An Introduction to Educational Research

Chad Lochmiller is currently an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. He received a Ph.D. from the University of Washington in 2010 with a specialization in leadership, policy, and organizations. His research currently focuses on issues related to K-12 educational leadership. Broadly, his research explores how leaders develop capacity to effect positive changes in teaching and learning. His research has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals and in edited volumes. Furthermore, his teaching supports certification, masters, and doctoral students in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Jessica Lester is a Professor of Inquiry Methodology in the School of Education at Indiana University, Bloomington. Having been trained in cultural studies and qualitative research methodology, she takes an interdisciplinary approach to her scholarship, including both the methodological and substantive foci of her research program. In her methodological work, Lester focuses on the study of language-based methods, digital tools in qualitative research, and disability in qualitative inquiry. Her substantive research has focused on examining interactional practices in clinical and educational contexts that involve children and youth. Lester has received numerous awards for her scholarship, among them the 2014 AERA Division D Early Career Award in Measurement and Research Methodology, the 2018 APA Distinguished Early Career Contributions in Qualitative Inquiry Award, and the 2022 American Educational Studies Association Critics’ Choice Book Award. At Indiana University, Lester teaches qualitative methods courses and was recently recognized by the 2022 Gorman Distinguished Teaching Award.

"It is practical for teacher leaders and researchers."

• Part I: Examining the Foundations of Educational ResearchChapter 1: Studying Education Practice with ResearchPractitioner-Scholars DefinedUsing Problems of Practice to Frame ResearchAn Overview of the Problems of PracticeThe Purposes and Types of Educational ResearchResearch ParadigmsDefining Research Methodologies and Research MethodsChapter 2: Designing a Research StudyThe Overarching Research ProcessDesigning a Research StudyChapter 3: Reviewing the LiteratureThe Importance of the Literature ReviewUnpacking the Literature ReviewDifference between Qualitative and Quantitative Literature ReviewsThe Process of Conducting a Literature ReviewStaying Organized and Updated: A Few RemindersUsing Technology to Complete the Literature ReviewChapter 4: Considering Research EthicsEthics and Educational ResearchLegal and Institutional Ethical RequirementsManaging Research Relationships with Schools and DistrictsConsidering Ethics Across the Research ProcessEmerging Ethical ChallengesPart II: Considering Approaches to Educational ResearchChapter 5: Introducing Qualitative ResearchCharacteristics of Qualitative ResearchQualitative MethodologiesChapter 6: Introducing Quantitative ResearchQuantitative Research: Aims and PurposesCharacteristics of Quantitative ResearchQuantitative Research DesignsChapter 7: Collecting Qualitative and Quantitative DataSampling StrategiesSite Access and Participant RecruitmentCollecting Qualitative DataCollecting Quantitative DataConsidering Technology Tools to Support Data CollectionChapter 8: Completing Qualitative Data AnalysisDefining Qualitative Data Analysis: Aims and PurposesCarrying Out Qualitative Data AnalysisIssues of Validity in Qualitative ResearchTechnology that Supports Qualitative Data AnalysisChapter 9: Completing Quantitative Data AnalysisQuantitative Data Analysis: A Cyclical ApproachDescriptive statistics: Identifying Patterns, Trends, and FrequenciesCalculating Inferential StatisticsA Few of The Most Common Statistical TestsIdentifying Missing or Out-of-Range DataReliability and Validity in Quantitative ResearchTechnology that Supports Quantitative Data AnalysisChapter 10: Introducing Mixed Methods Research and AnalysisDefining Mixed Methods ResearchCharacteristics of Mixed Methods ResearchMixed Methods Research DesignsModels of Mixed Methods ResearchSelecting a Fixed or Emergent Mixed Methods DesignBeyond Selecting a Mixed Methods ModelCarrying Out a Mixed Methods StudyMixed Methods AnalysisChapter 11: Introducing Action ResearchOverview of Action ResearchThe Action Research CycleUnique Considerations for Action ResearchUsing Technology in Action ResearchPart III: Producing Research to Improve PracticeChapter 12: Writing the ResearchEngaging in the Academic Writing ProcessThe Basic Structure of a Research ReportFormulating Arguments and Presenting FindingsTechnologies to Support Writing and Disseminating ResearchChapter 13: Using and Sharing Research to Improve PracticeRevisiting the Meaning of Practitioner-ScholarshipTechnologies to Support Sharing ResearchSummarizing the Research Process and the Methodologies PresentedReturning to the Place We Began: Problems of PracticeConclusion