This document provides an overview of research design and methodology. It discusses the typical phases of conducting research, including identifying a problem, reviewing literature, designing a study, collecting and analyzing data, and reporting findings. Both quantitative and qualitative research approaches are described. Key differences are that quantitative research tests objective theories through variables, seeks to generalize findings, and uses measurable data collection, while qualitative research develops theories, captures complex realities, and relies on interpretive analysis of text/image data. The document also reviews research purposes, approaches, elements, and paradigms to provide context around research methodology.

1. S3. Research
Design
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2. Last week
• Introductions
• What is research?
• Syllabus and assignments
• Getting to know you forms
• Metaphors for research
• Research in the news
• Getting to know you
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3. Today
• This week in research
• Syllabus & assignments
• Research design overview
• Discussion of readings
• Activity
• Next week (readings, assignment #1)

4. Phases in Conducting Research
Research is the process of using recognized methods to
collect and analyse information to increase our
understanding of a topic or issue. It involves the
following phases or steps:
• identifying a research problem
• reviewing the literature
• specifying a purpose and research questions or hypothesis
• designing a study and getting permissions
• collecting data
• analysing and interpreting the data
• reporting and evaluating research

5. Proof versus Evidence?
•Researchers rarely use the word “prove”
•Research provides “evidence”
•Replication of research findings makes the resulting
evidence stronger
•Leaves open the possibility for new theories

6. Characteristics of Quantitative Research
A researcher wants to explain how a new instructional
strategy affects student learning. She randomly assigns 60
students to two groups. One group is exposed to the new
teaching strategy while the other group is exposed to the
regular instructional strategy over the same period of time,
taught by the same teacher. Students write the same pre
and post test.The researcher uses statistical tests to
examine which group learns most and attributes the
difference in learning to the instructional method.

7. Characteristics of Qualitative Research
A researcher conducts focus group interviews with a group of
6 teachers and 6 faculty respectively to explore their views of
the adequacy of the undergraduate program in helping
teachers deal with real-world problems they face in schools.
The focus group discussions are audio and video taped, and
field notes are taken. Later the audio and video tapes are
transcribed and the researcher identifies emergent
categories and themes that are written into a rich descriptive
text to provide understandings of participants’ experiences as
well as the researchers perspectives of the program.

8. QuantitativeVersus Qualitative
Differentiating characteristics
Goals
• Quantitative: tests objective theories by examining relationships
among variables; deductively derives hypothesis, predicts, or
statistically describes; generalize and replicate findings
• Qualitative: develops theories, understand meanings participants’
ascribe to social or human problems, describes multiple realities,
captures naturally occurring behavior and complexity of a
situation

9. Quantitative vs. Qualitative
Research Problem
•Quantitative: description of trends or an explanation of the
relationship among variables; understand what factors or
variables influence an outcome, specific, narrow questions
•E.g., examining whether financial issues contribute to
divorce
•Qualitative: exploration in which little is known about
problem; a detailed understanding of a central issue;
broad, general questions
•E.g., exploring how anxiety among students interferes with
learning

10. More differences
Research process
• Quantitative: Highly structured, formal, and specific
• Qualitative: Unstructured (or less structured), flexible, evolving
Subjects
• Quantitative: Many subjects representative of the groups from which they
were chosen, uses probability sampling techniques
• Qualitative: Few participants, chosen using sampling techniques for specific
characteristics of interest to the researchers
Researcher’s role
• Quantitative: Detached, objective observers of events
• Qualitative: Reporting participants’ perspectives understood only after
developing trusting relationships with participants; subjective, biased

11. Yes, more differences
Context
• Quantitative: Manipulated and controlled settings
• Qualitative: Naturalistic settings
Data, data collection, data analysis, interpretation
• Quantitative: Measurable/numerical data collected at specific
times from tests or surveys; analyzed statistically; describes
trends, compares group differences, or relate variables; compares
results to prior predictions and past research
• Qualitative:Text or image data collected over a longer period of
time from observations, interviews, artifacts; analyzed using
interpretive techniques such as developing descriptions and
themes, states the larger meaning of findings and is situated in
literature

12. 12
Activity 1:
Let’s brainstorm key words for research design.
On your own paper draw a continuum of comfort/familiarity from very
low to very high – share in your small group. Afterwards, we will
discuss.

13. Ways of knowing
•Cultural beliefs
•Authorities and experts
•Personal and sensory experiences
Beliefs vs knowledge
Understanding social worlds
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14. Social research purposes:
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• Exploration
• Description
• Explanation
• Community change or action
• Evaluation
• Evoke, provoke, or unsettle

15. Five approaches to research:
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• Quantitative
• Qualitative
• Mixed Methods
• Arts-based
• Community-based participatory
research

16. Elements of research
16
Philosophy
Praxis
Ethics• Paradigm
• Ontology
• Epistemology
• Genre/design
• Methodology
• Methods/practice
• Theory
• Values
• Ethics
• Reflexivity

17. Research paradigms:
17
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• Postpositivism
• Interpretive or constructivist
• Critical
• Transformative
• Pragmatic
• Arts-based or aesthetic
intersubjective

18. Methodology
18
Methods Theory Methodology

19. Creswell Coe, Waring
•Comments?
•Questions?
•Concerns?
19

20. Activity 2:
Share your news article in a group.
1. Summarize the article for the others
2.What is the research design?
3.What are the researchers’ assumptions?
3.What were the research methods?
4.What questions do you have?
PREPARETO REPORT BACKTOTHE GROUP
20

21. ASSIGNMENT #1
Readings for next week
21