You got a problem? Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Problem

Research Project Types

Basic: advances theoretical concpetualiztions

Applied: immediate relevance to current practices, procedures, polices; addresses practical problems.

Google Scholar to find sources and published studies. Look for available .pdfs.

Universities have online databases and resources available, librarians can help tremendously with these and many have 24 hour chat support for library services.

Research Problem should:

• make a difference

• advance frontiers of knowledge

Research Projects should not:

• be a ruse for self-enlightenment — lacks discernment

• simply compare 2 sets of data — reveals nothing that can't be in a simple table

• simply calculate a correlation coefficient between related sets of data — does not make sense of data

• result in only in yes or no answer — lacks descriptive and prescriptive analysis

Ask what no one has thought to ask before, influence new ideas and lines of thinking.

Choosing an Appropriate Problem

Requires:

• genuine curiosity

• likely to make a important contribution to one's field

Tips:

1. Look around you

2. Read existing research literature on topic

3. Seek advice of experts

4. Attend professional conferences

5. Choose topic that intrigues and motivates you

6. Chose topic that others will find interesting and worthy of attention

Research Problem Statement

Carefully phrased, represents single goal of research effort.

Guidelines:

1. State problem clearly and completely. (ex. Not "Math Education Problems" but "Math as Text, Rhetoric as Reason: Can the Humanities Save Math Education?"

2. Think through feasibility.

3. Say precisely what you mean. (John's problem statement example).

4. State the problem in a way that reflects an open mind about its solution.

5. Edit your work. (Clear and concise)

Consider time, constraints, difficulties, etc.

Problems and Subproblems

Subproblems vs. Pseudoproblems

Does a) a little common sense and some creative thinking solve it, or b) researcher lack knowledge to address difficulty. Then it is likely a pseudoproblem.

Subproblems:

• completely researchable unit

• clearly tied to interpretation of the data

• adds up to the totality of the problem

• should be small in number

Identifying Subproblems

• Paper and pencil approach (flowchart, arrows, etc)

• Brainstorming

Hypotheses in Quantitative Research

Research: what we hope the data might support

Null: hypothesis that there will be no change/difference/patterns in the data; not usually appropriate as an a priori hypothesis

Identifying Variables

Variable: quality or characteristic in reserach w/ two or more possible values.

Independent Variable: cause; the one researcher manipulates

Dependent Variable: caused by independent variable

Mediating Variable: possible mediating cause/characteristic related to outcome

To be continued... pg. 42

SOURCES:

Leedy, P. Ormrod. 2005. Practical Research. Planning and Design. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications.

Main image source: Pixabay.com