Please post your question, quote, and fact here for chapter 1. Also, please respond to at least two of your peers' posts and answer my questions.
Questions:
1.) Define educational research.
2.) Why is research important to you as teachers for assessment? Can you assess without doing research? Why or why not? What are three reasons to do research?
3.) What are the six steps researchers usually use?
4.) What are some ethical issues to consider when conducting research or assessment?
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1.) Define educational research.
ReplyDeleteA: Educational research is a process of steps used to collect and analyze information to increase our understanding of a topic or issue concerning educational issues in our society. For example, educational research about number of one-on-one intervention hours in students with disabilities relates to the students standardized test's scores. This research tries to find the answer about how much one-on-one intervention affects to the test's results of students with disabilities in order to improve accademic success in students with diabilities who most likely fail the test and drop out from school more than regular students.
2.) Why is research important to you as teachers for assessment?
A: Research is important in many ways. First, it adds to our knowledge. Some research may help us to prove the existing theories. Some researchs help us to understand the current knowlege better. Some researchs provide the new knowlege for us to use in our practices. For example, a research about jumpping tampurine can increase students with disabilities ' attention span helps many special educators increase their teaching process more effective by using the research result. Second, research improves practice. Educators can use some researches to practic in their field. For example, the reaearch shows that jumping tampurine will increase special students' attention, therefore teachers can apply this knowledge to their praticings: special students will jump tampurine 50 times before teachers start the class. Third, research informs policy debates. Some researches can help to fond the solution for some controversial issues, or incresing discussions to people. For example, the research about special students affect school performance: schools that have the large number of special student have lower test scores than other schools that have less special students' enrolling. This research raises the questions about the way we evaluate scholls' performance: should we include special students' score, is the evaluation fair for some school, and what we can do to solve this problem in the national policy level.
2.1 Can you assess without doing research? Why or why not?
ReplyDeleteA: Yes, but it may not accurate. For example, I can say that jumping tampurine will increase special students' attention span because I experience by myself in the class with student A who diagnoses Autistic. Once day, after student A jumped tamurine in recess period, student A can finish his writing assignment in class. Therefore I think that jumping tampurine affect special students' attention span. However, without doing proper research, I don't know how many time students have to jump in order to increase their attention span, and what other conditions that may affect students' attention span beyond jumping tampurine(student health, emotion, and so on).
2.2 What are three reasons to do research?
A:1. adding to our knowledge
2. improving practice
3. informing policy debate
3.) What are the six steps researchers usually use?
A:1. Identify a research problem
2. Reviewing the literature
3. Specifying a purpose for researcg
4. Collecting data
5. Analyzing and interpreting the data
6. Reporting and evaluating research
4.) What are some ethical issues to consider when conducting research or assessment?
A:1. Respecting the right of participants. For example, before the researchers start to do any kind of researchs (survey, experiment, observation, and so on) with participants. researchers have to tell the participants the pupose of the research, permission from participants, and the right of participants to rufute participating in the research.
2. Honoring research sites. The researchers have to ask for the permission before entering the research site and minimize interuption in the site.
3. Reporting research fully and honestly. This is the way to sho respect to the audients who read or use the research by reporting the true of the research without changing any information. Additionally, researchers must not copy other researchers work.
The examples that I wrote in my answer do not be mentioned i the text book. I create the examples from my understanding about th topics.
ReplyDeletePrueska,
ReplyDeleteGood points here! Keep up the good work!
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ReplyDeleteHelen Sisson Posted:
ReplyDeleteFor discussion on Chapter 1
My Question
If I am to improve my skills needed for research, then how can I better learn to solve puzzles, lengthen my attention span, use library resources, and write, edit, and write, again?
My Quote
"Let me set your mind at ease. You have already learned valuable research skills through your life experiences. These skills include solving puzzles, employing a long attention span, using a library, and, of course, writing out your thoughts."
My Fact
I found the Companion website at www.penhall.com/creswell the Building Research Skills exercises to practise your research skills and to answer such questions as:
Research is built around a research problem. What is a research problem?
Why is it important in a research study to review the literature?
What are at least three of the ways that researchers can collect data?
How did the researcher analyze the data in the study?
Response to peers' posts
I thought that the answers that Prueska Chittham Bledsoe gave were exceptionally accurate. When I first started high school I decided that I wanted to work with children. So, I majored in education. From the very beginning I set out to be a teacher. I have been a para-professional for preschool students with Autism and I cherish that experience to this day.
