Educational research – competencies for analysis and applications (10th edition)

EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH This page intentionally left blank EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH Competencies for Analysis and Applications T E N TH E D I TI O N L R Gay Late of Florida International University Geoffrey E Mills Southern Oregon University Peter Airasian Boston College Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico City São Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul Singapore Taipei Tokyo Vice President and Editorial Director: Jeffery W Johnston Vice President and Publisher: Kevin Davis Development Editor: Christie Robb Editorial Assistant: Lauren Carlson Vice President, Director of Marketing: Margaret Waples Marketing Manager: Joanna Sabella Senior Managing Editor: Pamela D Bennett Senior Project Manager: Mary M Irvin Senior Operations Supervisor: Matt Ottenweller Senior Art Director: Diane Lorenzo Cover Designer: Jason Moore Cover Art: SuperStock Photo Researcher: Lori Whitley Permissions Administrator: Rebecca Savage Project Coordination and Composition: S4Carlisle Publishing Services Printer/Binder: Edwards Brothers Cover Printer: Lehigh-Phoenix Color Corp Text font: 10/12 ITC Garamond Std Credits and acknowledgments for material borrowed from other sources and reproduced, with permission, in this textbook appear on appropriate page within text Every effort has been made to provide accurate and current Internet information in this book However, the Internet and information posted on it are constantly changing, so it is inevitable that some of the Internet addresses listed in this textbook will change Photo Credit: Photo Credits: p 2, © Universal/courtesy Everett Collection; p 60, © Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection; p 78, © Columbia Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection; p 110, © TM & Copyright © 20th Century Fox Film Corp All rights reserved/courtesy Everett Collection; p 128, © Buena Vista Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection; p 148, PARAMOUNT PICTURES/Photo: Mary Evans/Ronald Grant/Everett Collection; p 182, Patrick McElhenney/ © FX/courtesy Everett Collection; p 202, © Buena Vista Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection; p 226, © DreamWorks/courtesy Everett Collection; p 248, © Walt Disney Co./courtesy Everett Collection; p 292, © Warner Bros Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection; p 318, © TM & Copyright © 20th Century Fox All rights reserved/courtesy Everett Collection; p 340, © Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection; p 380, © Paramount Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection; p 398, © Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection; p 420, © TM & Copyright © 20th Century Fox All rights reserved/courtesy Everett Collection; p 442, Photo: Frank Masi/© Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection; p 464, Photo: Alex Bailey/© Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection; p 480, © Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection; p 506, Photo: Patrick Ecclesine/© Fox Television/courtesy Everett Collection; p 530, Photo: Mary Evans/ Ronald Grant/Everett Collection; p 554, courtesy Everett Collection Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2003, 2000 by Pearson Education, Inc All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America This publication is protected by Copyright and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise To obtain permission(s) to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 or you may fax your request to 201-236-3290 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Gay, L R Educational research : competencies for analysis and applications/L.R Gay, Geoffrey E Mills; Peter Airasian.—10th ed p cm ISBN-13: 978-0-13-261317-0 ISBN-10: 0-13-261317-4 Education—Research I Mills, Geoffrey E II Airasian, Peter W III Title LB1028.G37 2012 370.72—dc22 2011013065 10 ISBN 10: 0-13-261317-4 ISBN 13: 978-0-13-261317-0 Preface NEW TO THIS EDITION Like the ninth edition, the tenth edition reflects a combination of both unsolicited and solicited input Positive feedback suggested aspects of the text that should not be changed—the writing style and the focus on ethical practice, for example Those aspects remain However, we wanted to provide something unique for the readers of the tenth edition, so we created the new Digital Research Tools for the 21st Century feature This recurring feature introduces novel tools and methods researchers can use to make the process of doing research easier or more efficient, such as using speech recognition programs to save time transcribing interviews (Chapter 15), using flip cameras and Skype to collect qualitative data (Chapter 14), and using management programs to organize citations (Chapter 21) In addition, we have included summary tables at the beginning of all the methods chapters that outline all of the important characteristics of the method, such as steps in the process and potential challenges associated with it In addition, users requested an update of some of the journal articles contained in the text so you will see new articles used in Chapters and 22 Content changes reflect the inclusion of new topics and the expansion or clarification of existing topics There are many improvements in this edition, and we describe the more significant highlights here: ■ ■ ■ A new section has been added to Chapter called “The Continuum of Research Philosophies” that addresses the context, history, and philosophy behind research and how it connects to current research practices In Chapter 1, the discussion of ethical guidelines for qualitative researchers has been updated and expanded to help qualitative researchers