CHAPTER 2 RESEARCH APPROACHES IN EDUCATION 33

Select the problem

Report the Review the

findings literature

Interpret Design the

the data study

Analyze the Collect the

data data

Figure 2.2 Stages in the Research Process

This involves clearly and concisely presenting the steps in the study in su -
fcient detail so that another person can replicate it.

We discuss in detail each o the oregoing stages o a research study in later

chapters. It is probably rare or researchers to ollow precisely the sequence as
we have described in the preceding discussion. These activities o ten overlap,
and researchers may move back and orth rom one stage to another. These steps
are shown in Figure 2.2.

Q UE S T I O N S T H AT E D UC AT I O N A L
RE S E A R C H E R S A S K
The specifc question chosen or research, o course, depends on the area that
interests the researchers, their background, and the particular problem they
con ront. However, we may classi y questions in educational research as theo-
retical (having to do with undamental principles) or as practical (designed to
solve immediate problems o the everyday situation).

THEO RE TIC AL Q UEST IONS

Questions o a theoretical nature are those asking “What is it?” or “How does
it occur?” or “Why does it occur?” Educational researchers ormulate “what”
questions more specifcally as “What is intelligence?” or “What is creativity?”
Typical “how” questions are “How does the child learn?” or “How does personal-
ity develop?” “Why” questions might ask “Why does one orget?” or “Why are
some children more achievement-oriented than other children?”
Research with a theoretical orientation may ocus on either developing new
theories or testing existing theories. The ormer involves a type o study in which
researchers seek to discover generalizations about behavior, with the goal o
clari ying the nature o relationships among variables. They may believe that
certain variables are related and thus conduct research to describe the nature o