Creswell Discussion Ch.1
1. Educational research is a process of steps used to collect and analyze information to increase our understanding of a topic or issue. It consists of three steps:
1. Pose a question.
2. Collect data to answer the question.
3. Present an answer to the question.
2. Research is not only important for faculty members, but, also, for school psychologists, principals, school board members, adult educators, college administrators, and graduate students. Research helps the practicing educator build connections with other educators who are trying out similar ideas in different locations. No, you cannot assess without doing research, because research contributes to knowledge, it helps with practice, and it provides information to policy makers. Research is important for 3 reasons: research adds to our knowledge-it has practical value, research improves practice on the job, and research imforms policy debates.
3. The process of research consists of six steps:
1. Identifying a research problem.
2. Reviewing the literature.
3. Specifying a purpose for research.
4. Collecting data.
5. Analyzing and interpreting the data.
6. Reporting and evaluating research.
4. Some ethical issues to consider are the need to respect the rights of the students and to obtain permission from them and their parents to participate in a research study. The need to respect the learning process going on in the school and not gather information that might disrupt the learning process in the classroom.
The four books that I would be interested in reading for Book Ads and Presentations and they are:
1. Doing Discourse Analysis: Methods for Studying Action in Talk and Text by Linda A. Wood & Rolf O. Kroger
2. Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory by Juliet M. Corbin & Anselm C. Strauss
3. Intoduction to Analysis of Variance: Design, Analysis & Interpretation by J. Rick Turner & Julian F. Thayer
4. Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics by Neil J. Salkind
Helen,
ReplyDeleteGood points here! Keep up the good work!
Questions:
ReplyDelete1.) Define educational research.
A) Educational research "is a process of steps used to collect and analyze to increase our understanding of a topic or issue." (page 3)
2.1) Why is research important to you as teachers for assessment?
A) Research is important to us as teacher for assessment because, "research offers practicing educators 'new ideas' to consider as they go about their jobs, from reading research studies, educators can learn about new practices that have been tried in other settings or situations." Research, "also helps practitioners 'evaluate approaches' that hey hope will work with individuals in educational settings."
(page 5)
2.2Can you assess without doing research? Why or why not?
A)I believe that you can assess without research, but when your assessments and strategies aren't research based you don't truly know if what you are doing is really making a difference or if they are really getting out of it what you think they are. When your assessments are research based you know that what you are doing has worked.
2.3)What are three reasons to do research?
A) The three reasons to do research are to: add to our knowledge, improve our practice, and to better inform us on policies and debates on important issues in our field. (pages 4-6)
3.) What are the six steps researchers usually use?
A) The six steps of research usually are: Identifying a research problem, reviewing the literature, specifying a purpose for research, collecting data, analyzing and interpreting the data, and reporting and evaluating research (pages 7-8)
4.) What are some ethical issues to consider when conducting research or assessment?
A) Some issues ethical issues to consider when conducting research or assessment are respecting the rights or participants, honoring research sites, and reporting research fully and honestly.
DISCUSSION for class:
My question based on the reading:Do you need to be super creative to conduct original and meaningful research? So many topics I'd be interested in, have TONS of research behind them. How would I come up with something new and original that people would be interested in reading? I want my research to be fun and an easier read than the research I've seen in the past. Not just a bunch of numbers and statistics that people don't understand.
Quote:..."think about research not as a large, formidable task, but as a series of small, managable steps." (page 3 paragraph 2) This really calms me. :) I hear research and my mind fills with numbers and statistics and years and years of work!
Informative fact that I found interesting:We've been practicing research skills our whole lives: solving problems, honing our attention span, using the library, and writing our what we think, what we're going to do, or any other random thing that comes to mind. (page 10 and 15 paraphrased) Who knew we already had a handful of research tools in our tool boxes! :)
In my opinion, I don't think that we have to be super creative to do a good reseach or read a tons of literatures in order to come up with the new research or idea.
ReplyDeleteFirst od all, we can create a good research from everyday activities that we think that they concern or affect to our life or student life, positively and negatively. For example, once day, while you are teaching in the class, a student forget his or her homework. Immediatly, you realize that the student always forget his or her homework. You can raise many questions from the student problems:what the factors that make the student forget his or her homework?, does the studet understand the task?, does the students have some issue at home?, and is it the student's laziness? I am sue that many teachers want to know why their students forget their homework in ordr to solve the problem.
Second, reading is a ajor problem for me also becaue reading is my sleeping pills. I have a tip about reaing literatures for research. First, I have to find out what research I want to study. For example, I want to do research about the way to increase attention span in Autistic students. Then I will search the articles from the important keywords in my study, attention span in autism, how to increase attention span, autistic student, and so on. Next, I will read only the article that I think it concerns with my study and will benefit me, such as adding knowledge about autism, attention span, the teaching methods, and so on. I don't read every book and I will choose the lastest literatures to read because they are the most updated knowledge.
