: Taylor & Francis Inc.

Byerwalter, K. (2011, May 3) Ethics in research [Archivo de Vídeo] Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQio_IdL4e8

Chick, N. (2018). Educational Research. A practical Guide- Queens University. Centre

for Teaching and Learning
https://www.queensu.ca/ctl/sites/webpublish.queensu.ca.ctlwww/files/files/Educat
ional_Research_Guide%20May%202018.pdf

Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational Research: planning, conducting, and evaluating

Quantitative and Qualitative research. 4th ed. Pearson

Freedman, T., (2011). The Importance Of Research For ICT Teachers.

https://www.ictineducation.org/home-page/2011/2/8/the-importance-of-research-
for-ict-teachers.html

Gall, G., Gall, J., & Borg, W. (2007). Education research: An introduction (8th ed.).
Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Gluchmanova, M. (2014). The importance of ethics in the teaching profession Procedia

Social and Behavioral Sciences 176, 509 – 513
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/82773222.pdf

Hesse-Bieber, S. (2016). The Practice of Qualitative Research: Engaging Students in

the Research Process. Sage Publications

Lingard L. (2018). Writing an effective literature review : Part I: Mapping the

gap. Perspectives on medical education, 7(1), 47–49.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40037-017-0401-x

Morales, M. P. E. (2016). Participatory action research (PAR) cum action research

(AR) in teacher professional development: A literature review. International
Journal of Research in Education and Science, 2(1), 156-165.
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1105165

Theme n.1°: Educational Research

20
 Vicerrectorado de Docencia
Unidad de Apoyo a la Formación Académica

National Academy of Sciences (US) (2001). The Challenge of Evaluating

Research. National Academies Press (US).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK44115/
Patiño, C. M., & Ferreira, J. C. (2016). Developing research questions that make a
difference. Jornal brasileiro de pneumologia : publicacao oficial da Sociedade
Brasileira de Pneumologia e Tisilogia, 42(6), 403. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1806-
37562016000000354
Petrova, E., Dewing, J., Camilleri, M. (2014). Confidentiality in participatory research:
Challenges from one study. Sage Journals.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0969733014564909
Rosen, D., (2015). Do Your Research! 6 Reasons Why Research is So Important for
Your Business. https://www.opensesame.com/blog/do-your-research-6-reasons-
why-research-so-important-your-business

Rushton, I. (2013, July 29) What is Educational Research [Archivo de Vídeo] Youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ucLcy_3jZo

Shawa, L. (2017). Ethics in educational research.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312069857_Ethics_in_educational_res
earch

Ulla, M. (2018). Benefits and challenges of doing research: Experiences from

Philippine public school teachers. Issues in Educational Research. 28. 797-810.
https://www.iier.org.au/iier28/ulla.pdf

Winch, C., Orchard, J. and Oancea, A. (2015).The contribution of educational

research to teachers’ professional learning: philosophical understandings.
https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2015.1017406

Theme n.1°: Educational Research

21