PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2 -

GROUP 1

Research in
the Field of
Education
 Introduction to
Educational
Introduction &Research
Definition of Research

Research is a scientific, systematic, and objective

inquiry aimed at discovering truths and generating
new knowledge. It moves from known to unknown .

Definitions by experts (Cook; Redman & Mory;

Oxford Dictionary) emphasize its honesty, rigor,
and aim to reach meaningful conclusions .
 Definition of
Educational
Research
• An application of scientifi c method to the
study of educational problems

• Education is a behavioral science, the

major concern of educational research is
to understand, explain, and to some
degree predict and control human
behavior.

• Investigates the behaviour of students,

teachers , administrators, parents, and
other members of the community who
• Main function of research in education is
to fi nd improvement in teaching and
learning.
Educational research is a type of systematic investigation that
applies empirical methods to solving challenges in education. It
adopts rigorous and well-defined scientific processes in order to
gather and analyze data for problem-solving and knowledge
advancement.

The primary purpose of educational research is to expand the

existing body of knowledge by providing solutions to different
problems in pedagogy while improving teaching and learning
practices. Educational researchers also seek answers to questions
bothering on learner-motivation, development, and classroom
management.
Characteristics of
Educational
Research
1 1. It sets out to solve a specific problem.

Educational research adopts primary and secondary research methods in

2 its data collection process. This means that in educational research, the
investigator relies on first-hand sources of information and secondary data
to arrive at a suitable conclusion.

3 Educational research relies on empirical evidence. This results from its

largely scientific approach

4 Educational research is objective and accurate because it measures

verifiable information.
 In educational research, the researcher adopts specific methodologies,
5 detailed procedures, and analysis to arrive at the most objective
responses

6 Educational research findings are useful in the development of principles

and theories that provide better insights into pressing issues.

7 This research approach combines structured, semi-structured and

unstructured questions to gather verifiable data from respondents.

8 Many educational research findings are documented for peer review

before their presentation.
 Educational research is interdisciplinary in nature because it draws from
9 different fields and studies complex factual relations

.
 Nature of Educational
Research
• It requires an interdisciplinary approach.
An educational problem can require the
characteristics of several disciplines like
philosophy, psychology, sociology,
anthropology, history, and political
science.
• It is based on interdependence of cause
and eff ect.
• Educational research cannot be a
mechanical process.
• Better education, better schools and
better results of education are the chief
purpose of educational research.
• Enhance teaching and learning
Importance of
Educational
Research
1. Identifying Themes & Ideas To find a theme in a text, ask
yourself: “What is this about?” Start with simple words like
love, family, or courage. Then, make a full sentence like
“The text shows the idea that family is important.” This
helps you understand the message of the story or article.
Don’t talk about specific characters or events—just focus
on the big idea.

2. Adding Complexity Most texts don’t have just one theme.

They can show many ideas at the same time. For example,
a story about growing up might also talk about friendship,
change, and bravery. Also, different readers might
understand different themes because of their own
experiences. This means a theme can be different for each
person
3. Development of Ideas Themes can change or grow as the
story goes on. At the beginning, the message might be simple,
but later it can become deeper or more meaningful. Pay
attention to how the events, characters, or information help
make the theme stronger or more clear.

4. Making Inferences Sometimes, the theme is not directly

said. You have to figure it out by looking at the clues in the
text. This is called making an inference. It means using what
you read and what you know to understand the hidden
message. It’s like solving a mystery—you have to read between
the lines.
5. Citing Textual Evidence After you find the theme, you need
to support your answer with proof from the text. This means
giving exact quotes or sentences from the story or article.
Then, explain how that quote shows the theme. This makes
your answer stronger and more believable.

6. Conventions & Language Features Different types of texts

use different tools. In stories, look at the characters, setting,
and how the writer describes things. In articles, look at facts,
word choices, and how the ideas are organized. These help
show the message or theme more clearly.
 Scope of
Educational
Research
Educational research primarily focuses on
experimentation to gain awareness on a
specifi c topic. We can measure the scope of
educational reseach through analysis of the
benefi ts derived from the research process,
of any specifi c areas of the education.

