Week 5 (Sept.26,06)

1
Week 5 (Sept.26,06)

• Frame Refine Research Questions

2
Agenda for Today

• Sharing life (5-10) lib time observation.
• Process reading (20)
• Frame and refine you research questions (20)
  (group work).
• ------------------------------------
• 1-minute presentation/defense of your research
  questions) (40)
• Peer review INTRO (20)
• Relate to our schools and teaching Hot topics
  sign up (10)
• Q A (10)

3
Sharing life

• How was your library time?
• How was your one-week classroom observation?

4
Agenda I

• What are characteristics of good Research
  Questions (Process readings)

5
A Research Question Whats Wrong? (5.2)

• Do LD/ADHD students engage in meaningful
  discussions during literature circles?
• How to fix this?
• What are the core principles of framing a
  research question?

6
How to Refine the Research Question?

• Do LD/ADHD students engage in meaningful
  discussions during literature circles?
• Four core principles
• Ask only real questions
• Avoid yes/no questions
• Eliminate jargon
• Avoid value-laden words or phrases

7
Characteristics of good research questions?

• Brainstorming

8
Research Questions Researchable? (5.1)

• Should philosophy be included in the high school
  curriculum?
• What is the meaning of life?
• Is God good?
• Are children happier when taught by a teacher of
  the same gender?
• Does high school achievement influent the
  academic achievement of university students?
• What would schools be like today if World War II
  had not occurred?

9

• What happens when students identified with
  special needs engage in discussions during
  reading instruction?
• Researchable?
• Feasible
• Clear
• Significant
• Ethical (later)

10
Characteristics of good research questions

• Researchable
• Feasible
• Clear
• Significant
• Ethical (later)
• How about your own question? Researchable,
  feasible, clear, significant, ethical?

11
10 Qualities of a good research purpose and/or
research question

1. It is grounded in a theoretical framework.
2. It is builds on, but also offers something new
   to, previous research.
3. It has the potential to suggest directions for
   future research.
4. It is a purpose or question that the researcher
   is sincerely interested and/or invested in.
5. It addresses directly or indirectly some real
   problem in the world.

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10 Qualities of a good research purpose and/or
research question (cont.)

1. It takes ethical issues into consideration.
2. It clearly states the variables or constructs to
   be examined.
3. It is not biased in terminology or position.
4. It has multiple possible answers.
5. It is simple, or at least manageable.

13
Agenda II

• Frame and Refine
• Your Research Questions

14
Frame/Refine your research questions

• Group work

15
Frame your Research Question

• Form a group of 4/5 people
• Share with the group your observation what Ive
  learned last week about teaching?
• Frame/refine your question and prepare for a
  1-minute presentation/defense

16
1-minute presentation/defense

• What is your research question and sub-questions?
  (Poster)
• Why do you think it is a good/not-so-good
  research question?
• You sincerely interested and/or invested in?
• Researchable?
• Feasible?
• Clear?
• Significant?
• Real world problem
• Ethical?

17
Agenda III

• INTRODUCTION
• (Peer Review)

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Steps of in doing a research study (review)

• Preparing a proposal describing the study to be
  done and its significance (Course Project).
• Collecting and analyzing data.
• Writing a report of the completed study.

19
Format of a Research Report/Proposal (Review)

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Review of the literature
• Methodology
• Findings (Research Report)
• Discussion
• (Text/body 12-16 pages double spaced)
• References
• Bibliography
• Appendices

20
Introduction Components (Draft 1) (review)

• Background Information
• Problem Statement
• Study Purpose/Rationale
• Research questions
• Definition of terms
• 8 annotated bibliography

21
Clashing Views on Educational Issues

• Issue 1 Should School Homework be Abolished or
  not?
• Issue 2 Do High-Stakes Assessments Improve
  Learning?
• Issue 3 Is Full Inclusion of Disabled Students
  Desirable?
• Issue 4 Is Constructivism the Best Philosophy
  of Education?
• Issue 5 You have choices!!! You can choose one
  from the following three
• 5.1 Do computers Negatively Affect Student
  Growth?
• 5.2 Is Home Schooling a Danger to American
  Society?
• 5.3 Does School Violence Warrant a Zero-Tolerance
  Policy?

22
Q A