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Educational
REsEaRch
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Educational
REsEaRch
Competencies for Analysis and Applications
E l E vE n th E d i ti o n
GloBAl Edition
Geoffrey E. Mills
Southern Oregon University
L. R. Gay
Late of Florida International University
5
6 Preface
Because the topic coverage of the text is relatively each student selects and delineates a research
comprehensive, it may be easily adapted for use problem of interest that has relevance to his or
in either a senior-level undergraduate course or a her professional area. Throughout the rest of the
more advanced graduate-level course. text, the student then simulates the procedures
The philosophy that guided the development that would be followed in conducting a study de-
of the current and previous editions of this text was signed to investigate the research problem; each
the conviction that an introductory research course chapter develops a specific skill or set of skills
should be more oriented toward skill and applica- required for the execution of such a research de-
tion than toward theory. Thus, the purpose of this sign. Specifically, the student learns about the ap-
text is for students to become familiar with research plication of the scientific method in education and
mainly at a “how-to” skill and application level. The the ethical considerations that affect the conduct
authors do not mystify students with theoretical and of any educational research (Chapter 1), identi-
statistical jargon. They strive to provide a down- fies a research problem and formulates hypoth-
to-earth approach that helps students acquire the eses (Chapter 2), conducts a review of the related
skills and knowledge required of a competent con- literature (Chapter 3), develops a research plan
sumer and producer of educational research. The (Chapter 4), selects and defines samples (Chapter
emphasis is not just on what the student knows but 5), and evaluates and selects measuring instruments
also on what the student can do with what he or (Chapter 6). Throughout these chapters are parallel
she knows. It is recognized that being a “good” re- discussions of quantitative and qualitative research
searcher involves more than the acquisition of skills constructs. This organization, with increased em-
and knowledge; in any field, important research is phasis on ethical considerations in the conduct
usually produced by those who through experience of educational research and the skills needed to
have acquired insights, intuitions, and strategies conduct a comprehensive review of related litera-
related to the research process. Research of any ture, allows the student to see the similarities and
worth, however, is rarely conducted in the absence differences in research designs and to understand
of basic research skills and knowledge. A funda- more fully how the nature of the research question
mental assumption of this text is that the competen- influences the selection of a research design. Part II
cies required of a competent consumer of research “Research Designs” includes description and dis-
overlap considerably with those required of a com- cussion of different quantitative research designs,
petent producer of research. A person is in a much qualitative research designs, mixed methods re-
better position to evaluate the work of others after search designs, and action research designs. Part III
she or he has performed the major tasks involved in “Working with Quantitative and Qualitative Data”
the research process. includes two chapters devoted to the statistical
approaches and the analysis and interpretation of
quantitative data, and two chapters describing the
organization and strategy collection, analysis, and interpretation of qualitative
data. Part IV “Reporting and Critiquing Research”
The overall strategy of the text is to promote stu- focuses on helping the student prepare a research
dents’ attainment of a degree of expertise in re- report, either for the completion of a degree re-
search through the acquisition of knowledge and quirement or for publication in a refereed journal,
by involvement in the research process. and an opportunity for the student to apply the
skills and knowledge acquired in Parts I through
III to critique a research report.
organization
In the eleventh edition, Part I “Foundational
Concepts and Processes” includes discussion of the
strategy
scientific and disciplined inquiry approach and its This text represents more than just a textbook to
application in education. The main steps in the re- be incorporated into a course; it is a total instruc-
search process and the purpose and methods of the tional system that includes stated learning out-
various research designs are discussed. In Part I, comes, instruction, and procedures for evaluating
Preface 7
each outcome. The instructional strategy of the student. Full-length articles, reprinted from the
system emphasizes the demonstration of skills and educational research literature, appear at the ends
individualization within this structure. Each chap- of all chapters presenting research designs and
ter begins with a list of learning outcomes that de- serve as illustrations of “real-life” research using
scribes the knowledge and skills that the student that design. For the 11th edition all of these articles
should gain from the chapter. In many instances, have been annotated with descriptive and evalua-
learning outcomes may be assessed either as writ- tive annotations.
ten exercises submitted by students or by tests,
whichever the instructor prefers. In most chapters,
a task to be performed is described next. Tasks suPPlementary materials
require students to demonstrate that they can per-
form particular research skills. Because each stu- The following resources are available for instructors to
dent works with a different research problem, each download from www.pearsonglobaleditions.com/
student demonstrates the competency required by mills. Download the supplement you need. If you
a task as it applies to his or her own problem. With require assistance in downloading any resources,
the exception of Chapter 1, an individual chapter contact your Pearson representative.
