The question in this category requires students to display an understanding of and ability to employ research methods utilized within the student's specialization. Students are likely to critique research methodologies that are used by scholar-practitioners and compose responses that identify best practices in research in the field of education.
Select five empirical articles from peer-reviewed journals that you consider critical to your understanding of your specialization and:
1. Describe each study, including:
- The research problem, questions, or hypotheses
- The research purpose
- The kind of design and elements of design (such as sample, data analysis, operationalization of constructs)
- Threats to validity and if and how they were addressed
- The findings and their implications
- Note down if the article makes a compelling case for the meaning and significance of the finding.
2. Choose one of the five articles above. Using that article, assess how you might conduct the research study differently. Address:
- The research questions
- The research purpose
- Type of design and elements of the design (as in sample, the type of data you need to collect and how you will collect it, data analysis)
- The strengths and weaknesses of your envisioned design and methods
- Quantitative: threats to validity and how your design will address them
- Quantitative: constructs you will measure and what you will do in order to determine how to operationalize them (you require not identify specific measures)
- Qualitative: your means of ensuring the quality of your findings
- Justification for why your chosen design and methods are more appropriate for your research question than alternatives you have considered
- Your methods of data analysis
- How the data you collect will enable you to answer your research question and contribute to theory
3. Apply relevant theory and research from the student's specialization coursework to real life situations to solve specific problems and discuss implications.