Research Methods in Education

Joseph Check, Russell K. Schutt

SAGE Publications, Oct 27, 2011 - Business & Economics - 421 pages

Research Methods in Education is an innovative new text for teaching introductory research methods that addresses emerging instructional needs. It weaves actual research 'stories' into the presentation of research topics, and it emphasizes validity, authenticity, and practical significance as overarching research goals. This tripartite conceptual framework honors traditional quantitative approaches while reflecting the growing popularity of qualitative studies, mixed method designs, and school-based techniques. The text is divided into three sections: Foundations of Research (5 chapters), Research Design and Data Collection (7 chapters), and Analyzing and Reporting Data (3 chapters). Together they provide a comprehensive, conceptually unified, and well-written introduction to the exciting but complex field of educational research. Features and Benefits 1. Each chapter begins with a research question that is addressed throughout the chapter to maintain students interest as the chapter develops 2. Examples of published research studies related to the opening question are then used as examples throughout the chapter. 3. Chapters conclude with a section on ethical considerations for the topics covered in that chapter. 4. Abundant end-of-chapter questions and exercises in 4 sets: Discussion Questions, Practice Exercises, Web Exercises, and Developing a Research Proposal 5. Strong ancillary support for instructors and students with testbank and PowerPoint slides, SAGE journal articles, self-quizzes, interactive exercises, and more.

About the author

Joseph W. Check, Ph.D. is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Educational Leadership in the Graduate College of Education, University of Massachusetts, Boston. He completed his B.A. at Boston College and his M.A. and Ph.D. in English at Tufts University. His prior publications include Politics, Language, and Culture: A Critical Look at Urban School Reform (Praeger, 2002), co-editorship of Writing Within School Reform, a monograph series of the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University, and book chapters and articles on literacy, practitioner inquiry, and urban school reform. He has supervised dissertations in school reform, professional development, literacy, home/school interactions, and special education. He has served as Principal or Co-Principal Investigator for numerous grant-funded professional development programs including a 4-year, $4M practitioner inquiry project in 14 urban school districts, funded by the DeWitt-Wallace Reader’s Digest Foundation. He is an experienced classroom instructor in master’s and doctoral level research courses. Russell K. Schutt, PhD, is a professor and the chair of sociology at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and a lecturer on sociology in the Department of Psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School (Massachusetts Mental Health Center). He completed his BA, MA, and PhD (1977) at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a postdoctoral fellowship in the Sociology of Social Control Training Program at Yale University (1977–1979). His other books include Investigating the Social World: The Process and Practice of Research and Fundamentals of Social Work Research (with Ray Engel), Making Sense of the Social World (with Dan Chambliss), and Research Methods in Psychology (with Paul G. Nestor)—all with SAGE Publications, as well as Homelessness, Housing, and Mental Illness (Harvard University Press) and Social Neuroscience: Brain, Mind, and Society (coedited with Larry J. Seidman and Matcheri S. Keshavan, also Harvard University Press). Most of his peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters focus on the effect of social context on cognition, satisfaction, functioning, and recidivism, the orientations of service recipients and of service and criminal justice personnel, and the organization of health and social services. He is currently a coinvestigator for a randomized trial of peer support for homeless dually diagnosed veterans, funded by the Veterans Administration.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Research Methods in Education; SAGE Research Methods Books & Reference
• Authors: Joseph Check, Russell K. Schutt
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: SAGE Publications, 2011
• ISBN: 1412940095, 9781412940092
• Length: 421 pages
• Subjects: Business & Economics / Education; Education / General; Education / Research; Education / Teaching / General; Reference / Research