prepare for potential ethical dilemmas encountered in conducting intimate, field-based research Chapter includes a new section and figure on conceptualizing research questions that provides researchers with improved guidelines ■ ■ for identifying a research problem and understanding the relationships between problem identification, hypothesis writing, and the development of research questions Chapter has undergone significant revision because of the way technology has affected the literature review process Changes include a Digital Research Tools feature on Google Book and Google Scholar, a new section on the evaluation of Internet sources, and stepby-step directions for an ERIC EBSCO search that maximizes the power of university library consortium agreements to identify fully online journal articles The chapters on Descriptive and Inferential Statistics (12 and 13) have been updated to reflect new versions of SPSS and Excel In addition, we have added new tables and figures throughout the text Every chapter has been edited and updated References have been updated PHILOSOPHY AND PURPOSE This text is designed primarily for use in the introductory course in educational research that is a basic requirement for many graduate programs Because the topic coverage of the text is relatively comprehensive, it may be easily adapted for use in either a senior-level undergraduate course or a more advanced graduate-level course The philosophy that guided the development of the current and previous editions of this text was the conviction that an introductory research course should be more oriented toward skill and application than toward theory Thus, the purpose of this text is for students to become familiar with research mainly at a “how-to” skill and application level The authors not mystify students with theoretical and statistical jargon They strive to provide a down-to-earth approach that helps students acquire the skills and knowledge required of a competent consumer and producer of educational research The emphasis is not just on what the student knows but also on what the student can with what he or she knows It is recognized that being a v vi PREFACE “good” researcher involves more than the acquisition of skills and knowledge; in any field, important research is usually produced by those who through experience have acquired insights, intuitions, and strategies related to the research process Research of any worth, however, is rarely conducted in the absence of basic research skills and knowledge A fundamental assumption of this text is that the competencies required of a competent consumer of research overlap considerably with those required of a competent producer of research A person is in a much better position to evaluate the work of others after she or he has performed the major tasks involved in the research process ORGANIZATION AND STRATEGY The overall strategy of the text is to promote students’ attainment of a degree of expertise in research through the acquisition of knowledge and by involvement in the research process Organization In the tenth edition, Part I includes discussion of the scientific and disciplined inquiry approach and its application in education The main steps in the research process and the purpose and methods of the various approaches to research are discussed In Part I, each student selects and delineates a research problem of interest that has relevance to his or her professional area Throughout the rest of the text, the student then simulates the procedures that would be followed in conducting a study designed to investigate the problem; each chapter develops a specific skill or set of skills required for the execution of such a research study Specifically, the student learns about the application of the scientific method in education and the ethical considerations that affect the conduct of any educational research (Chapter 1), identifies a research topic and formulates hypotheses (Chapter 2), conducts a review of the related literature (Chapter 3), develops a research plan (Chapter 4), selects and defines samples (Chapter 5), and evaluates and selects measuring instruments (Chapter 6) Throughout these chapters are parallel discussions of quantitative and qualitative research constructs This organization, with increased emphasis on ethical considerations in the conduct of educational research and the skills needed to conduct a comprehensive review of related literature, allows the student to see the similarities and differences in research approaches and to understand more fully how the nature of the research question influences the selection of a research method Part II includes description and discussion of different quantitative research methods and the data collection and analysis needs of each Part III includes two chapters devoted to the statistical approaches and the analysis and interpretation of quantitative data Part IV includes qualitative research methods, differentiating between approaches and describing the collection, analysis, and interpretation of qualitative data Part V is dedicated to the discussion, application, and analysis of mixed methods research designs Part VI focuses on the design and implementation of action research and presents the dialectic action research spiral as a model for conducting such research Part VII focuses on helping the student prepare a research report, either for the completion of a degree requirement or for publication in a refereed journal Finally, in Part VIII, the student applies the skills and knowledge acquired in Parts I through VII and critiques a research report Strategy This text represents more than just a textbook to be incorporated into a course; it is a total instructional system that includes stated learning outcomes, instruction, and procedures for evaluating