Introduction to Reseach (Graduate)

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Educational Psychology
Define and contrast descriptive, correlational
and experimental studies, giving examples of how
each of these have been used in educational
psychology.
Define the four basic methods used to collect
data in educational psychology (systematic
observation, participant observation,
paper/pencil, and clinical), giving an example of
how each has been used in the study of important
variables in educational psychology.
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Educational Psychology
In your discussion, define and differentiate the
following terms fact, concept, principle,
hypothesis, theory, and law.
Developed by W. Huitt (1999)
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Research in Educational Psychology
There are a variety of ways of validating truth

• Personal experience

• Intuition

• Social and/or cultural consensus

• Religious scripture and interpretation

• Philosophy and logical reasoning

• Science and the scientific method

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Research in Educational Psychology
In order for a process to be described as
scientific it must meet three criteria

• knowledge must be grounded in experience

• knowledge must be grounded in a paradigm or
  exemplar

• any hypothesis must be potentially falsifiable

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Research in Educational Psychology
Some scientists argue that the only appropriate
phenomena to study using the scientific method is
behavior that is observable by others
However, other scientists believe that personal
and interpersonal subjective experiences can also
be studied using the scientific method
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Research in Educational Psychology
Educational psychology offers a fertile
opportunity for scientists to demonstrate the
validity of these opposing viewpoints
Sample topics that have been addressed include

• Cognitive development

• Language development

• Teaching methods for concept development

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Research in Educational Psychology
The scientific method can be used to engage in

• Research

where the objective is to gain understanding of a
particular phenomena
OR

• Evaluation

where the objective is to make a judgement of
worth or value
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Research in Educational Psychology
Assessment
Measurement
Research
Evaluation
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Research in Educational Psychology
There are three different types of studies used
in scientific investigations

• Descriptive study

Used when we have little knowledge of a phenomena
and we want to describe it accurately and
truthfully
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Research in Educational Psychology
There are three different types of studies used
in scientific investigations

• Correlational study

Used when we want to understand the relationships
among variables and make predictions from present
circumstances to future ones
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Research in Educational Psychology
There are three different types of studies used
in scientific investigations

• Correlational study

Correlation coefficient describes the strength of
the relationship
Range is from -1 to 1
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Example of A Perfect Correlation
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Example of A Zero Correlation
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Research in Educational Psychology
There are three different types of studies used
in scientific investigations

• Correlational study

Correlation coefficient describes the strength of
the relationship
Range is from -1 to 1
Type of relationship is determined by sign
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Example of A Positive Correlation
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Example of A Negative Correlation
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Research in Educational Psychology
There are three different types of studies used
in scientific investigations

• Correlational study

Correlation coefficient describes the strength of
the relationship
Range is from -1 to 1
Type of relationship is determined by sign
Strength of relationship is determined by
absolute value
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Research in Educational Psychology
.60 gt .40 (Regardless of sign)
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Research in Educational Psychology
There are three different types of studies used
in scientific investigations

• Experimental study

Used when we have a fairly good understanding of
predictive relationships and we want to
demonstrate cause/effect relationships
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Research in Educational Psychology
There are three different types of studies used
in scientific investigations

• Experimental study

Must have at least two groups
Subjects must be randomly assigned
One group must experience a treatment
The INDEPENDENT variable is manipulated
Change (if any) is observed in the DEPENDENT
variable
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Research in Educational Psychology
There are three different types of studies used
in scientific investigations

