Research Methodology
Research Methodology
This course will provide an opportunity for participants to establish or advance their understanding of research through critical exploration of research language, ethics, and approaches. The course introduces the language of research, ethical principles and challenges, and the elements of the research process within quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches. Participants will use these theoretical underpinnings to begin to critically review literature relevant to their field or interests and determine how research findings are useful in forming their understanding of their work, social, local and global environment.
Credits
3.0
Prerequisites
In compliance with HUFI Learning policy, there are no mandatory prerequisites for this course. However, it is strongly recommended that you have all of course related to Language skills.
Course duration
15 weeks.
Course Syllabus: Download
Learning outcomes
· Understand research terminology
· Be aware of the ethical principles of research, ethical challenges and approval processes
· Describe quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods approaches to research
· Identify the components of a literature review process
· Critically analyze published research
Course topics
Chapter 1: The Nature of Research
1.1 Some examples of educational concerns
1.2 Why research is of value
1.3 Ways of knowing
1.4 Types of research
1.5 General research types
1.6 Critical analysis of research
1.7 A brief overview of the research process
Chapter 2: The Research Problem
2.1 What is a research problem?
2.2 Research questions
2.3 Characteristics of good research questions
Chapter 3: Locating and Reviewing the Literature
3.1 The definition and value of a literature review
3.2 Types of sources
3.3 Steps involved in a literature search
3.4 Doing a computer search
3.5 Writing the literature review report
Chapter 4: Ethics and Research
4.1 Some examples of unethical practice
4.2 A statement of ethical principles
4.3 Protecting participants from harm
4.4 Ensuring confidentiality of research data
4.5 When (if ever) is the deception of subjects justified?
4.6 Three examples involving ethical concerns
4.7 Research with children
4.8 Regulation of research
4.9 Academic cheating and plagiarism
Chapter 5: Variables and Hypotheses
5.1 The importance of studying relationships
5.2 Variables
5.3 Hypotheses
Chapter 6: Sampling
6.1 What is a sample?
6.2 Random sampling methods
6.3 Nonrandom sampling methods
6.4 A review of sampling methods
6.5 Sample size
6.6 External validity: Generalizing from a sample
Chapter 7: Instrumentation
7.1 What are data?
7.2 Means of classifying data-collection instruments
7.3 Norm-referenced versus criterion-referenced instruments
7.4 Measurement scales
7.5 Preparing data for analysis
Chapter 8: Validity and Reliability
8.1 The importance of valid instrumentation
8.2 Validity
8.3 Reliability
Chapter 9: Internal validity
9.1 Internal validity
9.2 Threats to internal validity
9.3 How can a researcher minimize these threats to internal validity?
Chapter 10: Descriptive Statistics
10.1 Statistics versus parameters
10.2 Two fundamental types of numerical data
10.3 Types of scores
10.4 Techniques for summarizing quantitative data
10.6 Techniques for summarizing categorical data
Chapter 11: Inferential Statistics
11.1 What are inferential statistics?
11.2 The logic of inferential statistics?
11.3 Hypothesis testing
11.4 Practical versus statistical significance
11.5 Inferential techniques
Chapter 12: Statistics in Perspectives (Optional)