In common, benefi ts of eduactional research

are:

• Inform action
• Solve existing problems
• Research and decision making
• In-depth analysis
Scope of educational research extended in
each fi eld of education:

1.CURRICULUM
In curriculum construction, educational
research can give answers to three
questions;

WHAT TO TEACH?
( In various levels of education, to various
types of pupils)

HOW MUCH TO TEACH?

IN WHAT WAY?
(Inside or outside learning)
2. Textbooks and Syllabi
A research activity can prescribe
appropriate textbooks and syllabi to the
aims of a given curriculum ( example:
Modern curriculum gives importance to IT
education )

3. Child Development
A proper research done in this area can
give a clear idea about:

• Conditions leading to hamper a full and

harmonious development of a childs
personality

• Provision for individual diff erences (gifted

3. Skill
A proper research in this fi eld can
provide better ideas in the development of
skills in terms of;
• Reading ( Vocabulary, Comprehension,
Speed )
• Spelling
• Handwriting ( Speed, legibility, fl uency)

4. Educational Administrationa and

Management
In this area, research can answer to the
questions or problems of:

• Freedom and Responsibility ( Teachers,

students, head of administration and
• Finance

• Educational planning and legislations

• Implication of management theories to

edcucational institutions.

• Supervision and Performance

5. Educational Technology
• Develeopment of new teaching strategy
• Analysis of the role of technology in
education

6. Psychology in education
Research in this fi eld is helpful to
teachers to understand a child in a
classroom which can improve learning and
teaching process.
 Types of
educational
Research
Educational research can be broadly categorized into 3 which are
descriptive research, correlational research, and experimental
research. Each of these has distinct and overlapping features.

1, Descriptive
In this type of educational research, the researcher merely seeks
to collect data with regards to the status quo or present situation of
things. The core of descriptive research lies in defining the state and
characteristics of the research subject being understudied. Because of
its emphasis on the "what" of the situation, descriptive research can
be termed an observational research method. In descriptive
educational research, the researcher makes use of quantitative
research methods including surveys and questionnaires to gather the
required data.
Typically, descriptive educational research is the first step in solving a
specific problem. Here are a few examples of descriptive research: A
reading program to help you understand student literacy levels. A
study of students' classroom performance. Research to gather data
on students' interests and preferences. From these examples, you
would notice that the researcher does not need to create a simulation
of the natural environment of the research subjects; rather, he or she
observes them as they engage in their routines. Also, the researcher
is not concerned with creating a causal relationship between the
research variables.
2. Correlational
This is a type of educational research that seeks insights into the
statistical relationship between two research variables. In
correlational research, the researcher studies two variables intending
to establish a connection between them. Correlational research can
be positive, negative, or non-existent. Positive correlation occurs
when an increase in variable A leads to an increase in variable B,
while negative correlation occurs when an increase in variable A
results in a decrease in variable B. When a change in any of the
variables does not trigger a succeeding change in the other, then the
correlation is non-existent. Also, in correlational educational research,
the research does not need to alter the natural environment of the
variables; that is, there is no need for external conditioning
Examples of educational correlational research includes:

Research to discover the relationship between students' behaviors

and classroom performance.

A study into the relationship between students' social skills and their
learning behaviors.
3. Experimental
Experimental educational research is a research approach that
seeks to establish the causal relationship between two variables in
the research environment. It adopts quantitative research methods in
order to determine the cause and effect in terms of the research
variables being studied. Experimental educational research typically
involves two groups - the control group and the experimental group.
The researcher introduces some changes to the experimental group
such as a change in environment or a catalyst, while the control group
is left in its natural state. The introduction of these catalysts allows
the researcher to determine the causative factor(s) in the experiment.
At the core of experimental educational research lies the formulation
of a hypothesis and so, the overall research design relies on statistical
analysis to approve or disprove this hypothesis.
Examples of Experimental Educational Research

A study to determine the best teaching and learning methods in a

school.

A study to understand how extracurricular activities affect the

learning process.
Examples of Experimental Educational Research

A study to determine the best teaching and learning methods in a

school.

A study to understand how extracurricular activities affect the

learning process.
THANK YOU FOR
YOUR ATTENTIVE
LISTENING
 Summary Vs.
Analysis
Before we delve into themes and ideas, it's important to understand the difference
between summarising a text and analysing a text.

