Traditional Educational Research and Action Research
Traditional Educational Research (TER) was defined in our textbook as "...the application of the scientific method to educational topics, phenomena, or questions in the search for answers" (Mertler, 2016, p. 6). It can use qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods. It can be experimental, quasi experimental, or non-experimental. It is generally used in the search for educational knowledge, and often increases the knowledge base of the field of education. Unlike Action Research, it is generally not conducted by those who may have a direct vested interest in the results of the research. Because there are so many types and variations of traditional educational research, it is difficult to describe the process without first determining a specific type of research process to describe. Creswell (2002) describes educational research in this way: "A cyclical process of steps that typically begins with identifying a research problem or issue of study. It then involves reviewing the literature, specifying a purpose for the study, collecting and analyzing data, and forming an interpretation of information. This process culminates in a report, disseminated to audiences that is evaluated and used in the educational community" (Creswell, 2002, p. 87).
Action Research (AR) is defined "as any systematic inquiry conducted by teachers, administrators, counselors, or others with a vested interest in the teaching and learning process or environment for the purpose of gathering information about their particular school operate, how they teach, and how their students learn" (Mills, 2011, Mertler, 2016, p. 4). This type of research will potentially solve an instructional problem within their jurisdiction, by applying the research findings to their own contexts. In AR, the process would start with: (1) identifying the topic of study, and narrowing it to a manageable focal point; (2) information gathering; (3) a literature review on the topic; (4) creating a research plan; (5) plan implementation and data collection; (6) data analysis; (7) creating an action plan based on the research results; (8) publishing the results of the study; (9) reflection on the results and process (Mertler, 2016, p. 36). It contains many steps that may be similar to instructional design using the ADDIE model, where ADDIE stands for Analyze; Design; Develop; Implement; and Evaluate. AR typically is an iterative process, repeated as needed to solve a problem or to answer a question.
On the Internet, most images show the steps of Action Research process identified as: (1) Planning; (2) Acting; (3) Observing; and (4) Reflecting (Mertler, 2016, p. 36). However, Mertler identifies most of the same steps within our textbook, except for a substitution at step-3, where Mertler has identified step-3 as Developing, instead of the more frequently seen Observing.
On the Internet, most images show the steps of Action Research process identified as: (1) Planning; (2) Acting; (3) Observing; and (4) Reflecting (Mertler, 2016, p. 36). However, Mertler identifies most of the same steps within our textbook, except for a substitution at step-3, where Mertler has identified step-3 as Developing, instead of the more frequently seen Observing.
The resolution of traditional educational research questions, or hypotheses, may add to the knowledge base in the field of education, but do not necessarily have any immediate practical value to academic researchers. Action research, which may be applied to any field of study on the other hand, is meant to produce an answer that will have immediate practical value to a practitioner/researcher with a vested interest in the results. And, action research will normally be conducted by one, or more, person(s) who may utilize and benefit from the implementation of the research findings. Such might be the case where action research is conducted by a teacher in a class that needs improvement, or conducted by an engineering manager to improve quality control, or any other problem in a company.
Various research methods are employed in both traditional and action research, but all involve the systematic collection and analysis of information in order to arrive at an answer to the original question(s), or to support or refute a hypothesis, as compared to a null. The Scientific Method and objectivity tend to yield more reliable resulting data, when coupled together with random selection of test subjects (assuming testing). Experimental research involves at least one test group, and at least one control group; the test group has an independent variable manipulated; whereas the control group does not. Information is gathered and analyzed from each group in order to determine whether there is a significant difference between the outcomes for the two groups, based on resulting differences in the dependent variable(s). One important aspect of testing on human (or animals) subjects is that it is governed by professional conventions as well as laws that prohibit any type of harm to those subjects, and adhere to strict moral and ethical considerations, along with requirements for third party approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB), before testing is allowed. This is true for both traditional research and for active research testing on human subjects.
Traditional research often tends to yield results that are statistically more certain than in action research. In traditional research, large populations may be studied or smaller sample sub-groups that are representative of a whole population. In action research, it is seldom possible, or desirable to conduct research on such large groups, because the purpose is to find more immediately practical solutions within the given sub-population--a classroom, or school, for instance. Conclusions of action research are almost never able to be certain, but are simply more or less probable; whereas, the conclusions of traditional research are often probable to such a high degree of statistical significance that they are virtually certain.
