Action Research VS Traditional Research
There were some distinct differences between traditional educational research and action research.
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Actually, action research is one kind of educational research based on the school context and focused on using new knowledge to improve teaching quality and stimulate students' learning. Its research questions mainly from practice instead of extensive professional literature. Also, as the action research focuses mainly on local distribution within school departments and schools and sample is nonrandom, namely convenient sampling of teachers and students in the targeted setting, action research results are somewhat a limited generalization and should be cautious about using in other contexts.
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In contrast, traditional educational research focuses more on testing and developing educational theories rather than practice. The research questions mainly from professional literature and emphasizes discovery and theory. Moreover, compared to limited generalized action research, traditional educational research can be generalized to a broader population and other contexts. In the quantitative data analysis, as traditional educational research's sampling is random and needs to test the hypothesis, it requires analyzing inferential data in addition to descriptive data analysis.
​*As the qualitative, quantitative, and three mixed methods can be included in both action research and traditional educational research, there are random and non-random sampling techniques can be used in both action research and educational research.
To obtain knowledge that is generalizable and to develop and test educational theories.
To get the knowledge that is limited Generalizable, and can be directly used in a classroom to perfect the educational practice.
1. Theory context (Hypothesis/research )
2. The research questions based on the gap identified in the literature.
3. Theory and discovery play a main role
1. Practice context
2. The research questions based on experience and practice
3. The theory played a secondary role
Thorough statistical and textual analysis
Three data analysis: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed methods
Focus on practical, not statistical significance
Three data analysis: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed methods
As the purpose of traditional educational research is to generalize or transfer new knowledge to other settings, the sampling should be extensive and represented as a group that closely matches its population characteristics as a whole.
As the purpose of action research is to use new knowledge in a classroom to perfect the local educational practice, the sampling comprises students or teachers in their class or school. In other words, the sampling of action research should be convenient, purposeful sampling of students and teachers in the targeted setting​​.
Adapted from: Mc Millan, J. H. & Wergin. J. F. (1998). "Understanding and Evaluating Educational Research."
Educational Research
Educational research is a systematic, disciplined inquiry applied to the gathering, analyzing, and reporting of information that addresses educational problems and questions. (McMillan, 2012).
Systematic and disciplined means that there are accepted conventions, rules, and procedures for the way studies are conducted and standards for judging quality (McMillan, 2012).
Systematic Inquiry
Starting a question, idea, issues and measure it by literature review, and research question and hypothesis
Make sure what kind of data will be collected, from who, how, which includes participants, methods, procedures, and or interventions
analysis of the data, and discussion and interpretation
Answers to the research questions, limitations, and implications
Adapted from: Fundamentals of Educational Research (p. 25), by J. McMillan, 2016, Pearson, Seventh Edition
6 Scientific Principles for Research
1.Pose significant questions that can be investigated empirically: Coming up with critical educational questions that can be observed, measured, and replicated.
2.Link research to relevant theory: The research's findings should be connected back to relevant learning theories.
3.Use methods that directly investigate the question: To measure your research question by applying the best approach
4. Provide coherent, explicit, evidence-based reasoning:
Utilizing logical reasoning to validate conclusions from data
5. Replicate and generalize across studies: Measuring that the relevant research results can be validated and replicated.
6. Disclose research to encourage professional scrutiny and peer review: Stimulating more development of the question to help develop credibility.
Adapted from: Fundamentals of Educational Research (p. 22), by J. McMillan, 2016, Pearson, Seventh Edition
Research Methodologies
Quantitative
Retrieved from: Fundamentals of Educational Research (p. 15), by J. McMillan, 2012 , Pearson, Seventh Edition
The quantitative method is “to describe phenomena numerically to answer specific questions or hypotheses” (McMillan, 2016, p. 17).
Quantitative data are collected by experimental, survey and questionnaire and structured interview and observation and analyzed and interpreted using statistical analysis(descriptive and inferential). Moreover, quantitative research distinguishes between experimental and non-experimental designs. An experimental approach can affect the participant's behavior by manipulating one or more interventions in the study. Non-experimental approaches can describe or reveal relationships between two or more factors because participants' behavior can not be manipulating(McMillan, 2016).