My question for everybody to help me answer is that what do you think a research can make a different for yourself, students, and public?
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, I want to thank Helen for her comment. However, I don't think that I deserve it because I have a little bit experiences in the field. I often response from theory that I have learned and read. On the other hand, Helen has valuable experiences and passion, which make her understand the subject deeply.
ReplyDeleteRebecca,
ReplyDeleteGreat point here about assessment and research! Without research, you would not know if what you are doing is working (or is best practice either if you cannot read and understand the research).
Keep up the good work!
Prueska,
ReplyDeleteGreat point here! You do not have to be Einstein to do research! It is not rocket science! As teacher leaders, you do it anyway.
Research has made a difference for the public and our students! Think about it! In what ways has research made our lives better and our teaching better?
ReplyDeleteThe question, quote and fact Rebecca Gillies gave make you think. I think research takes time, but isn't hard. I've taught in elementary schools and standardized testing is always an issue for both teachers and parents.
ReplyDeletePrueska,
ReplyDeleteIn regards to your question I do think that research will/does make a difference to my students and myself. My classroom is an Autism High Intensity Program and we use ABA. The WHOLE reason I do ABA is because it is researched based. I KNOW it works. I don't have enough time in the day to do things that aren't proven to work. With the research background I do it and I've seen DRASTIC results. That's just me personally though. :)
Helen,
ReplyDeleteI'm relieved by your question and your quote to know that I"m not the only one that feels a little over my head with this research thing. I was also calmed by the author stating things like we already have these tool and that research is broken into SMALL MANAGEABLE steps! :) After reading through these posts I look forward to learning from you ALL not just Dr. Hendrix. :) Thank you!
Rebecca,
ReplyDeleteGood! You already do this--just informally. Now, we are trying to get you to be more critical about it and be formal! No worries!!! You learn from each other a lot, and I cannot pour the information into your heads like milk. You construct your own knowledge, and I am here to guide you! Good points here!
Pay attention to the ends of Creswell's chapters where he tells you how to evaluate the research method from that chapter. I think that will help you!
ReplyDeleteQuestion- One of the ethical condiderations listed is honoring research sites. How do you go about performing lengthy research in a school setting without taking away from the time that that the teacher has scheduled for curriculum for the students? My undergrad isn't in education, so I'm not very familiar with how a teacher would be able to fit much research time in their class schedule.
ReplyDeleteFact- I thought the Zeichner study summary listed on p.4-5. was interesting. The results show that research has made teacher education programs more effective and also that.
Quote- "In addition to helping educators become better practioners, research also creates conversations about important issues when policy makers debate educational topics(pg. 6)." I have always thought of research as being benificial in applied settings to determine best practices, but I hadn't thought of how policy-makers in education use research.
1) Define educational research- A process used to collect and analyze data in order to better understand an educational issue (p. 3). It usually consists starting with a question, collecting data, and then analyzing the data to answer the question.
2) Research helps guide the assessment procedures by establishing best practices. Especially in special education, research has helped determine which assessments are reliable and valid. For example, when assessing a student for special education services educators need to know that the assessment used can accurately determine the student's abilities. I think research is necessary to make good assessments. You need to be able to have an existing knowledge base to know what to assess and how to do it. Research also helps educators to effectively assess students' progress on an induvidual basis.
Three reasons to research are, research adds to our knowledge, research improves the practice, and research informs policy debate.
3. 6 steps of research
1) Identify a research problem.
2) Review the literature
3) Specify a purpose for research
4) Collecting the data
5) Analyszing and interpreting the data
6) Reporting and analyzing the research
4) Ethical issues- The ethical issues involved with research are respecting the rights of the participants, honoring research sites, and reporting fairly and honestly.
Prueska, I agree with R. Gilles about seeing the results after using researched methods.I work as an ABA specialist and use ABA procedures with my son who has severe autism at home. I like ABA because it is so research driven and it is focused on using frequent assessments and data collections to determine if the procedures are working. I like to be able to see on paper that it's really working. Personally, with my son using research has been a HUGE key to managing behavior issues and encouraging him to use language! I started by taking baseline data, looked up current procedures for the target behaviors in ABA journals, then kept data everyday. If the data wasn't showing results after a good period of time, then I changed procedures. A couple of months later, he was drastically throwing items less, keeping clothes on, and manding for items with signs more. His teacher did the same procedures at school as well and his language took off there too. Made a huge difference not only in school, but his quality of life!! He could ask for things he wanted and he was happier.