each outcome The instructional strategy of the system emphasizes the demonstration of skills and individualization within this structure Each chapter begins with a list of learning outcomes that describes the knowledge and skills that the student should gain from the chapter In many instances, learning outcomes may be assessed either as written exercises submitted by students or by tests, whichever the instructor prefers In most chapters, a task to be performed is described next Tasks require students to demonstrate that they can perform particular research functions Because each student works with a different research problem, each student demonstrates the competency required by a task as it applies to his or her own problem With the exception of Chapter 1, an individual chapter is directed toward the attainment of only one task (occasionally, students have a choice between a quantitative and qualitative task) PREFACE Text discussion is intended to be as simple and straightforward as possible Whenever feasible, procedures are presented as a series of steps, and concepts are explained in terms of illustrative examples In a number of cases, relatively complex topics or topics beyond the scope of the text are presented at a very elementary level, and students are directed to other sources for additional, in-depth discussion There is also a degree of intentional repetition; a number of concepts are discussed in different contexts and from different perspectives Also, at the risk of eliciting more than a few groans, an attempt has been made to sprinkle the text with touches of humor—a hallmark of this text spanning three decades—and perhaps best captured by the pictures and quotes that open each chapter Each chapter includes a detailed, often lengthy summary with headings and subheadings directly parallel to those in the chapter The summaries are designed to facilitate both the review and location of related text discussion Finally, each chapter (or part) concludes with suggested criteria for evaluating the associated task and with an example of the task produced by a former introductory educational research student Full-length articles, reprinted from the educational research literature, appear at the ends of all chapters presenting research methods and serve as illustrations of “real-life” research using that methodology SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS A number of supplementary materials are available to complement the text: MyEducationLab vii in class and save instructors preparation and grading time, these assignable exercises give students opportunities to apply class content to research scenarios (Correct answers for these assignments are available to the instructor only.) Building Skills for Reading Research These exercises help students develop skills that are essential for understanding and carrying out research Study Plan A MyEducationLab Study Plan consists of multiple-choice assessments tied to learning outcomes, supported by study material A welldesigned Study Plan offers multiple opportunities to fully master required course content as identified by learning outcomes: • Learning Outcomes for each topic give students targets to shoot for as they read and study • Multiple Choice Assessments assess mastery of the content These assessments are mapped to learning outcomes, and students can take the multiple-choice posttests as many times as they want Not only these assessments provide overall scores for each outcome, but they also explain why responses to particular items are correct or incorrect • Study Material: Review, Practice, and Enrichment give students a deeper understanding of what they and not know related to topic content This material includes activities that include hints and feedback Visit www.myeducationlab.com for a demonstration of this exciting new online teaching resource The following resources are available for instructors to download at www.pearsonhighered com/educators: Prepare with the Power of Practice MyEducationLab is an online learning tool that provides contextualized interactive exercises and other resources designed to help develop the knowledge and skills researchers need All of the activities and exercises in MyEducationLab are built around essential learning outcomes The website provides opportunities to both study course content and to practice the skills needed to understand and carry out research For each topic covered in the course, students will find most or all of the following features and resources: Assignments and Activities Designed to enhance student understanding of concepts covered Online Instructor’s Manual with Test Bank and MyTest The Instructor’s Manual with Test Bank contains suggested activities, strategies for teaching each chapter, selected resources, and test items Suggestions are based on personal experience with teaching the course and conducting research In addition, the more than 700 test items represent a variety of levels of multiple-choice items New test items have been added to reflect text additions Offered along with the Instructor’s Manual with Test Bank is the Pearson MyTest, a powerful assessment viii PREFACE generation program that helps instructors easily create and print quizzes and exams Questions and tests are authored online, allowing flexibility and the ability to efficiently create and print assessments anytime, anywhere Instructors can access Pearson MyTest and their test bank files by going to www pearsonmytest.com to log in, register, or request access MyTest also enables instructors to easily convert the test bank into BlackBoard and WebCT formats Online PowerPoint Slides PowerPoint® slides include key concept summaries and other graphic aids to help students understand, organize, and remember core concepts and ideas Computer Simulation