Types Of Research

TYPES OF RESEARCH 3 Criteria

USE •Basic •Applied •Action

EVIDENCE •Quantitative •Qualitative •Analytical

FORM •Experimental •Descriptive •Historical

What is USE? Classifying research according to the possible use of each research

Basic To find out new Information and add to knowledge

Applied To use knowledge obtained in order to solve problems

Action (Not Discussed)

What is EVIDENCE? Classifying research according to the Information or data each uses

Quantitative Uses data that is in numbers i.e. counted or measured

Qualitative Uses data not in numbers but in words or pictures

Analytical (Not discussed)

QUANTITATIVE

Experimental

Non-Experimental/ Descriptive

Survey

Case study

Correlational

Historical

Experimental Research • It tries to find out if by manipulating one thing, we will make the other to react • E.g. will using instructional materials affect performance? To find out we need to manipulate instructional materials and observe performance. • A relationship in which manipulating one will make the other to respond is called CAUSEEFFECT or CAUSAL relationship. • Experimental research is interested in this relationship.

• In order to determine Cause-effect relationship, the researcher must CONTROL • Are there other factors that are capable of influencing students’ performances? Yes, they include teaching methods, students’ backgrounds, learning environment, etc. • Is the researcher interested in these other factors? NO! Should he allow them to influence performance? NO!. He must CONTROL them.

Experimental Research is: • Interested in CAUSE-EFFECT or CAUSAL relationship • But he must MANIPULATE & CONTROL some factors or VARIABLES • The variables he manipulates are those he is interested in. • Those he controls are those he is not interested in. • Then he must OBSERVE some variables e.g. performances.

DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH • This research only OBSERVES and DESCRIBES • No cause-effect, no manipulation and no control. • E.g. Causes of Poor performances in Maths • The researcher only identifies his targets i.e. students, observes (e.g. interview them) and describes the findings.

DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH

Survey

Case Study

Correlational Research

Historical Research

SURVEY • Studies a large number of subjects (people or objects) e.g. all students of FCET (3,000) • But because the number is large, survey uses a few of this large number e.g. 500 (i.e. sample) to collect data. • Findings made are then used to describe all the students (generalisation). • Survey use questionnaire or interview to collect data.

CASE STUDY • This research studies an individual, an institution or an object, or a few of these. • Supplies in-depth of information of its subjects • Findings from this research may not be generalised; they can only be used to describe those who participated in the research

CORRELATIONAL RESEARCH • This research is trying to find out if two things are related but unlike experiment the relationship it studies is NON-CAUSAL • A non-causal relationship is one in which two things may be related but one does not affect the other. • E.g. Is there any relationship between sex of students and their performances? • In carrying out this research we will correlate the performances of all females with those of the male. Such relationship can be (+) or (-).

HISTORICAL RESEARCH • This research is interested in what has happened in the PAST. • E.g. The Historical Development of FCE T Gusau from 1990 – 2000. • The researcher will have to check existing records both oral and material in order to tell us what has happened in the past.

The Research Process • Research is a process because it is carried out in steps, and the steps are related. • Research process therefore refers to the steps of carrying out research from its beginning to the end.

Research Process Select & Define Problem Review Literature Hypotheses & Research Questions Design Population & Sample

Research Process Data Collection Instrument Collect Data Analyse Data Interpret Data Report Findings

Selecting a Research Topic • A research topic is a brief statement that describes the problem the researcher wants to investigate. • E.g. The Influence of Marital Status on the Academic Performances of Female Students in Colleges of Education in Kano State.

A Research Topic Should Contain: • The Relevant Variables e.g. Marital Status and Performances • The Level e.g. Colleges of Education • The Location e.g. Kano State

Class Work Write ONE research topic and Identify the INDEPENDENT & DEPENDENT Variables