is directed toward the attainment of only one task
(occasionally, students have a choice between a instructor’s Resource Manual
quantitative and qualitative task). With test Bank
Text discussion is intended to be as simple
and straightforward as possible. Whenever fea- The Instructor’s Resource Manual with Test Bank
sible, procedures are presented as a series of steps, is divided into two parts. The Instructor’s Resource
and concepts are explained in terms of illustra- Manual contains, for each chapter, suggested activ-
tive examples. In a number of cases, relatively ities that have been effectively used in Educational
complex topics or topics beyond the scope of the Research courses, strategies for teaching, and
text are presented at a very elementary level, and selected resources to supplement the textbook
students are directed to other sources for addi- content. The test bank contains multiple-choice
tional, in-depth discussion. There is also a degree items covering the content of each chapter, newly
of intentional repetition; a number of concepts are updated for this edition, and can be printed and
discussed in different contexts and from different edited or used with TestGen®.
perspectives. Also, at the risk of eliciting more
than a few groans, an attempt has been made to testGen®
sprinkle the text with touches of humor—a hall-
mark of this text spanning three decades—and TestGen is a powerful test generator available exclu-
perhaps best captured by the pictures and quotes sively from Pearson Education publishers. You in-
that open each chapter. Each chapter includes a stall TestGen on your personal computer and create
detailed, often lengthy summary with headings your own tests for classroom testing and for other
and subheadings directly parallel to those in the specialized delivery options, such as over a local
chapter. The summaries are designed to facilitate area network or on the web. A test bank, which is
both the review and location of related text discus- also called a Test Item File (TIF), typically contains
sion. Finally, each chapter (or part) concludes with a large set of test items, organized by chapter and
suggested criteria for evaluating the associated ready for your use in creating a test, based on the
task and with an example of the task produced associated textbook material. Assessments may be
by a former introductory educational research created for both print and testing online.
8 Preface
9
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contents
11
12 coNteNts
chaPter 1
can instructional and emotional support in the first-grade classroom Make a difference for children
at risk of school failure? 52
chaPter 7
to what extent are literacy initiatives being supported: important Questions for administrators 225
chaPter 8
Parental involvement and its influence on the reading achievement of 6th grade students 249
chaPter 9
comparing longitudinal academic achievement of full-day and half-day kindergarten
students 269
chaPter 10
effects of Mathematical word Problem–solving instruction on Middle school students with learning
Problems 316
chaPter 11
effects of functional Mobility skills training for young students with Physical disabilities 351
chaPter 12
for whom the school bell tolls: conflicting voices inside an alternative high school 376
chaPter 13
Preparing Preservice teachers in a diverse world 406
chaPter 14
using community as a resource for teacher education: a case study 428
chaPter 15
how should Middle-school students with ld approach online Note taking? a Mixed Methods
study 459
chaPter 16
“let’s talk”: discussions in a biology classroom: an action research Project 488
chaPter 22
gender and race as variables in Psychosocial adjustment to Middle and high school 630
17
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Educational
REsEaRch
c h a P t E R on E
Educational Research:
Method, Purpose,
and Ethics
We recognize that educational research is a rel- approaches to understanding has limitations when
atively unfamiliar discipline for many of you. Our used in isolation. Some problems associated with
first goals, then, are to help you acquire a general experience and authority as sources of knowledge
understanding of research processes and to help are graphically illustrated in a story told about
you develop the perspective of a researcher. We Aristotle. According to the story, one day Aristotle
begin by examining the scientific method. caught a fly and carefully counted and recounted
the legs. He then announced that flies have five
legs. No one questioned the word of Aristotle.
the scientific method For years his finding was accepted uncritically.
