Introduction to Research in Education

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Introduction to Research in Education

• Lecture 1
• Dr. Lyn Arnold

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Why do this course?

• I want to be a teacher!
• So why do I have to learn statistics and research
  methods?

Education and Research
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Educational Research

• National, International and Social Perspectives

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Australia
Since 1999 student learning outcomes have been
benchmarked
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Commonwealth/State Ministers of Education
Endorsed National Goals for Schooling in the 21st
Century

• Agreed to measure performance in 8 priority areas
• Numeracy
• Literacy
• Science
• Civics and citizenship education
• Information and communication technology
• Student participation and attainment
• Vocational education and training in schools
• Enterprise education

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Overview of Data Collection - Australia
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Literacy and Numeracy Standards

• Prior to 1999
• School authorities around Australia used a
  variety of different tests and measures to assess
  the literacy and numeracy skills of students
• These were not easily comparable

• Education ministers agreed to assessment of
  student achievement against the benchmarks
  through rigorous State/Territory-based assessment
  procedures, with results equated nationally.

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State Literacy and Numeracy Tests

• Formerly known as the Basic Skills Test (BST)
• Literacy and numeracy Years 3, 5 and 7 tested
  annually (all students)

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Benchmark Assessments

• Data required for all year 3, 5 and 7 students
  intending to undertake tests
• Schools must endeavour to gather the data
• Schools must code where appropriate

In South Australia Independent Schools
collate data and send to Association of
Independent Schools of South Australia AISSA
checks and forwards data to DECS
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Additional Student Data

• This information enables
• outcomes of students from particular demographic
  or social groups to be measured and compared over
  time

• outcomes of all students, especially students
  from educationally disadvantaged groups to be
  targeted
• the public, especially parents, to be informed of
  progress towards attainment of National Goals

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Four categories of student information

• Sex
• Indigenous status
• Language background
• Main language spoken in the home
• Country of birth

• Socio-economic background
• Parental school education
• Parental non-school education
• Parental occupation
• Information on geographic location is derived
  from the schools address

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2001 National Results

• Reading 90  of Year 3 and Year 5 students
  achieved the national standard
• Writing 89  of Year 3 students and 94  of
  Year 5 students achieved the national standard
• Numeracy 94  of Year 3 students and 90  of
  Year 5 students achieved the national standard

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2001 National Results

• Indigenous students
• lower literacy and numeracy skills than other
  students
• 67  of Indigenous students achieved the Year 5
  reading benchmark in 2001 compared with 90  of
  all students
• More boys than girls
• are not reaching minimum literacy standards
• 88  of boys achieved the Year 5 reading
  benchmark in 2001 compared with 92  of girls

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Nationally and Internationally
Australian Research Studies in International
Contexts School Effectiveness Student Learning
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TIMMS Trends in International Mathematics and
Science Study

• large international study designed to
• measure trends in students knowledge and
  abilities in mathematics and science
• investigate the cultural environments, teaching
  practices, curriculum goals and institutional
  arrangements that are associated with achievement
• 2002 - over 10,000 Australian students in Year 4
  and Year 8 participated
• students, teachers and principals in 45 other
  countries completed the same tests and
  questionnaires

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TIMSS project data relates to

• intended curriculum (the curriculum specified by
  the system or other body)
• implemented curriculum (the curriculum as taught
  by teachers, the nature of actual classrooms)
• attained curriculum (what students have learned)

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PISA Program for International Student Assessment

• Large international study designed to examine
• reading, mathematics and science literacy
• 50 countries
• Focus questions-
• Are students well prepared to meet the challenges
  of the future?
• Are they able to analyse, reason and communicate
  their ideas effectively?
• Do they have the capacity to continue learning
  throughout life?

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Data collected by PISA

• School Questionnaire
• resources
• structure
• parental involvement
• Student Questionnaire
• demographic data
• perceptions of school and teaching
• expectations
• language spoken at home
• home resources
• time spent on homework

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Ethics in Educational Research

• Disseminating information on research projects
  and findings that inform practice
• Ensuring duty of care responsibilities are met
• Duty of care in research projects includes
  ensuring
• informed consent has been given by
  participants/parents
• the project provides safeguards and safety nets
  in relation to any potential dangers
• Confidentiality / anonymity of participants and
  schools

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 UniSA Ethics

• protect the welfare and rights of participants in
  research
• consider ethical implications of all proposed
  research projects involving human subjects
  submitted to it by staff and students of the
  University of South Australia
• determine whether or not they are acceptable on
  ethical ground

These considerations will be based on the
National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research
Involving Humans and other advice received from
the NHMRC
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Ethics
As a learning organisation, the DECS has an
interest in research and its outcomes. It also
has a duty of care to its students and staff.

•  External researchers - must obtain central
  approval through the Network Learning
  Communities Unit before commencing research
• Internal researchers - will normally have
  written authority from the appropriate line
  manager.

• Projects undertaken as part of undergraduate
  coursework may be approved at the local level by
  each individual Principal/Site Manager/Director
  provided that there will be no publication (i.e.
  thesis, dissertation etc).