Conducting Educational Research

Bruce W. Tuckman is professor of educational psychology at the Ohio State University, where he is also Founding Director of the Walter E. Dennis Learning Center. Tuckman is an American Psychologist, who has carried out seminal research into the theory of group dynamics. In 1965, he published a model of group development called Tuckman’s Stages, with stages of Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing. In 1977, he added a fifth stage named Adjourning. Tuckman's current scholarly interest focuses on the topic of motivation: its manifestation in the form of self-regulatory behavior, and its absence in the form of procrastination, particularly as applied to the behavior of studying. He is building a model linking motivational factors to school achievement, and is examining specific interventions that enhance the self-regulatory behavior of students. He is also interested in study strategies that help students learn from text. Brian E. Harper is associate professor of educational psychology at Cleveland State University. A former classroom teacher in the Philadelphia , Pennsylvania public school district, Dr. Harper completed his doctoral work at The Ohio State University in Educational Psychology. His research interests include African American racial identity development and motivational psychology, particularly as it applies to students in urban settings. His current work focuses on African American students and the factors that promote or inhibit academic self-regulation.

Based on my experience with scores of graduate student research projects, I believe Conducting Educational Research, sixth edition to be clear, concise, and highly accessible for all students. The content is sufficiently thorough, yet it is effectively laid out so that even the most novice research student would not find the text user-friendly.

• Part I. IntroductionChapter 1: The Role of ResearchWhat Is Research?Validity in ResearchInternal and External ValidityDealing With RealitySurvey ResearchCharacteristics of the Research ProcessSome Ethical ConsiderationsSelf EvaluationsPart II. Fundamental Steps of ResearchChapter 2: Selecting a ProblemCharacteristics of a ProblemNarrowing the Range of ProblemsClassroom Research ProblemsAnother Problem FrameworkProgrammatic Research as a Source of ProblemsSpecific Considerations in Choosing a ProblemChapter 3: Reviewing the LiteratureThe Purpose of the ReviewLiterature Review SourcesConducting a Literature SearchReviewing and AbstractingWriting the Literature ReviewChapter 4: Identifying and Labeling VariablesA Research Question and Its VariablesThe Independent VariableThe Dependent VariableThe Relationship Between Independent and Dependent VariablesThe Moderator VariableControl VariablesIntervening VariablesThe Combined VariablesSome Considerations for Variable ChoiceChapter 5: Constructing Hypotheses and Meta-AnalysesFormulating HypothesesHypotheses Based on ConceptualizingGoing From Theory to Hypotheses: An ExampleMeta-Analysis: Constructing Hypotheses by Synthesizing Past ResearchSome Further IllustrationsTesting a HypothesisChapter 6: Constructing Operational Definitions of VariablesWhy Have Operational Definitions?Basing an Operational Definition on Observable CriteriaAlternative Ways of Generating Operational DefinitionsThe Criterion of ExclusivenessOperational Definitions and the Research ProcessThe Research SpectrumPart III. Types of ResearchChapter 7: Applying Design Criteria: Internal and External ValidityThe Control GroupFactors Affecting Internal Validity or CertaintyFactors Affecting External Validity or GeneralityControlling for Participant Bias: Equating Experimental and Control GroupsControlling for Experience Bias: Equating Experimental and Control ConditionsOverall Control of Participant and Experience BiasAppraising the Success of the ManipulationChapter 8: Experimental Research DesignsA Shorthand for Displaying DesignsPre-Experimental Designs (Non-designs)True Experimental DesignsFactorial DesignsQuasi-Experimental DesignsEx Post Facto DesignsDesigns to Control for External Validity Based on Reactive EffectsChapter 9: Correlational and Casual-Comparative ResearchCorrelational and Casual-Comparative ResearchCorrelational ResearchSteps to Conducting a Correlational StudyCasuaul-Comparative ResearchLongitudinal ResearchThreats to Internal and External Validity for the Three Designs Chapter 10: Identifying and Describing Procedures for Observation and MeasurementTest ReliabilityTest ValidityTypes of Measurement ScalesOrdinal ScalesDescribing Test PerformancesStandardized, or Norm-Referenced, TestsCriterion-Referenced TestsConstructing a Paper-and-Pencil Performance TestConstructing a ScaleConstructing an Observation Recording DeviceChapter 11: Constructing and Using Questionnaires, Interviews, and Survey ResearchWhat is Survey Research?What Do Questionnaires and Interviews Measure?Question Formats: How to Ask the QuestionsResponse Modes: How to Answer the QuestionsConstructing a Questionnaire or Interview ScheduleSampling ProceduresProcedures for Administrating a QuestionnaireConducting an Interview StudyCoding and ScoringPart IV. Concluding Steps of ResearchChapter 12 Carrying Out Statistical AnalysesMeasures of Central Tendency and VariabilityCoding and Rostering DataChoosing the Appropriate Statistical TestCarrying Out Parametric Statistical TestsCorrelation and Regression AnalysesCarrying Out Nonparametric Statistical TestsChapter 13: Writing a Research ReportThe Research ProposalThe Introduction SectionThe Method SectionThe Results SectionThe Discussion SectionThe References The AbstractPreparing TablesPreparing Figures and GraphsGetting an Article PublishedPart V. Additional ApproachesChapter 14: Conducting Evaluation StudiesFormative Versus Summative EvaluationA Model for Summative EvaluationDefining the Goals of a ProgramMeasuring the Goals of a Program (The Dependent Variable)Assessing Attainment of a Program’s GoalsDesign, Data Collection, and Statistical AnalysisChapter 15: Qualitative Research: Concepts and AnalysisCharacteristics of Qualitative ResearchIdentifying General Research ProblemsSpecifying the Questions to AnswerResearch MethodologyData SourcesConducting a Case StudyAnalyzing the Data and Preparing the ReportChapter 16: Action ResearchWhat is Action Research?Assumptions That Guide Action ResearchThe Process of Action ResearchEvaluation Action ResearchPart VI. The “Consumer” of ResearchChapter 17: Analyzing and Critiquing a Research StudyThe Introductory SectionThe Method SectionThe Results and Discussion SectionsAn Sample Research Report: Analysis and CritiqueAn Example EvaluationPart VII. AppendixesAppendix A: TablesAppendix B: Worksheets for Performing Statistical Tests