Unfortunately, the fly that Aristotle caught just
What is knowledge? And how do we come to happened to be missing a leg! Whether or not you
“know” something? Experience is certainly one of believe the story, it illustrates the limitations of
the fundamental ways we come to know about and relying on personal experience and authority as
understand our world. For example, a child who sources of knowledge.
touches something hot learns that high heat hurts. The story also points out a potential problem
We know other things because a trusted authority, with inductive reasoning: Generalizing from a
such as a parent or a teacher, told us about them. small sample, especially one that is atypical, can
Most likely, much of your knowledge of current lead to errors. Deductive reasoning, too, is limited
world events comes secondhand, from things you by the evidence in the original observations. If
have read or heard from a source you trust. every research text really does have a chapter on
Another way we come to know something is sampling, and if this book really is a research text,
through thinking, through reasoning. Reasoning then it follows that this book must have a chapter
refers to the process of using logical thought to on sampling. However, if one or more of the prem-
reach a conclusion. We can reason inductively or ises is false (perhaps some research texts do not
deductively. inductive reasoning involves devel- have a chapter on sampling), your conclusion may
oping generalizations based on observation of also be wrong.
a limited number of related events or experi- When we rely exclusively on these common
ences. Consider the following example of induc- approaches to knowing, the resulting knowl-
tive reasoning: edge is susceptible to error and may be of lim-
ited value to understanding the world beyond
Observation: An instructor examines five research
our immediate experience. However, experience,
textbooks. Each contains a chapter about
authority, and inductive and deductive reasoning
sampling.
are very effective when used together as integral
Generalization: The instructor concludes that all
components of the scientific method. The scien-
research textbooks contain a chapter about
tific method is an orderly process entailing a
sampling.
number of steps: recognition and definition of a
deductive reasoning involves essentially the problem, formulation of hypotheses, collection
reverse process—arriving at specific conclusions of data, analysis of data, and statement of con-
based on general principles, observations, or expe- clusions regarding confirmation or disconfirma-
riences (i.e., generalizations)—as shown in the tion of the hypotheses (i.e., a researcher forms a
next example. hypothesis—an explanation for the occurrence
of certain behaviors, phenomena, or events—as
Observations: All research textbooks contain a
a way of predicting the results of a research
chapter on sampling. The book you are reading
study and then collects data to test that predic-
is a research text.
tion). These steps can be applied informally
Generalization: This book must contain a chapter
to solve everyday problems such as the most
on sampling. (Does it?)
efficient route to take from home to work or
Although people commonly use experience, school, the best time to go to the bank, or the
authority, inductive reasoning, and deductive best kind of computer to purchase. The more
reasoning to learn new things and draw new formal application of the scientific method is
conclusions from that knowledge, each of these standard in research; it is more efficient and more
chaPtER 1 • educatioNal research: Method, PurPose, aNd ethics 23
reliable than relying solely on experience, author- application of the scientific Method
ity, inductive reasoning, and deductive reasoning in Education
as sources of knowledge.
Research is the formal, systematic application of
the scientific method to the study of problems;
limitations of the scientific Method educational research is the formal, systematic
The steps in the scientific method guide researchers application of the scientific method to the study
in planning, conducting, and interpreting research of educational problems. The goal of educational
studies. However, it is important to recognize research is essentially the same as the goal of all
some limitations of the method. First, the scientific science: to describe, explain, predict, or control
method cannot answer all questions. For example, phenomena—in this case, educational phenom-
applying the scientific method will not resolve ena. As we mentioned previously, it can be quite
the question “Should we legalize euthanasia?” The difficult to describe, explain, predict, and control
answers to questions like this one are influenced situations involving human beings, who are by
by personal philosophy, values, and ethics. far the most complex of all organisms. So many
Second, application of the scientific method factors, known and unknown, operate in any edu-
can never capture the full richness of the individu- cational environment that it can be extremely dif-
als and the environments under study. Although ficult to identify specific causes of behaviors or to
some applications of the method lead to deeper generalize or replicate findings. The kinds of rigid
understanding of the research context than oth- controls that can be established and maintained in
ers, no application—and in fact no research a biochemistry laboratory, for instance, are impos-
approach—provides full comprehension of a site sible in an educational setting. Even describing
and its inhabitants. No matter how many variables behaviors, based on observing people, has limits.
one studies or how long one is immersed in a Observers may be subjective in recording behav-
research context, other variables and aspects of iors, and people who are observed may behave
context will remain unexamined. Thus, the scien- atypically just because they are being watched.
tific method and, indeed, all types of inquiry give Chemical reactions, on the other hand, are cer-
us a simplified version of reality. tainly not aware of being observed! Nevertheless,
Third, our measuring instruments always have behavioral research should not be viewed as less
some degree of error. The variables we study are scientific than natural science research conducted
often proxies for the real behavior we seek to exam- in a lab.
ine. For example, even if we use a very precisely Despite the difficulty and complexity of apply-
constructed multiple-choice test to assess a person’s ing the scientific method in educational settings,
values, we will likely gather information that gives the steps of the scientific method used by edu-
us a picture of that person’s beliefs about his or her cational researchers are the same as those used
values. However, we aren’t likely to have an ade- by researchers in other more easily controlled
quate picture of how that person acts, which may settings:
be the better reflection of the person’s real values.
