Chapter 3

• What is the focus of Chapter 3 in the study material?

  Research Methods
• What is the purpose of reviewing journal articles?

  To understand quantitative research methods
• What are the key components of a good literature review?

  • Keep research questions in mind
  • Critically analyze literature
  • Integrate instead of summarize
  • Use primary sources
  • Distinguish between assertion and evidence
• Why should studies differing from the majority not be ignored?

  They may provide valuable insights
• What type of studies should be read first in a literature review?

  Most recent studies
• What is the significance of using empirical studies in research?

  They provide data-based evidence
• What is the difference between basic and applied research?

  Basic research is theory-driven
• What is the focus of applied research?

  Immediate practical problems
• What distinguishes research from assessment?

  • Research generates broadly applicable knowledge
  • Assessment evaluates progress of initiatives
  • Research is audience not location-bound
  • Assessment is internally focused
• What are the two main types of research methods?

  Quantitative and qualitative methods
• What are the types of quantitative methods?

  • Experimental Design
  • Casual-Comparative Design
  • Survey Research
  • Secondary Data Research
  • Descriptive Design
• What are the types of qualitative methods?

  • Ethnography
  • Case Study
  • Grounded Theory
  • Narrative Inquiry
  • Content Analysis
• What is the role of the researcher in ideological approaches?

  Interpreting phenomena through a perspective
• What does mixed-method research focus on?

  Solving problems instead of philosophical arguments
• What is the purpose of the method chapter in research?

  To make research transparent
• What four questions should be addressed in research methods?

  1. Who participated in the study?
  2. What materials were needed?
  3. What data were collected and how?
  4. How was the data analyzed?
• How can participants be selected for a study?

  Through random selection or volunteers
• What demographic characteristics are important for participants?

  Age, gender, and ethnicity
• What is the significance of the Stanford Achievement Test?

  It is a reliable data-gathering instrument
• What should be included in the instrumentation section of research?

  • Sources of data
  • Quality of instruments
  • Administration details
  • Scoring methods
  • Field testing information
• What should procedures in research detail?

  What researchers and participants did and when
• What should data analysis techniques describe?

  • Techniques for analyzing data
  • Statistical procedures for quantitative studies
  • Summary and interpretation for qualitative studies
  • Reason for chosen statistical methods
• What type of processor is mentioned in the study material?

  Pentium 686 processor
• What is required of students in the math sequence?

  • Exhibit mastery learning on each lesson
  • Transition to the next higher lesson
• How does the teacher present math concepts in the lecture-discussion classroom?

  Through a lecture format instead of a computer
• What occurs during discussions between the teacher and students?

  Students ask questions about math concepts
• What are the techniques to analyze data in quantitative studies?

  • Statistics procedures
  • Brief description and explanation of chosen statistics
  • Reason for choosing the statistical method
• What are the techniques to analyze data in qualitative studies?

  • Data summary
  • Interpretation
  • Method of verification
  • Importance of triangulation
• What statistical test is used to compare reading comprehension achievement?

  Independent samples t-test
• What does a statistically significant result at the .05 level indicate?

  Null hypothesis will be rejected
• What happens if the statistical analysis does not yield a significant result?

  Null hypothesis will not be rejected
• What is the alpha level used for statistical significance in comparisons?

  • An alpha level of .05 is used
• What are the major assumptions in statistics?

  • Types of questions that can be answered:
  • Are they different?
  • What is the relationship?
  • What causes it to happen?
• What is the definition of a population in research?

  The entire group of individuals studied
• What is the definition of a sample in research?

  Part of the population examined
• What is the foundation of probability in research?

  Randomness, lack of bias or manipulation
• What is the Central Limit Theorem (CLT)?

  • Describes the distribution of sample means
  • As sample size increases, the distribution approaches normality
• What does a p-value less than .05 indicate?

  Statistically significant result
• What are the problems with Null Hypothesis Significance Testing (NHST)?

  • p-value does not indicate relationship strength
  • Statistical significance does not imply practical significance
  • Sample size impacts results
• What are solutions to the problems with NHST?

  • Report confidence intervals and effect sizes
  • Discuss theoretical and practical importance
  • Downgrade the importance of p-value