ReplyDeleteRebecca, I don't think you have to be really creative to do your own research. I think that doing research, even if it isn't something absolutely new and different from everything else, will still have practical value to you and educators you make connections with. I think it's always great to go to conferences or seminars and learn about what results others have had, even if it isn't an unheard of research topic. You could give presentations to your peers in a way that is fun and easy to understand like you wanted. I think showing that your research results worked, and helping others understand the application of it is important, even if the topic isn't something completely new.
However, I'm not as familiar with educational peer reviewed journals as ABA journals. Is it pretty competitive to get published in an educational journal?
Questions-
ReplyDelete1. Define educational research - A process of steps used to collect and analyze information to increase understanding of an issue.
2. Why is research important to you as teachers for assessment?
-Research adds to our knowledge as educators.
- Research improves practice and makes teacher training more relevant.
Can you assess without doing research?
- I believe you can, but you results will not be as valid.
What are three reasons to do research?
-Research improves practice, research adds knowledge, research improves policy debates.
3. What are the six steps researchers usually use?
ReplyDelete- Identify the problem, Review the literature, Specify a purpose, Collect data, Analyze data, Report and evaluate.
4. What are some ethical issues to consider when conducting research?
- Respect the rights of the partipants
- Honor research sites
- Report data fully and honestly
Fact: Participants in a research study have the right to gain something from the study.
ReplyDeleteQuote: "Let me set your mind at ease. You have already learned valuable research skills through your life experiences" (p.13)
Question: How long should research be conducted before the results are considered valid?
Prueksa, I work with an autistic child all day and have also seen the results of ABA in action!
ReplyDeleteSarah, Research in the classroom can be done in many ways. One method that I have used to collect data is to put a piece of masking tape on my leg and mark behaviors as they happen.
Rebecca,
ReplyDeleteWhen you do a thorough review of the literature, you will find holes in the field and themes that were not covered. You have to saturate yourself in the review though, and then something will come to you. If not, you can replicate another study!
Keep up the good work!
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteUsually, it is conducted at night or on the weekends. You can gather test scores and other materials after you go through the IRB and do action research, but the analysis, review of literature etc. will be done when you do not have your students with you. It is time consuming, and that is one of the reasons that teachers do not do as much research.
Remember you have to get permission from the district and your principal too.
Keep up the good work!
Matt,
ReplyDeleteGreat points here about being ethical researchers!
What are some ethical issues to consider when conducting research?
- Respect the rights of the partipants
- Honor research sites
- Report data fully and honestly
Also, list your own limitations and problems that you had.
Keep up the good work!
Matt,
ReplyDeleteGood question about the validity of the study! Some studies are longitudinal and have gone on many years. Those studies have more weight than a pilot study or a study that happened for just one year. There are other studies where other researchers have replicated them and found the same thing, and those carry even more weight then for that topic/issue. You can have good validity and reliability though even if it is the first time a study has been done on the topic. You will read more about this later in Creswell, and you will cover this in EDU 611 too with case studies.
Keep up the good work!
I am having trouble getting my post to go through. This is my third attempt and a dry run to see if I can get into my blog account.
ReplyDelete1. Educational research is a process of steps used to collect and analyze information to increase our understanding of a topic or issue. We use educational research to find programs or learning strategies that best help our students achieve success in the classroom. As a special education teacher I feel I am always looking at research to decide what programs may or may not work with our students.
ReplyDelete2. I feel that research is important in my field as an educator because it is an ever changing field. Back in the day as a Teacher you went to school and everybody learned the same thing the same way. That is no longer the case. Students are learning many different things in many different ways. It is our jobs as teacher to find the ways in which our students learn best and deliver the material in the way that is most beneficial to the students. I believe you can assess without research but it may not have the reliability and validity that it would have if you actually conducted. You can try a strategy or program and it may work great with your students in you room but it may not work across the board. You could try your new strategy or program in another classroom and it may be a big flop. The three reasons to do research are to add to existing knowledge, improve practice, and inform policy debates.
3. Identify a research problem, review literature, specifying a purpose for research, collecting data, analyzing and interpreting the data, and reporting and evaluating research.
4. Some ethical issues to consider are confidentiality of the students and keeping accurate data. It is important to remain objective at all times so that your data does not become skewed due to your own bias.
Quote:
“Let me set your mind at ease. You have already learned valuable research skills through your life experiences.”
Fact:
In all steps of the research process, you need to engage in ethical practices.
Question:
How original or in depth does my research have to be?
I see that a lot of people have used the ABA. How different is ABA from the FBA? I know there are some differences but I have only worked with ABA.
ReplyDeleteSarah,
ReplyDeleteI am hoping that I can conduct some of my research as part of their daily routine. They have a certian amount of time they spend working with me throughout the day so I am hoping to use that time as a time to inject some of my study.