TOPIC 2

TYPES OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

APPROACH

Types of educational
research
Basic research
Apply research
Action research
Evaluation research

BASIC RESEARCH
Driven purely by curiosity and a desire to

expand our knowledge.

Tends not to be directly applicable to the real
world in a direct way, but enhances our
understanding of the world around us.
Example: How did the universe begin?

APPLY RESEARCH
Research that is used to answer a specific

question that has direct applications to the

world.
This is the type of research that solves a
problem.
Example:
Improve agricultural crop production
Treat or cure a specific disease
Improve the energy efficiency of homes,
offices, or modes of transportation

ACTION RESEARCH
A cycle of posing questions, gathering data,

reflection, and deciding on a course of action

(Ferrance, 2000)
The aim of an action researcher is to bring about
development in his or her practice by analyzing
existing practice and identifying elements for
change.
the most important aspect of action research is that
the process enhances teachers professional
development through the fostering of their capability
as professional knowledge makers, rather than
simply as professional knowledge users.

Action research in education is grounded in the

working lives of teachers, as they experience them.

Carr and Kemmis (1986) describe action research as
being about:
the improvement of practice the improvement of
the understanding of practice the improvement of
the situation in which the practice takes place.
Action research can thus be used to:
understand ones own practice
understand how to make ones practice better
understand how to accommodate outside change in

ones practice
understand how to change the outside in order to
make ones practice better.

EVALUATION RESEARCH
It is a research design which involve the

judgment about success of a programs,

practices, procedures or policies.
purposes for evaluating programs
and policies:
Determining how clients are faring
Testing new ideas
Choosing the best alternatives

Introduction to various type of

educational research design
Quantitative
research
Experimental
Quasiexperimental
Survey
Correlational

Qualitative
research
Ethnography
Case study
Historical

QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
research involving formal, objective

information about the world, with

mathematical quantification; it can be used to
describe test relationships and to examine
cause and effect relationships

Experimental research

- objective, systematic, controlled

investigation for the purpose of predicting and
controlling phenomena and examining
probability and causality among selected
variables.
Quasi-experimental
- A quasi-experiment is an empirical study
used to estimate the causal impact of an
intervention on its target population.

Survey Research

- is a means of analysis
involving a respondent and
questionnaire to
obtain
qualitative and/ or quantitative
information in a sociological
study.
Correlational research
- the systematic investigation
of relationships among two or
more
variables, without
necessarily determining cause
and effect.

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
Research dealing with phenomena that are

difficult or impossible to quantify

mathematically, such as beliefs, meanings,
attributes, and symbols

Ethnography research

- the investigation of a culture through an

in-depth study of the members of the
culture; it involves the systematic collection,
description, and analysis of data for
development of theories of
cultural
behavior.
Case study research
- usually investigates a person, group or
policy and involves an examination of a
research question in a real life context.

Historical research

- involving analysis of events that occurred

in the remote or recent past.