There are six objectives that have been developed for this chapter. The first (Objective A) reflects an objective written by the author of the web site content and is related to the material in the first pages of the chapter. Objectives 1-5 are the same as those found on the opening page of Chapter 3. Several learning objectives have been written and listed below for each objective to help you focus on specific material that is critical to your being able to demonstrate proficiency on the broader chapter objectives. In addition, multiple choice and essay/activity self-assessment items have been written for each learning objective to help assess your knowledge of this material. You can access these items through the Multiple Choice and Essay/Activity modules.
- Discuss the use of a research plan when conducting educational research.
| A.1 | Define the term research plan and list two of its general components. |
| A.2 | Identify three purposes of a research plan. |
| A.3 | Describe four benefits of a research plan. |
multiple choice questions for Objective A
- Briefly describe three general considerations involved in conducting and reporting educational research.
| 1.1 | Identify five ethical principles guiding the conduct of educational research and explain their importance in educational research.
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| 1.2 | Explain the terms "informed consent," "protection from harm," and "deception" in the context of ethical concerns when conducting research.
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| 1.3 | Differentiate anonymity from confidentiality and explain the advantages of each.
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| 1.4 | Describe the specific role of a human subjects committee and the procedures that should be followed to receive approval from such a committee.
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| 1.5 | Identify two unique aspects of qualitative research that can create ethical dilemmas for an educational researcher.
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| 1.6 | Identify several levels of approval that might be needed to gain entry into a school site.
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| 1.7 | Identify four strategies to enhance the participation of subjects in a study. |
multiple choice questions for Objective 1
essay/activity questions for Objective 1
web links for Objective 1
- Describe two major pieces of legislation affecting educational research.
| 2.1 | Identify the two major legislative acts that legally affect the way in which educational researchers conduct their studies. |
multiple choice questions for Objective 2
- Briefly describe each of the components of a quantitative research plan.
| 3.1 | Describe the four major components of a quantitative research plan.
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| 3.2 | Describe the general purpose of the introduction section of a quantitative research plan, identify its three components, and describe the characteristics of each component.
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| 3.3 | Describe the purpose of the method section of a quantitative research plan, identify its four components, and describe the characteristics of each component.
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| 3.4 | Describe the purpose of the data analysis section of a quantitative research plan, identify two types of statistical analyses typically used to analyze quantitative data, and discuss how the hypothesis and specific design influence the nature of the analysis.
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| 3.5 | Describe the importance of a time schedule when developing a quantitative research plan, describe two components of it, and describe a general strategy for developing an effective time schedule.
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| 3.6 | Describe several anticipated costs in a quantitative study. |
multiple choice questions for Objective 3
essay/activity questions for Objective 3
web links for Objective 3
- Briefly describe each of the components of a qualitative research plan.
| 4.1 | Describe three unique characteristics of a qualitative research plan that result from the nature of this type of research design.
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| 4.2 | Describe the advantages discussed by the authors on the use of a pre-proposal field study when developing a qualitative research plan.
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| 4.3 | Describe the six general components of a qualitative research plan.
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| 4.4 | Identify two functions of the title of a qualitative research study and discuss the importance of each one.
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| 4.5 | Identify the four components of the introduction section of a qualitative research plan and describe the purpose of each component as well as its characteristics.
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| 4.6 | Identify the eight components of the research procedures section of a qualitative research plan and describe the purpose of each component.
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| 4.7 | Give several examples of the material that it would be appropriate to include in the appendix of a qualitative research plan. |
multiple choice questions for Objective 4
essay/activity questions for Objective 4
web links for Objective 4
- Briefly describe two major ways in which a research plan can be evaluated.
| 5.1 | Describe three ways a research plan can be informally evaluated.
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| 5.2 | Explain the use of a pilot study to formally evaluate a research plan. |
multiple choice questions for Objective 5
essay/activity questions for Objective 5