Both traditional and action research may utilize either qualitative, or quantitative methods, or mixed methods--a combination, and both can benefit from triangulation, also known as poly-angulation (Mertler, 2016). Quantitative research methods usually deal with numbers and are objective, should use the scientific method, utilize treatments to lead to numerical results using statistical tools for analysis to support or refute an original hypothesis, or that may answer a study question, and may be generalized to larger populations from the random samples they may properly use. Qualitative research methods deal more with qualities, and tend to be more subjective, fluid and holistic, with researchers often blending into the test group (for acceptance, and trust reasons) when studying ethnography. Professional subjectivity is what should minimize the effects of the researchers being embedded in those group(s), or displaying personal biases. There can also be a data skewing effect caused by the presence of the researcher(s) with respect to the way the social groups interact and behave, until the researcher(s) become accepted within the studied group. Those researchers often keep exhaustive, and/or electronically recorded field notes to try to capture and explain both group and individual behaviors. While statistics may be employed in some qualitative research analyses, it is the qualities of the social interactions and behaviors that researchers are often trying to understand and explain through their research conclusions. Resulting findings of qualitative research are not considered appropriate for generalization to larger populations, but to merely explain the observations. Phenomenology, case-studies, observational studies, constant comparative methods, guided theory, and special cases research (including studies of documents and other human artifacts) can also be researched using qualitative research methods.
Ex Post Facto (cause and effect) research and correlational studies fall under the domain of quantitative research. Ethnographic and phenomenological studies fall within the domain of qualitative research. These studies often use coding to capture data. The results of a qualitative study are normally expressed as a narrative. Both types of research should be valid and reliable. Validity refers to trustworthiness and whether or not the study findings were about what the research was supposed to address. Reliability refers to the level of confidence your study would display in terms of whether or not other studies on the same topic would yield approximately the same results. A valid test is always reliable, but a reliable test is not always valid (Mertler, 2016, p. 157).
https://www.slideshare.net/ChanakTrikhatri/research-type-on-the-basis-of-nature
REFLECTIONS
When I took EDUC-607, on Traditional Educational Research (TER), I found it very interesting. I wrote several papers, including one on Implementation, and another on Methodology. They are included below for your examination, below (top 2). Recently, I also took ETEC-543, on Action Research, which I found quite different from the TER of 607, and more directly applicable and useful to me in my CTE teaching area. The final paper I wrote, as a team member, for 543 is also included below for your examination, below (third file). Together, these courses have made me feel much more prepared for research activities that may be in my future. I have also attached my CITI IRB certificate of completion, as well as associated sample document, I made for testing on human subjects, just to get the practice of making one. It is the Informed Consent Document that I would have used, had it be been required by my college institutional review board. My administration said that it was not necessary, since I would not publish, and not use identifying information about my students. These documents are numbers 4 and 5 in the file list, below, respectively.
When I took EDUC-607, on Traditional Educational Research (TER), I found it very interesting. I wrote several papers, including one on Implementation, and another on Methodology. They are included below for your examination, below (top 2). Recently, I also took ETEC-543, on Action Research, which I found quite different from the TER of 607, and more directly applicable and useful to me in my CTE teaching area. The final paper I wrote, as a team member, for 543 is also included below for your examination, below (third file). Together, these courses have made me feel much more prepared for research activities that may be in my future. I have also attached my CITI IRB certificate of completion, as well as associated sample document, I made for testing on human subjects, just to get the practice of making one. It is the Informed Consent Document that I would have used, had it be been required by my college institutional review board. My administration said that it was not necessary, since I would not publish, and not use identifying information about my students. These documents are numbers 4 and 5 in the file list, below, respectively.
educ-607 GGG implementation_final_v9.pdf | |
File Size: | 334 kb |
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educ607 GGG final_paper_part-1_methodology.v9.pdf | |
File Size: | 263 kb |
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etec-543_final_wiring_research__report_v10___a-i_attached.pdf | |
File Size: | 3348 kb |
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ggg_citi_irb_passing-certificate__for_csusb.pdf | |
File Size: | 457 kb |
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rccd_norco_college_irb--informed__consent_form.pdf | |
File Size: | 41 kb |
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References
Creswell, J.W., (2002). Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, p. 87.
https://www.slideshare.net/ChanakTrikhatri/research-type-on-the-basis-of-nature
McMillan, J.H. and Schumacher, S. (2010). Research in education: Evidence-based inquiry. 7th ed. Boston, Mass.: Pearson Education
Mertler, C. (2017). Action research: Improving schools and empowering educators (5th ed.,). Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications, pp. 1-338.
Moye, J., Dugger, W. J., & Starkweather, K. N. (2016). Learn Better by Doing Study -- Third - Year Results. Technology and Engineering Teacher , 76 (1), 16 - 23.
Creswell, J.W., (2002). Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, p. 87.
https://www.slideshare.net/ChanakTrikhatri/research-type-on-the-basis-of-nature
McMillan, J.H. and Schumacher, S. (2010). Research in education: Evidence-based inquiry. 7th ed. Boston, Mass.: Pearson Education
Mertler, C. (2017). Action research: Improving schools and empowering educators (5th ed.,). Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications, pp. 1-338.
Moye, J., Dugger, W. J., & Starkweather, K. N. (2016). Learn Better by Doing Study -- Third - Year Results. Technology and Engineering Teacher , 76 (1), 16 - 23.