This course provides an introduction to educational research. There are three strands in this course. First, you will learn the relationships among the components of educational research: 1) selecting and defining the problem/topic (importance, context, previous research and theory), 2) execution of the research procedures (design, data collection), 3) analysis of data, and 4) drawing and stating conclusions (reporting, evaluating) for both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Second you will learn to read and write abstracts on topics in education. Those skills will allow you to critique research reports. Finally, you will begin to develop the skills of academic writing by preparing a literature review on an education topic of your choice.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course you should be able to:

1. Describe and differentiate among various types of education research.
2. Understand the essential components of education research and education research writing and reporting.
3. Read and prepare abstracts of research articles that illustrate you can understand, critique, and generalize relevant research findings.
4. Locate and review a preliminary set of research literature relevant to an education topic of your choice.
5. Prepare a literature review on a topic in education that demonstrates you can develop a succinct, accurate, and balanced written presentation for an academic audience.