More broadly, all educational inquiry, not just 1. Selection and definition of a problem. A
the scientific method, is carried out with the problem is a question of interest that can be
cooperation of participants who agree to pro- tested or answered through the collection
vide researchers with data. Because educational and analysis of data. Upon identifying a
researchers deal with human beings, they must research question, researchers typically
consider a number of ethical concerns and respon- review previously published research on
sibilities to the participants. For example, they the same topic and use that information to
must shelter participants from real or potential hypothesize about the results. In other words,
harm. They must inform participants about the they make an educated guess about the
nature of the planned research and address the answer to the question.
expectations of the participants. These factors can 2. Execution of research procedures. The
limit and skew results. All these limitations will be procedures reflect all the activities involved
addressed in later sections of this book. in collecting data related to the problem
24 chaPtER 1 • educatioNal research: Method, PurPose, aNd ethics
(e.g., how data are collected and from whom). researchers have adopted diverse philosophies
To a great extent, the specific procedures are toward their research. Now, there are certain
dictated by the research question and the philosophical assumptions that underpin an edu-
variables involved in the study. cational researcher’s decision to conduct research.
3. Analysis of data. Data are analyzed in a These philosophical assumptions address issues
way that permits the researcher to test related to the nature of reality (ontology), how
the research hypothesis or answer the researchers know what they know (epistemol-
research question. Analysis usually involves ogy), and the methods used to study a particular
application of one or more statistical phenomenon (methodology), with an emphasis on
technique. For some studies, data analysis quantitative or qualitative methods. As Creswell1
involves verbal synthesis of narrative data; notes, historically, researchers compared the philo-
these studies typically involve new insights sophical assumptions that underpinned qualitative
about the phenomena in question, generate and quantitative research approaches in order to
hypotheses for future research, or both. establish the legitimacy of qualitative research, but
4. Drawing and stating conclusions. The given the evolution of qualitative and quantitative
conclusions, which should advance our research over the past four decades, there is no
general knowledge of the topic in question, longer any need to justify one set of philosophical
are based on the results of data analysis. assumptions over another set of assumptions.
They should be stated in terms of the original
hypothesis or research question. Conclusions
should indicate, for example, whether the
Quantitative Research
research hypothesis was supported or Educational researchers have also followed well-
not. For studies involving verbal synthesis, defined, widely accepted procedures for stating
conclusions are much more tentative. research topics, carrying out the research process,
analyzing the resulting data, and verifying the
quality of the study and its conclusions. Often,
different aPProaches to these research procedures are based on what has
educational research come to be known as a quantitative approach to
conducting and obtaining educational understand-
All educational inquiry ultimately involves a deci- ings. The quantitative framework in educational
sion to study or describe something—to ask some research involves the application of the scientific
question and seek an answer. All educational inquiry method to try to answer questions about edu-
necessitates that data of some kind be collected, cation. At the end of this chapter you will find
that the data be analyzed in some way, and that the an example of quantitative research published
researcher come to some conclusion or interpreta- in Child Development (a refereed journal): “Can
tion. In other words, all educational inquiry shares Instructional and Emotional Support in the First-
the same four basic actions we find in the scientific Grade Classroom Make a Difference for Children
method. However, it is not accurate to say that all at Risk of School Failure?” (Hamre & Pianta, 2005).
educational research is an application of the scien- As this title suggests, this research investigates the
tific method. Important differences exist between the ways in which children’s risk of school failure may
types of problems researchers investigate and the be moderated by instructional and emotional sup-
questions they ask, the types of data they collect, the port from teachers.
form of data analysis, and the conclusions that the Quantitative research is the collection and
researcher can draw meaningfully and with validity. analysis of numerical data to describe, explain,
predict, or control phenomena of interest. Part II
of the text will address in detail specific quantita-
the continuum of Research
tive research designs that satisfy the assumptions
Philosophies
Historically, educational researchers used 1
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative Inquiry & Research Design:
approaches that involved the use of the scientific Choosing Among Five Approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks,
method. However, over the last four decades, CA: Sage.