12.1 Approaches to research
12.2 Comparing groups: Quantitative data
12.3 Relating variables within a group: Quantitative data
12.4 Comparing groups: Categorical data
12.5 Relating variables within a group: Categorical data
12.6 A recap of recommendations
Chapter 13: Experimental Research
13.1 The uniqueness of experimental research
13.2 Essential characteristics of experimental research
13.3 Control of extraneous variables (Optional)
13.4 Group designs in experimental research
13.5 Control of threats to internal validity: A summary (Optional)
13.6 Control of experimental treatments
13.7 An example of experimental research
Chapter 14: Single-Subject Research
14.1 Essential characteristics of single-subject research
14.2 Single-subject designs
14.3 Threats to internal validity in single-subject research (Optional)
14.4 An example of single-subject research
Chapter 15: Correlational Research
15.1 The nature of correlational research
15.2 Purposes of correlational research
15.3 Basic steps in correlational research
15.4 What do correlation coefficients tell us?
15.5 Threats to internal validity in correlational research (Optional)
15.6 Evaluating threats to internal validity in correlational studies (Optional)
15.7. An example of correlational research
Chapter 16: Causal-Comparative Research
16.1 What is causal-comparative research?
16.2 Steps involved in causal-comparative research.
16.3 Threats to internal validity in causal-comparative research (Optional)
16.4 Evaluating threats to internal validity in causal-comparative studies (Optional)
16.5 Data analysis (Optional)
16.6 Associations between categorical variables (Optional)
16.7. An example of causal-comparative research
Chapter 17: Survey Research
17.1 What is a survey?
17.2 Why are surveys conducted?
17.3 Types of surveys
17.4 Survey research and correlational research
17.5 Steps in survey research
17.6 Non-response (Optional)
17.7 Problems in instrumentation process in survey research (Optional)
17.8 Evaluating threats to internal validity in survey research (Optional)
17.9 Data analysis in survey research (Optional)
17.10 An example of survey research.
Chapter 18: The Nature of Qualitative Research
18.1 What is qualitative research?
18.2 General characteristics of qualitative research.
18.3 Philosophical assumptions underlying qualitative as opposed to quantitative research.
18.4 Postmodernism
18.5 Steps in qualitative research
18.6 Approaches to qualitative research
18.7 Qualitative data analysis (Optional)
18.8 Generalization in qualitative research
18.9 Internal validity in qualitative research (Optional)
18.10 Ethics and qualitative research
18. 11 Qualitative and Quantitative Research Reconsidered (Optional)
Chapter 19: Observation and Interviewing
19.1 Observation
19.2 Interviewing
19.3 Validity and reliability in qualitative research
19.4 An example of qualitative research
Chapter 20: Content analysis
20.1 What is content analysis?
20.2 Some applications
20.3 Categorization in content analysis
20.4 Steps involved in content analysis
20.5 An illustration of content analysis
20.6 Using the computer in content analysis (Optional)
20.7 Advantages of content analysis
20.8 Disadvantages of content analysis
20.9 An example of a content analysis study
Chapter 21. Ethnographic Research
21.1 What is ethnographic research?
22.2 The unique value of ethnographic research
22.3 Ethnographic concepts
22.4 Sampling in ethnographic research
22.5 Do ethnographic researchers use hypotheses?
22.6 Data collection in ethnographic research
22.7 Data analysis in ethnographic research (Optional)
22.8 Roger Harker and his fifth-grade classroom
22.9 Advantages and disadvantages of ethnographic research
22.10 An example of ethnographic research
Chapter 22: Historical Research
22.1 What is historical research?
22.2 Steps involved in historical research
22.3 Data analysis in historical research (Optional)
22.4 Generalization in historical research
22.5 Advantages and disadvantages of historical research
22.6 An example of historical research
Chapter 23: Mixed methods research
23.1 What is mixed-methods research?
23.2 Why do mixed-methods research?
23.3 Drawbacks of mixed-methods research.
23.4 A very brief history (Optional)
23.4 Types of mixed-methods designs
23.5 Other mixed-methods research design issues
23.6 Steps in conducting a mixed methods study
23.7 Evaluating a mixed methods study
23.8 Ethics in mixed methods research
23.9 An example of mixed-methods research
Chapter 24. Action research
24.1 What is action research?
24.2 Types of action research
24.3 Steps in action research
24.4 Similarities and differences between action research and formal quantitative and qualitative research (Optional)
24.5 The advantages of action research
24.6 Some hypothetical examples of practical action research (Optional)
24.7 An example of action research
Chapter 25. Preparing Research Proposal and Reports
25.1 The research proposal
25.2 The major sections of a research proposal or report
25.3 Sections unique to research reports
25.4 A sample research proposal
Required text and materials
[1] Fraenkel, J. R., Wallen, N. E., & Hyun, H. H. (2012). How to design and evaluate research in education (Vol. 8). New York: McGraw-hill. Download
Template for final assignment: Download
Final Assignment Submission: Link (Deadline: December 24th, 2023)