Research Quiz 2

Covers material from changers 4-11

Quantitative Research

objective tools used to gather data (instruments, tests, surveys)

goal is to gather large amounts of data to generalize to larger populations

examines differences

collecting and analyzing numerical data

Qualitative Research

researcher is the “tool” used to gather data

Goal is to gain depth of understanding rather than generalize

tends to start with a broad question

aims to explore, understand, “the essence” of something

Mixed Methods Research

uses a combination of quantitative & qualitative methods within the same study

When/why is qualitative research used?

when numbers cannot offer a clear understanding

needs assessment

process evaluation

giving context to quantitative findings to explore complex issues

Phenomenology

centers on meaning making from experience

distill a phenomenon down to its “essence”

describes the meaning for several individuals of their lived experience of a specific phenomena

Narrative

“biographical research”

experiences as expressed in lived and told stories of individuals

uses art of story to collect and “re-story” experiences

Ethnography

understanding cultural groups or phenomena

immersion through field work and observation

looks at patterns of value, behaviors, meanings, etc.

Grounded Theory

generate of discover a theory that relates to a particular situation

necessary to go beyond description and generate theory

Case Study

involves the study of an issue explored through one or two cases within a setting or context

exploration of a “bounded system”

situating the case within its setting (physical, social, historical, economic)

Sources of Qualitative Data Collection

researcher is primary data collection tool

sources: people, school/agency records, reports, written information

Triangulation

establishes trustworthiness

can be multiple data sources or multiple researchers

Qualitative Data Analysis

thematic analysis

consensual qualitative research (CQR)

Scientific Method

make an observation, ask a question, review the literature, develop a hypothesis, test hypothesis, analyze data (confirm or do not), communicate results

Program Evaluation Model

Engage stakeholders, describe the program, focus evaluation design, gather credible evidence, justify conclusions, ensure use & share lessons

When are surveys used? What do they do?

Types of Surveys

paper, online, telephone, in-person interviews

Types of survey design

needs assessment, process evaluations, satisfaction estimations

Predictive Designs (when/why are they used?)

help us find relationships between variables

shows direction and magnitude of relationship

test hypotheses about predicting of a phenomena

predict ocurance of an event

Bivariate Designs

correlations between two variables

gives both significance and strength

Multivariate designs

predicting a single criterion with multiple variables

linear multiple regression

Correlations (p values; r values)

statistical measures that describe the strength and direction of a relationship between two variables. P values indicate significance, while r values quantify the correlation.

Simple linear regression

use one interval ratio variable to predict scores on another

ex: does GPA predict number of disciplinary referrals?

Multiple linear regression

use two or more interval-ratio variables to predict scores on an interval-ratio variable

ex: do gender, GPA, standardized test scores, and perceived family support predict number of disciplinary referrals?

logistic regression

use two or more interval-ratio variables to predict a categorical outcome

ex: do gender, GPA, standardized test scores, and perceived family support predict referral to anger management group?

Single-Case Designs (SCRDs)

demonstrate causal relationships between an intervention and an outcome within an individual participant

caseness, sameness, two phases

when/why are SCRDs uses?

demonstrating causal relationship between interventions and outcomes

understanding efficacy of an intervention

establishing preliminary support

assessing understudied groups

SCRD Phases

(AB, ABA, ABC, ABAB, etc.)

A: baseline

B: intervention

Single-Group Designs (when/why used)

one group of people who are similar in meaningful ways, who all receive the same intervention for the same amount of time and are evaluated in a systematic way

used to measure improvement, identify if participants have met criteria for success, related improvement to participant characteristics or features of an intervention, readiness for a more complex evaluation

Types of Single-Group Designs

post-test only, pretest-posttest, mixed explanatory and multi-method designs

Paired Samples T-test

compare means of one group at two points in time

Between-Group Designs (when/why used)

support inferences about causes of changes in outcome variables after exposure to an intervention or program

estimating differential performance of novel interventions or programs

understanding performance in comparison to an existing standard

understanding interactions between interventions, outcomes, and other variables

Hallmarks of between-group designs

comparison between groups

random assignment (experimental design)

manipulation of independent variables

control of extraneous variables

systematic measurement of outcomes

Types of between-group designs

quasi-experimental (no random assignment)

posttest-only experimental

experimental (causal inferences)

Independent Samples T-test

compare means between two groups

ANOVA

comparing 3 or more groups on a single outcome