Qualitative
The qualitative method Is focused on the perceptions of the learners to interpret multiple realities. In contrast to the qualitative method focus on numerical data, the qualitative approach paints narratives through observations and interactions; in other words, qualitative data focus more on understanding the participant's interaction, the culture, and the context of the study (McMillan, 2016). Quantitative data are collected by field research, case studies, focus groups, and open-ended interviews and usually use a coding scheme to interpret data. This type of study is usually analyzed and interpreted through narratives, case studies, grounded theory, critical studies, ethnography, and phenomenological studies (2016).
To summarize and memorize key information about quantitative and qualitative readily, I use tables to compare their characteristics.
Qualitative vs Quantitative
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Qualitative approaches are naturalistic and interpretive
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To describe and understand the participant's behaviors, thoughts, interactions, culture, and the context of the study.
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Criterion
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Typical Case
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Extreme Case
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Critical Case
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Negative Case
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Maximum Variation
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Snowball
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​Opportunistic
Textual data: interview, transcripts, notes, and journals
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Field research(observe, interact, and understand)
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Focus groups(Provide feedback)
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Case studies ( in-depth investigations )
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Open-ended interview and observation
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Quantitative approaches are experimental and statistical
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To measure, test, predict and describe numerical data and experiments by using statistics.
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Random sampling: means that every member of the population has a chance of being selected. When researchers want to produce results representing the whole population, they need to use a random sampling technique. There were four main types of random sample: Simple random sampling, Systematic sampling, Stratified sampling, and Cluster sampling.
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Nonrandom sampling: individuals are selected based on non-random criteria, and not every individual has a chance of being included. If researchers want an initial understanding of a small or under-researched population, they can apply the non-random sampling technique. There were four main types of non-random samples: Convenience sampling, Voluntary response sampling, Purposive sampling, and Snowball sampling.
Numerical data
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Experimentals
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Survey and questionnaire
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Official large datasets like the US census data
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Structured (same criterion) interview or observation (checklist) for each participant.
Statistical Analysis
Descriptive statistics:
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Summarizing the data and include measures of averages and variability.
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To measure the central tendency: mode(the most frequent value.), median(the middle number in an ordered data set.), mean (the sum of all values divided by the total number of values)
inferential statistics:​
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(1) Using sample data to estimate the population parameter.
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(2) testing of statistical hypotheses:
ANOVA(3 samples)
Practical instruments: SPSS, Excel
Three mixed-method research
Explanatory Mixed-method Design
Major emphasis
QUAN
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Data&Results
Follow up
minor emphasis
qual
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Data&Results
Retrieved from: Action research: Improving schools and empowering educators (Fifth edition.)
In an explanatory mixed-methods design, quantitative data first to be collected, and then additional qualitative data next to be gathered to help support, explain, or elaborate on the quantitative results (McMillan, 2012).
Exploratory Mixed-method Design
Major emphasis
minor emphasis
QUAL
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Data&Results
Building
quan
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Data&Results
Retrieved from: Action research: Improving schools and empowering educators (Fifth edition.)
The process of exploratory mixed-method inverts Explanatory mixed-method, namely using qualitative data gathered to determine the focus and type of data collection in the quantitative phase (McMillan, 2012).
Convergent method design
QUAL
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Data&Results
simultaneous
simultaneous
Interpretation
QUAN
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Data&Results
Retrieved from: Action research: Improving schools and empowering educators (Fifth edition.)
Quantitative and qualitative data are collected at about the same time and emerge together to promote a single interpretation. The purpose of the convergent method is to develop a comprehensive discussion or understanding of a single phenomenon (McMillan, 2012).
References
​Empirical Studies: Qualitative vs. Quantitative. (2018, January 10). [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZcfmA1l6cE&feature=emb_logo
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Mc Millan, J. H. & Wergin. J. F. (1998). "Understanding and Evaluating Educational Research."
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McMillan, J., (2012). Fundamentals of Educational Research. Pearson, Seventh Edition.
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Mertler, C. A. (2016). Action research: Improving schools and empowering educators (Fifth edition.). Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications.
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