Summary Analysis
The "what" of the text. The "how" of the text.

A summary is usually a short description that An analysis is a more detailed and in depth
restates the topic or content of the text. It is exploration of the text. It aims to deconstruct
used to give the reader an overview of what a text by examining its parts and
the story or article is about. It provides a commenting on how they work together to
brief account of what is covered in the text achieve a purpose. The writer evaluates,
(main points only) and is written in a short, examines and interprets the content, drawing
clear and concise way, without delving into their own conclusions and providing specific
specific examples. examples to illustrate their points.
 Examples
Here are some examples of themes that have been turned into specific ideas.

The journey from innocence to experience often involves

Coming of changing ideas about oneself and one’s place in the world.
Age
An irrational commitment to biological and familial ties can
Family be destructive on an individual.

Our identify is not fixed but fluid; it can shift and change
Identify depending on different circumstances.

Racism and prejudice are limitations to progress, both to the

Prejudice individual and society as a whole.
Adding
Complexity
It is rare for a text to centre around one theme or idea; often there
are multiple. Some might be more dominant or obvious than others.
These themes and ideas might interact and/or rely on one another
in order to form a complex story or investigation.

For example, a coming of age narrative novel for an adolescent

audience might explore themes of bravery, family relationships,
friendship, coping with change and maturity. An informational
feature article for an audience of parents on the topic of
standardised testing might explore ideas about education, student
stress, academic success and differences in individual abilities and
learning needs.

It's also important to note that different readers can read the same
text and identify different themes or ideas due to their personal
context. These ideas may not always be deliberately intended by an
author, but a reader might interpret them based on their personal
reading of the text.
Development of
Ideas
Considering the fact that themes and ideas can be quite
complex, it's important to consider how they develop
throughout a text.

Beginnin Middle End

g
How does the author How are the themes or ideas How do the themes or ideas
introduce the theme or developed further through conclude at the end of the
idea? What comments are the body of the text? Do text? Is there a final stance
made about the theme early they stay the same or taken or is it left open
on in the text? evolve? ended?
Consider the opening Consider the use of narrative Consider if there's a moral or
paragraphs of an article or elements in literature or message to a literary text or
the opening chapters of a evidence provided in if an informational text has a
novel. informational texts. balanced or one sided
argument.
Making
Inferences
Another important thing to consider is that although some texts can
state themes or ideas explicitly (such as an author of an informational
text stating their argument or a character in a literary text directly
stating an idea directly through dialogue), many texts infer these
themes more subtly and it is up to you to draw inferences based on
what is available.

To clarify, an inference is a conclusion reached based off evidence and

reasoning. This requires you to 'read between the lines' to extract a
theme or idea based on the textual elements or information available
to you. This might take the form of conclusions, predictions, critical
judgements or interpretations.

As humans, we do this naturally every day but the study of texts in

English is an active and reflective process whereby you not only need
to identify the ideas but consider how you came to reach them. You
might compare this to mathematics where you are not only required to
calculate a correct answer but you also must 'show your working out'
Citing Textual
Evidence
The final step after identifying your themes or ideas is to cite
strong and thorough textual evidence to support your analysis.
This requires you to identify specific examples or elements of
the text that have influenced your interpretation of these
ideas.

Remember, in upper school we avoid paraphrasing examples

as this can be too general.

Instead, we look for explicit evidence such as direct quotations

from the text to illustrate our analysis.

We should also go a step further and comment on the textual

conventions, language features, structural features or stylistic
choices that are shown through each specific quotation.
Elements Used:
 Conventions &
Language Features
These will differ depending on whether the text you are discussing is literary or
informational.

Literary Texts Informational Texts

The textual evidence you provide might The textual evidence you provide might
include: include:
• examples of narrative conventions such • evidence supplied by the author including
as characterisation, setting, point of view, facts, statistics, expert opinion, personal
plot events or symbolism anecdotes or case studies
• language features such as descriptive • language features such as rhetorical
language, figurative language, lexicon question, inclusive language, repetition or
and connotation hyperbole
• structural features such as flash back, • structural features such as cause and
foreshadowing, prologue or epilogue effect, problem-solution, compare and