Types of Research Methods
Types of Research Methods
Evidence of effectiveness Research
Method
LOW
DescriptiveQualitative
(Ethnography/
Case Study)
DescriptiveQuantitative
This is …
Detailed descriptions of specific situation(s) using interviews, observations, document review
You describe things as they are.
Numerical descriptions
(frequency, average)
You measure things as they are.
Correlational/
Regression
Analyses
Quasiexperimental
Quantitative analyses of the strength of relationships between two or more variables (e.g., are teacher qualifications correlated with student achievement?) Comparing a group that gets a particular intervention with another group that is similar in characteristics but did not receive the intervention— no random assignment used This works best for these kinds of questions…
How do people implement this program?
What challenges do people face? What are people’s perceptions? How many people are participating in this program?
What are the characteristics of people in this program?
How well did participants in this program do?
What is the relationship between various school or classroom context factors and student achievement?
Is the extent of implementation of a program across sites correlated with better outcomes?
Did the program cause any significant differences in participants’ outcomes as compared to non-participants with similar characteristics who did not receive the intervention? This doesn’t work well for these kinds of questions… Did the program cause any changes in participants’ outcomes?
Additional Things to Note
Did the program cause any changes in participants’ outcomes?
Why did the program work this way?
Did the program cause any changes in participants’ outcomes?
Look for words such as,
“more likely than,” ”less likely than,” “associated with,” “related to,” and
“correlated with.”
How are people implementing the program? Why did
Evidence of effectiveness Research
Method
LOW
DescriptiveQualitative
(Ethnography/
Case Study)
DescriptiveQuantitative
This is …
Detailed descriptions of specific situation(s) using interviews, observations, document review
You describe things as they are.
Numerical descriptions
(frequency, average)
You measure things as they are.
Correlational/
Regression
Analyses
Quasiexperimental
Quantitative analyses of the strength of relationships between two or more variables (e.g., are teacher qualifications correlated with student achievement?) Comparing a group that gets a particular intervention with another group that is similar in characteristics but did not receive the intervention— no random assignment used This works best for these kinds of questions…
How do people implement this program?
What challenges do people face? What are people’s perceptions? How many people are participating in this program?
What are the characteristics of people in this program?
How well did participants in this program do?
What is the relationship between various school or classroom context factors and student achievement?
Is the extent of implementation of a program across sites correlated with better outcomes?
Did the program cause any significant differences in participants’ outcomes as compared to non-participants with similar characteristics who did not receive the intervention? This doesn’t work well for these kinds of questions… Did the program cause any changes in participants’ outcomes?
Additional Things to Note
Did the program cause any changes in participants’ outcomes?
Why did the program work this way?
Did the program cause any changes in participants’ outcomes?
Look for words such as,
“more likely than,” ”less likely than,” “associated with,” “related to,” and
“correlated with.”
How are people implementing the program? Why did