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EDU723

Basic Research Method In Education

  • Education
  • 700 level
  • 2 credit units
  • 254 pages
  • 21 units

This course, Basic Research Methods in Education, provides a self-instructional guide to educational research practices and statistical methods. It covers understanding research problems, selecting research topics, investigations, data collection, analysis, and report presentation. The course systematically presents statistical tools for data analysis and explains various data collection techniques, enabling students to conduct research projects with ease.

About this course

Difficulty
Intermediate
Study hours
150 hours
Maths
Intermediate
Content
Theoretical, practical, case study
Practical work
Yes
How it is assessed
  • Assignments
  • Tutor marked assessments
  • Final examination

One paragraph, so you can see how it reads

EDU723 · MODULE 1: RESEARCH PROCESS

Research is Objective: This means that the findings are reported as they are. The biases, prejudices, beliefs or interests of the researcher and/or the society are not allowed to interfere with the research procedure and/or results.

What you should be able to do

  1. Explain the concepts and processes of educational research
  2. Discuss different types of research designs
  3. Apply various methods of data collection
  4. Demonstrate proficiency in descriptive statistics
  5. Use inferential statistics to test hypotheses
  6. Write reports of research projects

What it prepares you for

Careers
  • Educational Researcher
  • Education Administrator
  • Policy Analyst
  • Curriculum Developer
  • Assessment Specialist
Where it is applied
  • Education
  • Government
  • Research Institutions
  • Non-profit Organizations
  • Consulting
Tools
  • Statistical software (e.g., SPSS)
  • Spreadsheet software (e.g., Microsoft Excel)

Where it gets hard

The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.

  • MODEL 2: RESEARCH DESIGNS

    Unit 10: Experimental Research Designs

    Experimental designs require a thorough understanding of statistical control and manipulation of variables, which can be challenging for students without a strong background in quantitative methods.

  • MODULE 4

    Unit 20: The Testing of Hypothesis

    Understanding and applying different statistical tests like t-test, ANOVA, and chi-square requires a solid foundation in statistical theory and the ability to interpret results accurately.

A suggested way through it

Suggested

13 weeks, about 86 hours in total. Yours will differ.

  1. Week 1Module 1: RESEARCH PROCESS
    • Unit 1: The Research Process I · 4 hours

      Read the introduction to research.. Define research and educational research.. Discuss the characteristics of research.. Explain the purposes of educational research..

    • Unit 2: The Researcher Process II · 4 hours

      Explain the steps in the research process.. Discuss the types of educational research.. Enumerate the limitations involved in the application of scientific method in educational research..

  2. Week 2Module 1: RESEARCH PROCESS
    • Unit 3: The Research Problem · 4 hours

      Select a research problem in your area of interest.. Outline the various sources of research problems.. Enumerate the criteria for selecting a problem for research.. Explain the background of the study..

    • Unit 4: Review of literature · 4 hours

      Explain the meaning of literature review.. Outline and discuss the purposes of literature review.. Enumerate the steps in reviewing related literature.. Demonstrate some skills in citations and referencing..

  3. Week 3Module 1: RESEARCH PROCESS
    • Unit 5: Population and samples · 4 hours

      Define population and sample.. Explain the sample size.. Differentiate between probability and non-probability sampling techniques.. Discuss the sampling techniques..

  4. Week 4MODEL 2: RESEARCH DESIGNS
    • Unit 6: Research Designs – Introduction · 4 hours

      Explain the concept of research design.. Discuss the components of a research design.. List the types of research designs..

    • Unit 7: Historical and Developmental Research Designs · 4 hours

      Explain historical research.. List the importance of historical research.. Enumerate the limitations of historical research.. State and explain the sources of information..

  5. Week 5MODEL 2: RESEARCH DESIGNS
    • Unit 8: Survey and Case Study Research Designs · 4 hours

      Explain the meaning of survey research.. Discuss the types of survey research.. Describe case study research..

    • Unit 9: Correlational Studies and Ex-post Facto · 4 hours

      Explain Correlational studies.. Discuss the ex-post facto research..

  6. Week 6MODEL 2: RESEARCH DESIGNS
    • Unit 10: Experimental Research Designs · 6 hours

      Explain experimental design.. List the basic considerations in the choice of design.. Describe the variables under study.. Discuss validity in experimental studies..