chaPtER 1 • educatioNal research: Method, PurPose, aNd ethics 25
underpinning a quantitative approach to research. participants deepens (think back to the discus-
A quantitative research approach entails more than sion of inductive reasoning). As a result, qualitative
just the use of numerical data. At the outset of a researchers often avoid stating hypotheses before
study, quantitative researchers state the hypotheses data are collected, and they may examine a particu-
to be examined and specify the research proce- lar phenomenon without a guiding statement about
dures that will be used to carry out the study. They what may or may not be true about that phenome-
also maintain control over contextual factors that non or its context. However, qualitative researchers
may interfere with the data collection and identify do not enter a research setting without any idea of
a sample of participants large enough to provide what they intend to study. Rather, they commence
statistically meaningful data. Many quantitative their research with “foreshadowed problems.”2 This
researchers have little personal interaction with difference is important—quantitative research usu-
the participants they study because they frequently ally tests a specific hypothesis; qualitative research
collect data using paper-and-pencil, noninteractive often does not.
instruments. The analysis of numerical data can be Additionally, in qualitative research, context is
complex but addressed systematically and Part III not controlled or manipulated by the researcher.
of the text will provide a detailed description for The effort to understand the participants’ perspec-
how to work with quantitative data. tive requires researchers using qualitative meth-
Underlying quantitative research methods is ods to interact extensively and intimately with
the philosophical belief or assumption that we participants during the study, using time-intensive
inhabit a relatively stable, uniform, and coherent data collection methods such as interviews and
world that we can measure, understand, and gen- observations. As a result, the number of partici-
eralize about. This view, adopted from the natural pants tends to be small, and qualitative researchers
sciences, implies that the world and the laws that analyze the data inductively by categorizing and
govern it are somewhat predictable and can be organizing it into patterns that produce a descrip-
understood by scientific research and examination. tive, narrative synthesis.
In this quantitative perspective, claims about the Qualitative research differs from quantitative
world are not considered meaningful unless they research in two additional ways: (1) Qualitative
can be verified through direct observation. research often involves the simultaneous collection
of a wealth of narrative and visual data over an
extended period of time, and (2) as much as is pos-
Qualitative Research sible, data collection occurs in a naturalistic setting.
Qualitative research is the collection, analysis, In quantitative studies, in contrast, research is most
and interpretation of comprehensive narrative and often conducted in researcher-controlled environ-
visual (i.e., non-numerical) data to gain insights ments under researcher-controlled conditions, and
into a particular phenomenon of interest. Part II the activities of data collection, analysis, and writ-
of the text will address in detail specific qualita- ing are separate, discrete activities. Because quali-
tive research designs that satisfy the underpinning tative researchers strive to study people and events
assumptions of a qualitative approach to research. in their naturalistic settings, qualitative research
Qualitative research approaches are based on is sometimes referred to as naturalistic research,
different beliefs and designed for different pur- naturalistic inquiry, or field-oriented research.
poses than quantitative research approaches. For These two characteristics of qualitative
example, qualitative researchers do not necessar- research, the simultaneous study of many aspects
ily accept the view of a stable, coherent, uniform of a phenomenon and the attempt to study things
world. They argue that all meaning is situated in as they exist naturally, help in part to explain the
a particular perspective or context, and because growing enthusiasm for qualitative research in edu-
different people and groups often have different cation, especially in applied teacher practitioner–
perspectives and contexts, the world has many oriented research. Some researchers and educators
different meanings, none of which is necessarily
more valid or true than another.
Qualitative research approaches tend to evolve 2
Argonauts of the Western Pacific (p. 9), by B. Malinowski,
as understanding of the research context and 1922. London: Routledge.
26 chaPtER 1 • educatioNal research: Method, PurPose, aNd ethics
feel that certain kinds of educational problems and characteristics of Quantitative and
questions do not lend themselves well to quanti- Qualitative Research approaches
tative methods, which use principally numerical
analysis and try to control variables in very com- Earlier in this chapter, we presented four general,
plex environments. As qualitative researchers point conceptual research steps used in the scientific
out, findings should be derived from research con- method. In this section we expand the number of
ducted in real-world settings to have relevance to steps to six, which are followed by both quantita-
real-world settings. tive researchers and qualitative researchers. As we
At the end of this chapter, you will find discuss in subsequent chapters in Part II, however,
an example of qualitative research published the application of the steps differs depending on
in Action in Teacher Education (a refereed the research design. For example, the research
journal): “Developing Teacher Epistemological procedures in qualitative research are often less
Sophistication about Multicultural Curriculum: A rigid than those in quantitative research. Similarly,
Case Study” (Sleeter, 2009). This research inves- although both quantitative and qualitative research-
tigates how teachers’ thinking about curriculum ers collect data, the nature of the data differs.