• Experimental study

Only Results from Experimental Studies Can
Demonstrate Cause and Effect Relationships
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Research in Educational Psychology
There are four levels of scientific investigation
Action -- What is the relationship of A and B or
what is the impact of A on B?
Example -- What are the best teaching methods
that can be used to motivate students to learn?
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Research in Educational Psychology
There are four levels of scientific investigation
Interaction -- What is the impact of A _at_ B1, A _at_
B2, etc.?
Example -- Does using cooperative learning in
gender-mixed classrooms impact girls the same way
it impacts boys?
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Research in Educational Psychology
There are four levels of scientific investigation
Transaction -- What is the relationship between A
and B over time?
Example -- If a teacher has successfully used a
behavior modification technique, but has since
stopped, what does the child do the next time the
teacher uses that same technique?
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Research in Educational Psychology
There are four levels of scientific investigation
Transaction -- What is the relationship between A
and B over time?
Example -- What are the processes by which a
mothers educational level impacts the
parent-child interaction and subsequent
characteristics of the child when he or she
enters a classroom at a later date?
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Research in Educational Psychology
There are four levels of scientific investigation
Transformation -- How do qualitative changes in A
impact qualitative changes in B also B1 on A1,
etc.
Example -- How does parent involvement in a
training program designed to impact a childs
classroom behavior impact the siblings of the
child and the siblings subsequent interactions
with the parent and future classroom behavior?
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Research in Educational Psychology
There are four basic methods used to gather data
to be used in scientific studies. Each of the
methods can be used in all three types of studies

• Paper/pencil -- any information gathered by
  asking the subject a question

• Systematic observation -- trained recorder
  gathers data on prearranged variables

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Research in Educational Psychology
There are four basic methods used to gather data
to be used in scientific studies. Each of the
methods can be used in all three types of studies

• Participant observation -- the person collecting
  the data participates in the process being
  observed

• Clinical -- specially-trained practitioners
  gather data as part of a diagnostic/prescriptive
  activity

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Research in Educational Psychology
Use of the scientific method results in an
increasingly sophisticated knowledge base
FACT

• an idea or action that can be verified

• names and dates of important activities
  population of the United States in the latest
  census

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Research in Educational Psychology
Use of the scientific method results in an
increasingly sophisticated knowledge base
CONCEPT

• rules that allow for categorization of events,
  places, people, ideas, etc.

• a DESK is a piece of FURNITURE designed with a
  flat top for writing a CHAIR is a piece of
  FURNITURE designed for sitting a CHAIR with a
  flat surface attached to it that is designed for
  writing is also called a DESK

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Research in Educational Psychology
Use of the scientific method results in an
increasingly sophisticated knowledge base
PRINCIPLE

• relationship(s) between/among facts and/or
  concepts

• the number of children in the family is related
  to the average scores on nationally standardized
  achievement tests for those children

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Research in Educational Psychology
Use of the scientific method results in an
increasingly sophisticated knowledge base
HYPOTHESIS

• educated guess about relationships (principles)

• for lower-division, undergraduate students
• study habits is a better predictor of success in
  a college course than is a measure of
  intelligence or reading comprehension

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Research in Educational Psychology
Use of the scientific method results in an
increasingly sophisticated knowledge base
THEORY

• set of facts, concepts, and principles that
  allow description and EXPLANATION

• Piaget's theory of cognitive development,
  Erikson's theory of socioemotional development,
  Skinner's theory of operant conditioning

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Research in Educational Psychology
Use of the scientific method results in an
increasingly sophisticated knowledge base
LAW

• firmly established, thoroughly tested, principle
  or theory

• a fixed interval schedule for delivering
  reinforcement produces a scalloping effect on
  behavior

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Research in Educational Psychology
Use of the scientific method does not necessarily
invalidate information gathered through other
means.
However, when data from science seem to
contradict data from personal experience,
intuition, social or cultural consensus,
religious scripture and interpretation, or
philosophy and rational thinking, an opportunity
for learning has presented itself.
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Research in Educational Psychology
As stated previously, educational psychology is a
SCIENTIFIC approach to the study of the
teaching/learning process.
You will be expected to support your opinions
developed through another source with data
collected using the scientific method.
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Research in Educational Psychology
AN IMPORTANT CAVEAT
Only a small amount of the principles and
theories developed in educational psychology have
support from a body of research developed through
the use of experimental studies.
Therefore, most of the concepts, principles, and
theories discussed in this course must be
considered as best-first-guess hypotheses.