  7. Week 7MODULE 3: DATA COLLECTION
    • Unit 11: Observation Technique · 4 hours

      Explain the observational technique of data collection.. Describe observational variables.. Explain the phases of observational method.. Discuss the recording of observations..

  8. Week 8MODULE 3: DATA COLLECTION
    • Unit 12: Questionnaire · 4 hours

      Define the concept of questionnaire.. Enumerate the types of questionnaire.. Construct questionnaire items.. Explain how to validate a questionnaire..

    • Unit 13: Interview · 4 hours

      Explain the meaning of interview.. Discuss the phases of interview.. List and explain the types of interview.. Enumerate the advantages and disadvantages..

  9. Week 9MODULE 3: DATA COLLECTION
    • Unit 14: The Other Methods of Collecting Data · 4 hours

      Explain the use of rating scale in measuring behaviour.. Discuss the types of attitude scales.. Describe the use of interest inventories in data collection.. Explain sociometric technique of data collection..

    • Unit 15: Validity and Reliability of an Instrument · 4 hours

      Explain measurement error.. Define validity of an instrument.. Discuss the types of validity.. Explain the various ways of estimating reliability..

  10. Week 10MODULE 4
    • Unit 16: Introduction to Statistics · 4 hours

      Define the concept statistics.. Explain the types of statistics.. Organize a set of scores under (a) sequencing, (b) frequency distribution table, (c) bar chart..

    • Unit 17: Other Methods of Representing Data and Measures of Central Tendency · 4 hours

      Construct a pie chart using given data.. Construct and describe histogram.. Draw a composite table and construct a frequency polygon.. Draw a composite table and construct an ogive..

  11. Week 11MODULE 4
    • Unit 18: Measures of Variability or Spread · 4 hours

      Find the range in a given set of scores.. Explain and find the quartiles in a distribution.. Find the percentiles in a given set of scores.. Calculate the variance in a given set of scores..

    • Unit 19: Measures of Association/Correlation · 4 hours

      Define correlation.. Illustrate the scatter-grams of various correlations.. Calculate the Pearson r.. Calculate the Spearman rho..

  12. Week 12MODULE 4
    • Unit 20: The Testing of Hypothesis · 4 hours

      Explain the alpha level or level of confidence and degree of freedom.. Discuss the two types of errors in hypothesis testing.. Use the t-test to test a given nul hypothesis.. Use the relationship between correlation coefficient and t-test in hypothesis testing..

  13. Week 13MODULE 4
    • Unit 21: Writing Research Reports · 4 hours

      Itemise the chapter titles and sub-titles in a research project report.. Prepare a research report based on the given format..

Preparing for the exam

What to do
  • Create concept maps linking research designs to appropriate statistical tests (Units 6-10, 16-20)
  • Practice constructing and interpreting frequency tables and graphs (Units 16-17)
  • Review the steps for hypothesis testing and practice applying t-tests, ANOVA, and chi-square (Unit 20)
  • Focus on understanding the assumptions and limitations of each statistical test (Units 16-20)
  • Practice writing clear and concise research reports following the specified format (Unit 21)

Questions students ask about this course

What is EDU723 about?

This course, Basic Research Methods in Education, provides a self-instructional guide to educational research practices and statistical methods. It covers understanding research problems, selecting research topics, investigations, data collection, analysis, and report presentation. The course systematically presents statistical tools for data analysis and explains various data collection techniques, enabling students to conduct research projects with ease.

How many units does EDU723 have?

EDU723, Basic Research Method In Education, has 21 units across 4 modules, over 254 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.

How many credit units is EDU723?

EDU723 carries 2 credit units, at 700 level in Education.

Is EDU723 hard?

EDU723 is rated intermediate level, with intermediate mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical, practical and case study work, and it has a practical component.

How long does EDU723 take to study?

About 150 hours of study, spread across its 21 units.

How is EDU723 assessed?

EDU723 is assessed by assignments, tutor marked assessments and final examination.

What can I do with EDU723?

Educational Researcher, Education Administrator, Policy Analyst, Curriculum Developer and Assessment Specialist.

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