ED/PY 216
Research Methods and Analysis
(Spring 2003)

Prof. Larry H. Ludlow
Campion Hall 336C 617-552-4221 Ludlow@BC.EDU
Office Hours: Wed: 1-3, Thur: 1-3 & by appointment

Course Assistant:
Ms Tiffany Cooper 336 Campion cooperti@bc.edu
Office Hours: Tue 9-12 & by appointment

Text-required:
Fraenkel, J.R. & Wallen, N.E. (2003). How to design and evaluate research in education,
5th ed. NY: McGraw-Hill.
Pyrczak, F. (1999). Evaluating research in academic journals. Pyrczak Publ.
Text-recommended:
Campbell, S. (1999). Statistics you can't trust. Think Twice Publ.

Course Purpose:
It is my intent to introduce you to some of the fundamental principles, research designs, and statistical procedures characteristic of much educational and psychological quantitative research. This is not a statistics course. This is an applied research methodology course. The emphasis is upon you learning, developing, and applying skills that will enable you to perform a personal critical evaluation of (a) the procedures followed in a typical research article, (b) the results that were reported, and (c) the practical significance of the article. These skills include not only the ability to comprehend common research procedures but the ability to communicate the research results clearly, concisely, accurately, logically, and in a grammatically coherent (including correct spelling) style. Acquiring these skills requires extensive reading and writing commitments.

Each class will begin with an open discussion period. These discussions will focus on previous lecture topics, examples of research-in-the-media stories noticed by you, and issues arising from the assignments and the Final Project. There will also be frequent small-group interaction periods that provide an opportunity for you to discuss the assignments prior to your writing them. The purposes of the small-group periods are: (a) to clarify what each assignment actually requires (in order to avoid "I didn't know what you meant" remarks when the assignments are graded and handed back), and (b) to allow you the opportunity to discuss with your classmates how you will accomplish the assignments.
Theme Quotes:
American Stat. Assoc. t-shirt "Statistics is never having to say you're certain."
Various commentators: "There are lies, damn lies, and then there are statistics"
Priest who defended Galileo: "Scriptures tell us how to go to heaven, not how the heavens go"

Course Requirements:
1. Written assignments (6 @ 15 points each)
2. Class participation and in-class written assignments (10 points)
3. Mid-term exam (Feb 25) (80 points)
4. Final Project (due April 29) (80 points)
5. Final exam (May 6) (80 points)
Total=340 points

COURSE OUTLINE
I.
Readings:
F&W Ch. 1, 24 and Pyr Ch 1, 11-12 (where are we starting from and where are we going?)
1. Introduction
-nature of the course (what is research in general and science in particular?)
-a history of the philosophy of science

2. Steps in the scientific method (hypothetico-deductive model)
-assumptions and limits of any type of research
-ethical issues in the conduct of human research

3. The structure of research articles
-definitions of basic research-related terms
-distinguishing between assertions vs. facts and assessments vs. opinions
-general types of research designs

II.
4. Definition and evaluation of the Purpose/Problem statement
Readings: F&W Ch. 2 and Pyr Ch 2-3

ASSIGNMENT 1 COVERED-DUE Jan 28th

5. Definition and evaluation of hypotheses
Readings: F&W Ch. 3 and Pyr 4
-the research/scientific hypothesis
-the statistical hypothesis
-the null hypothesis
-alternative hypotheses
-directional or non-directional
ASSIGNMENT 2 COVERED

6. Ethical issues in empirical research
Readings: F&W Ch. 4

7. The functions of a literature review
Readings: F&W Ch. 5 and Pyr Ch 5
-types of educational reference resources
-"So what and who cares?"

III.
Readings: F&W Ch. 6 and Pyr Ch 6-7
8. Definition of a population and a sample
-sources and effects of sampling error
-characteristics and consequences of biased samples

9. Types of probability and non-probability based sampling plans
-randomness

ASSIGNMENT 3 COVERED
DRAFT OF FINAL PROJECT SECTIONS I AND II COVERED

IV.
10. Types of variables and how they are used
Readings: F&W Ch. 2
-demographic or personological variables
-independent (manipulated or observed)
-dependent variables (outcomes)
-extraneous or confounding and control variables
Readings: F&W Ch. 7.
-types of data

11. Research validity: definition and examples
Readings: F&W Ch. 9
-internal validity
Readings: Ch. 6 (p109-112)
-external validity.

ASSIGNMENT 4 COVERED

V.
12. Measurement instruments:
Readings: F&W Ch. 7
-types of tests
-standardized vs non-standardized
-uses of tests
-norm vs criterion-referenced
-types of measurement scales,
-developing a test

13. Theory of test scores:
Readings: F&W Ch. 8 and Pyr Ch 8
-types of test reliability and validity analyses
-standard error of measurement
-item response theory
Readings: F&W Ch. 7
-types of scores
-z scores, grade equivalent scores, T-scores, percentiles

ASSIGNMENT 5 COVERED
DRAFT OF FINAL PROJECT SECTION III COVERED

VI.
Readings: F&W Ch. 13-23 and Pyr Ch 9-10
14. Types of research designs--advantages and disadvantages of (among others):
-experimental vs quasi-experimental
-single-subject or case study designs
-correlational
-observational
-survey
-time-series
-historical, narrative or qualitative designs

ASSIGNMENT 6 COVERED

VII.

15. Descriptive statistics
Readings: Ch. 10
-graphical displays of data distributions
-measures of central tendency,
-measures of variability
-introduction to statistical computing software: SPSS
(labs time and instruction will be provided)

VIII.
16. The normal probability distribution
"The huger the mob, and the greater the apparent anarchy, the more
perfect is its sway. It is the supreme law of Unreason". F. Galton:
Natural Inheritance", 1894, p66.

IX.
17. Inferential analysis
Readings: Ch. 11
-sampling and sampling error
-sampling distribution
-confidence intervals
-hypothesis testing

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS
The written assignments are meant to focus your attention on research-related topics as they arise in class. The assignments will parallel the class lectures and will require you to think about the different components of a research article.

Other Research Methods Resources:

Best, J.W. & Kahn J.V. Research in Education. (1998)
Borg, W.R. Applying Educational Research: A Practical Guide for
Teachers.
Borg, W.R. and Gall, M.D. Educational Research.
Cook, T.D. and Campbell, D.T. Quasi-Experimentation.
Drew, C.J. and Hardman, M.L. Designing and Conducting Behavioral Research.
Gay, L.R. Educational Research.
Hopkins, C.R. Understanding Educational Research.
Kerlinger, F.N. Foundations of Behavioral Research.
Krathwohl, D. Methods of Educational & Social Science Research: An
Integrated Approach. (1998)
Moore, G.W. Developing and Evaluating Educational Research.
Moore, D.S. Statistics: Concepts and Controversies.
Simon, J.L. and Burstein, P. Basic Research Methods in Social Science
Suter, W.N. Primer of Educational Research (1998)
Stangor, C. Research Methods for the Behavioral Sciences (1998).
Tuckman, B.W. Conducting Educational Research.
Vierra, A. and Pollock, J. Reading Educational Research.
Vockell, E.L. Educational Research.
Wheeler, M. Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics.
Wiersma, W. Research Methods in Education.