Educational Research Design Module (Week 5)
The following is a reflection on the Tuesday morning class that took place on 16th May 2017 from 10:00 to 13:00 using Gibbs Reflective Cycle.
Description
THIS WEEK: Data Collection
NOTES: from today’s class…
Note: Check out Envivo software.
Note: Ethics: if you offer an incentive to complete your survey, this should be stated in your ethics section.
Note: You should let people know what you plan to do about the data that you collect.
Note: Informed consent.
Quantitative Data
Nominal (Male, Female???!!!), Ordinal, Scale
Andy Field – Statistics and SPSS and YouTube
Statistical Data
– Census
Survey Data
– End of module feedback sheets
Scores of Results
– exams, tests, quizzes
Systems Analytics
– Webcourses/Blackboard/Moodle
Primary Research
– Questionnaires
– Structured Observations
Secondary Research
-CSO Data
– Institutional Data, records
– Web hits, Google analytics
– System analytics
What is Qualitative Data
Qualitative data analysis explores themes, patterns, stories, narrative structure, and language within research texts (interview transcripts, field notes, documents, visual data, etc) in order to interpret meanings…
Cousin, 2009
Some Examples of Qualitative Data
Interview, focus group
Questionnaire Data
Observation Notes
Reflective Diaries and Logs
Written Texts and Documents
– Government policies or reports
– Institutional documents
Images
Video
Common Data Collection Issues
– Sample Size
– Triangulation (see p.37 in Gray) (can be from one quantitative method to a qualitative method or to another quantitative method)
Something to think about…
– Does the analysis of qualitative data involve some quantitative methods?
– A second question…
Validity
“Good” or “bad” research
(Opie, 2004)
Validity relates to findings and results
But it also relates to research design and process
Qualitative Research
In qualitative data, validity might be addressed through honesty, depth, richness and scope of the data achieved, the participants approached, the extent of triangulation and the disinterestedness of the researcher.
Quantitative Research
Validity of instruments
– importance of ……
Construct validity
– what your interested in has actually been measured
Internal validity
– can a causal relationship be shown?
External validity