Software Simulations in Educational Psychology and Research, version 2.1 (0-13-113717-4), features five psychological/educational interactive experiments on a CDROM Exercises and readings help students explore the research concepts and procedures connected to these experiments Qualitative and quantitative designs are included Instructors should contact their local Pearson sales representatives to order a copy of these simulations ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I sincerely thank everyone who provided input for the development of this edition The following individuals made thoughtful and detailed suggestions and comments for improving the tenth edition: Anne E Cook, University of Utah; Steven Harris, Tarleton State University; Beverly M Klecker, Morehead State University; Larry R Price, Texas State University; Graham B Stead, Cleveland State University These reviewers contributed greatly to the tenth edition and their efforts are very much appreciated This edition benefited from the efforts of two editors: Kevin Davis and Paul Smith Paul Smith (Vice President/Editor-in-Chief, Pearson Teacher Education) took over the editor’s role from Kevin, and then relinquished the role when he changed jobs late in the development process Fortunately for me, Kevin was waiting in the wings to finish the development and production of the tenth edition A few words of thanks are in order here For the past 15 years I have been fortunate to work with Kevin Davis, Vice President and Publisher at Pearson Kevin gave me my textbook start in 1997 when he offered me a contract to write Action Research: A  Guide for the Teacher Researcher (now in its fourth edition) Kevin has taught me a great deal about writing, and I will always be indebted to him for trusting me with stewardship of this wonderful text I am particularly thankful to Kevin for stepping in to take over the production of the text late in the process, and as usual, will benefit from his selection of a cover for the text! Also at Pearson, Christina Robb ably shepherded the manuscript through development and production, kept me from falling behind, pushed me to think critically about Digital Research Tools for the 21st Century, and helped me see the light at the end of the tunnel An author does not take on the task of a major revision of a text of this magnitude without the commitment and support of excellent editors Kevin and Christie were instrumental in the development of this edition and I sincerely thank them for their professionalism, patience, caring, and sense of humor I believe that I have made a positive contribution to this text, now my third edition, and added to the wisdom of earlier editions by L R Gay and Peter Airasian Long-time users of the text will still “hear” Lorrie Gay’s voice throughout the text, but increasingly there is an Aussie accent and sense of humor creeping its way into the pages! I wish to thank my friend and colleague Dr.  Ken Kempner (Southern Oregon University) for his thoughtful work on revising the descriptive and inferential statistics chapters and feedback on other quantitative chapters in the text Finally, I want to thank my best friend and wife, Dr Donna Mills, and my son, Jonathan, for their love, support, and patience Their commitment to my work is always appreciated and never taken for granted The completion of this edition signals a new era in my life as my son Jonathan starts his college career and Donna and I consider an “empty nest.” I suggested to Jonathan that one day he may want to take over my books It is safe to say that he was less than excited by the prospect—perhaps I should try again once he completes his undergraduate degree! Geoff Mills Southern Oregon University Brief Contents Part I INTRODUCTION CHAPTER INTRODUCTION TO EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH Part IV QUALITATIVE METHODS CHAPTER 14 QUALITATIVE DATA COLLECTION 381 CHAPTER 15 NARRATIVE RESEARCH 399 CHAPTER SELECTING AND DEFINING A RESEARCH TOPIC 61 CHAPTER 16 ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH 421 CHAPTER REVIEWING THE LITERATURE 79 CHAPTER 17 CASE STUDY RESEARCH 443 CHAPTER 18 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH: DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION 465 CHAPTER PREPARING AND EVALUATING A RESEARCH PLAN 111 CHAPTER SELECTING A SAMPLE 129 CHAPTER SELECTING MEASURING INSTRUMENTS 149 Part II QUANTITATIVE METHODS CHAPTER SURVEY RESEARCH 183 CHAPTER CORRELATIONAL RESEARCH 203 CHAPTER CAUSAL–COMPARATIVE RESEARCH 227 CHAPTER 10 EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 249 CHAPTER 11 SINGLE-SUBJECT EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 293 Part V MIXED METHODS CHAPTER 19 MIXED METHODS RESEARCH: INTEGRATING QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE METHODS 481 Part VI ACTION RESEARCH CHAPTER 20 ACTION RESEARCH 507 Part VII REPORTING RESEARCH CHAPTER 21 PREPARING A RESEARCH REPORT 531 Part VIII CRITIQUING RESEARCH Part III QUANTITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS CHAPTER 12 DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS 319 CHAPTER 13 INFERENTIAL STATISTICS 341 CHAPTER 22 EVALUATING A RESEARCH REPORT 555 ix ... ethnographic, and case study Identify and differentiate among research purposes, including basic research, applied research, evaluation research, research and development (R&D), and action research. .. Qualitative Research Process Characteristics of Qualitative Research Classification of Research by Purpose Basic and Applied Research Evaluation Research Research and Development (R&D) Action Research. . .EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH This page intentionally left blank EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH Competencies for Analysis and Applications T E N TH E D I TI O N L R Gay