Research Design: Methods and Approaches

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Article One

The first article is “Developing Investigative Entry Points: Exploring the Use of Quantitative Methods in English Education Research” by Daniel Robbins and Kristin McGraner. The researchers wanted to examine the appropriateness of quantitative methods in English education research. Many educationists and scholars have supported the use of various research methods in undertaking various English education studies. The biggest question is how to pursue various inquiries using the best research methods. The authors wanted to understand “how educationists and students in different learning institutions could use various quantitative methods and statistics to complement or widen their inquiries” (McGraner & Robbins, 2010, p. 73).

The author identifies the origin or basis for the above problem. Many inquiries in different learning instructions have focused on the use of qualitative methods. Many research problems or questions “in English education require the continued use of qualitative research methods” (McGraner & Robbins, 2010, p. 73). This approach has not addressed the challenges associated with our global or pluralistic communities. Many scholars and analysts “have asked new questions in order to come up with better methods to pursue their studies and inquiries” (McGraner & Robbins, 2010, p. 73). The scholars used this problem to identify better methods for undertaking such inquiries in English education. The approach would make it easier for students of English to embrace various statistical or quantitative research techniques.

The authors have used the best approach to describe and address the above problem. The article gives the best background information in order to inform the reader about the issues affecting such English inquiries. The continued use of qualitative techniques has not yielded many fruits. This practice “has made it impossible to find better answers to the questions encountered in different learning environments” (McGraner & Robbins, 2010, p. 76). The article identifies this problem as a major challenge because it continues to affect the effectiveness of educational inquiries. A new study approach is critical for dealing with the above problem.

The researchers address the problem using the best research design. They identify the potential benefits of different databases. The authors also examine how different learners and scholars encounter various challenges in their studies. The authors describe the potential sources of secondary data. Researchers can use data from the Educational Longitudinal Survey and Schools (ELSS) and Staffing Survey (SSS) in order to achieve their goals. The authors have used a descriptive approach “to explain how researchers can construct the best scales using various statistical methods” (McGraner & Robbins, 2010, p. 80). The discussion explains how different questions can necessitate the use of quantitative and mixed research methods.

Article Two

The article “Upping the Ante of Text Complexity in the Common Core State Standards: Examining Its Potential Impact on Young Readers” examines the issue of CCSS staircase acceleration. The CCSS offers explicit strategies towards addressing the learning needs of students from Grades 2-12. Text levels of “high and middle school levels have decreased within the last fifty years” (Hiebert & Mesmer, 2013, p. 45). The texts of the lower grades have not decreased within the same period. The authors wanted to examine the factors leading to this problem. Many fourth graders in the country were no longer attaining the best level on the required National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The researchers identified the best ways of dealing with this problem.

The researchers wanted to identify the best strategies in order to achieve the best educational goals. Many learners drop out of school after their fourth grade. This situation has affected the future of the country’s education system. The authors have used a qualitative approach to examine the issues resulting in such failures. The authors use three assumptions to analyze the identified problem.

The article also identifies the empirical and theoretical rationale for promoting the acceleration in Grades 2 and 3. The authors also raise potential issues or consequences of the proposed policy. The authors also “describe the major assumption underlying the text complexity staircase and the best approaches towards increasing text levels in grades 2-3” (Hiebert & Mesmer, 2013, p. 46).

The article presented a complete and clear description of the problem. The authors used the best analysis to explain how text levels continued to decrease in high and middle school levels. Learners’ “reading abilities and levels at the end of their third grades were associated with possible dropping out of high school” (Hiebert & Mesmer, 2013, p. 45). This description explains why teachers and educationists must use the best incentives in order to deal with the challenge. Teachers should also promote the acceleration process in grades 2-3. The approach will reduce the number of learners who quit school.

The article uses a qualitative study to address the problem. The authors use three powerful assumptions to support their arguments. The authors also use various studies and analyses to examine the issues associated with the current CCSS staircase. The discussion identifies some of the best approaches to accelerate learning in Grades 2 and 3. The article also explains how educationists can address the problems associated with the CCSS staircase. The “qualitative approach makes it easier for readers to understand the unintended challenges encountered by learners in their primary grades” (Hiebert & Mesmer, 2013, p. 44). The qualitative research study presents some of the best concepts and ideas towards dealing with the issues associated with the CCSS staircase.

Importance of Reviewing Literature before Identifying the Best Research Problem

Scholars tend to conduct a literature review before designing their research questions or problems. A researcher’s literature review will form the basis or background of the targeted study. The researcher will also use the literature review to determine the effectiveness of various study problems or questions. Scholars use literature reviews to examine the gaps existing in different study fields (Creswell, 2009). The approach is also relevant because it helps researchers choose the best design for their questions. The practice will identify every under-researched field or topic.

Researchers must also conduct proper literature reviews before identifying their questions. This process informs them about the intended field or topic. Research questions or objectives “depend on the researchers’ understanding of prior information or research” (Creswell, 2009, p. 59). The studied literature is also necessary because it helps researchers frame the best questions for their studies. The literature review can also become a complete qualitative study. This approach makes it easier to identify the best research question from the literature review. This practice is critical because it makes it easier for researchers to complete a meaningful study. The literature review is relevant because it will result in a better research problem.

Identifying or Recognizing an appropriate Problem for Doctoral Researches

Doctoral research requires the highest level of approach or professionalism. The targeted research problem must be valid, addressable, and relevant towards better practice. Researchers must use the review of the existing literature to examine the best problems for their doctoral studies. The problem should be valid. The targeted problem should also be relevant in the field. Researchers can also examine some of the proposed areas of study from different articles.

Many researchers will identify new topics for future research after completing their studies. The “best problem for a doctoral study must be manageable and interesting” (Luse, Mennecke, & Townsend, 2012, p. 146). Researchers should use every available data to address the problems. The “problem should also produce a good or original contribution to the targeted field of study” (Creswell, 2009, p. 86). These aspects and practices will ensure every student identifies the best problem for his or her doctoral research.

How the Statement of a Researchable Problem Differ from the Description of a Situation

The “statement of a researchable problem is different from the description of a situation” (Creswell, 2009, p. 38). The “statement of a researchable problem usually refers to the process of proving that the identified issue is one that can be researched” (Creswell, 2009, p. 39). The problem should also be researchable. The “description only says what the aspects of the targeted situation appear to be” (Creswell, 2009, p. 43).

The statement of a researchable problem will also explain why the question can be analyzed using good research. It also places the problem within the identified literature review. The statement will also make it easier for the researcher to ask the best questions for the targeted study. A description will mainly outline and analyze the existing facts. A “statement of the researchable problem will show the scholar how and what to study” (Creswell, 2009, p. 38).

Reference List

Creswell, J. (2009). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. New York, NY: Sage Publications.

Hiebert, E., & Mesmer, H. (2013). Upping the Ante of Text Complexity in the Common Core State Standards: Examining Its Potential Impact on Young Readers. Educational Researcher, 42(44), 44-51.

Luse, A., Mennecke, B., & Townsend, A. (2012). Selecting a Research Topic: A Framework for Doctoral Students. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 7(1), 143-152.

McGraner, K., & Robbins, D. (2010). Developing Investigative Entry Points: Exploring the Use of Quantitative Methods in English Education Research. English Education, 43(1), 72-82.

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