Designing your

Research Project
Planning your Literature Reviews

Formulate a question
What do we know about .?

Identifying the target behavior or academic

focus
Frequency (rate)
Accuracy
Duration
Latency
Intensity/Magnitude

Evaluating our Questions

All SCR questions should:
Be feasible
Be clear
Be significant
Be ethical
Suggest a relationship

Lets Evaluate some SCR

questions
Do the following example questions
make good SCR questions?
Do left-brained students acquire more
calculus skills than right-brained students?

No. While you are comparing it is between

types of people.

Do left-brained students acquire more

calculus skills when taught using Kline's
Kind Kalculi program than when taught
using Skiller's Drill program?

Yes. Here while you are still looking at a

specific type of person, you are comparing
two instructional programs.

Do students who use manipulatives solve

algebra problems correctly more often
than students who use procedural
methods of solving algebra equations?
No. Again, you are comparing two different groups
of students. This works against Single Case
research design.

Do students' solutions of algebra

problems involving 2 unknowns improve
when they have been provided
manipulatives or when they receive
procedural instruction?
Yes. Again, here you are comparing two different
instructional practices but with the same students.

Choose a
methodology/methodologies
Single case research design*.
How will you measure to determine if an
answer to your research question is possible
refer to: Ch. 2 (ONeill et al text) pg. 19-30

*we will spend several weeks learning about a methods and methodologies
for designing our research projects.

Do a Search
Start with journal databases at the CCNY library
website (e.g. JSTOR, ProQuest, ERIC, EBSCO)

Search specifically in journals that deal with your

topic (Exceptional Children, Remedial and
Special Education)

Search for related terms: behavior, transitions,

time of day, classroom management

Revise your question

Most studies discussion strategies to support
transition.

Revised question to address strategies related to

transition time in classrooms.

Revise your methodology

As your refine your research questions you will need to
review your chosen methodology and determine it
supports your research design*.

This can also impact how you are measuring your target
behavior (academic intervention).

*since we are learning methodologies during our class this is not a major
concern at this point.

Revise your question

(again)
Not enough articles on time of day transitions.

Expand question to consider any type of

transition (in class and out of class).
(If too many articles come up, focus your question
more)

Revise your question (again.

Really.)
Several articles discussing student behavior in
the classroom without specific focus on
transitions.

Widen research question to address strategies to

support positive behavior.

Formulate your research

question
Original question:

What do we know about student

behavior and transitions?
Revised question:
What types of strategies support positive
behaviors during transitions in the classroom after
lunch and after choice time?