develops during a teacher preparation program Figure 1.1 compares the six steps of qualitative and
and how the lessons from the case study might quantitative research approaches and lists traits
inform teacher education pedagogy. And, of that characterize each approach at every step:
course, the use of the word epistemological in
1. Identifying a research topic. Often the initial
the title introduces you to the language of educa-
topic is narrowed to be more manageable.
tional research!
2. Reviewing the literature. The researcher
examines existing research to identify useful
information and strategies for carrying out
Mixed Methods Research the study.
Mixed methods research combines quantita- 3. Selecting participants. Participants are
tive and qualitative approaches by including both purposefully selected (i.e., not randomly
quantitative and qualitative data in a single study. selected) and are usually fewer in number
The purpose of mixed methods research is to build than in quantitative samples.
on the synergy and strength that exists between 4. Collecting data. Qualitative data tend to be
quantitative and qualitative research approaches gathered from interviews, observations, and
to understand a phenomenon more fully than artifacts.
is possible using either quantitative or qualita- 5. Analyzing and interpreting data. The
tive approaches alone. Chapter 15 will describe researcher analyzes the themes and general
in detail six mixed methods research designs tendencies and provides interpretations of
(convergent-parallel, explanatory, exploratory, the data.
experimental, social justice, and multistage evalu- 6. Reporting and evaluating the research. The
ation). However, the basic differences among the researcher summarizes and integrates the
designs are related to the priority given to the fol- qualitative data in narrative and visual
lowing areas: form.
■ the type of data collected (i.e., qualitative and Table 1.1 provides another snapshot of
quantitative data are of equal weight, or one quantitative and qualitative research character-
type of data has greater weight than the other) istics. Despite the differences between them,
■ the sequence of data collection (i.e., both types you should not consider quantitative and quali-
of data are collected during the same time tative research approaches to be oppositional.
period, or one type of data is collected in each Taken together, they represent the full range of
sequential phase of the project) educational research designs. The terms quan-
■ the analysis techniques (i.e., either an analysis titative and qualitative are used to differentiate
that combines the data or one that keeps the one approach from the other conveniently. If
two types of data separate). you see yourself as a positivist—the belief that
chaPtER 1 • educatioNal research: Method, PurPose, aNd ethics 27
Identifying a
• Description and • Exploratory and
Research Problem
explanation-oriented understanding-oriented
Reviewing the
• Major role • Minor role
Literature
• Justification for the • Justification for the
research problem and research problem
specification for the need
for the study
Selecting
• Specific and narrow • General and broad
Participants/Sample
• Measurable, • Participants'
observable data experiences
Collecting
• Predetermined • Emerging protocols
Data
instruments • Text or image data
• Numeric (numbered) data • Small number of
• Large number of individuals individuals or sites
Analyzing and
• Statistical analysis • Text analysis
Interpreting Data
• Description of trends, • Description, analysis,
comparison of groups, or and thematic development
relationships among variables • The larger meaning
• A comparison of results with of findings
predictions and past studies
Reporting and
• Standard and fixed • Flexible and emerging
Evaluating Research
• Objective and unbiased • Reflexive and biased
Source: Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research
(5th ed.), (pp. 20, 464, 504, 541), by creswell, john w., © 2015. reprinted by permission of Pearson
education, inc., upper saddle river, Nj.
qualities of natural phenomena must be veri- generally be more appropriate than the other,
fied by evidence before they can be considered although selecting a primary approach does not
knowledge—that does not mean you cannot preclude borrowing from the other. In fact, both
use or learn from qualitative research methods. may be utilized in the same studies, as when the
The same holds true for nonpositivist, phenom- administration of a (quantitative) questionnaire is
enologist qualitative researchers. Depending on followed by a small number of detailed (qualita-
the nature of the question, topic, or problem to tive) interviews to obtain deeper explanations for
be investigated, one of these approaches will the numerical data.
28 chaPtER 1 • educatioNal research: Method, PurPose, aNd ethics