Getting Started In This Class: Select A Research Topic

To Get Started In This Class Select A Topic Of Research Interest With

To get started in this class, select a topic of research interest within your chosen area of study (e.g., I/O, Forensics, Health, General, Educational, etc.). Post a discussion in which you briefly describe potential qualitative research questions along with how your research topic fits with one of the four goals of research that you read about this week. Explain how your topic aligns itself more readily with the use of either a qualitative or quantitative approach to research? Provide a thorough and complete rationale for your answer. Now, think of how you might reframe your research question to one that aligns with a quantitative approach.

How would this work? What might you uncover here that you might not be able to if you were using a qualitative approach? How might the goals of the research change with a quantitative approach? You will be able to revisit this discussion thread throughout the course to continue the dialog with your professor. You will be able to ask any questions that may arise and continue to explore this week’s topic.

Length: Content post words Your discussion entry and possible responses should reflect a collegial attitude, be free of grammar and spelling errors, and include the criteria mentioned above. Be certain to cite any sources or references in your discussion post as well.

Paper For Above instruction

In the realm of educational psychology, particularly focusing on ways of thinking, research can be approached from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives. Given my interest in how students develop critical thinking skills within educational settings, this topic aligns with the goal of understanding and explaining phenomena. Specifically, I aim to explore how various instructional strategies influence students’ critical thinking development, which aligns with the goal of explanation in research.

Qualitative research questions in this context might include: "How do students perceive the impact of different teaching methods on their critical thinking skills?" or "What are students’ experiences with inquiry-based learning and its effect on their reasoning processes?" These questions aim to gather in-depth insights into students' perceptions and experiences, providing rich, detailed data about the nature of their thinking processes and instructional effects.

This topic lends itself more readily to a qualitative approach because understanding the nuances of students’ thought processes, perceptions, and personal experiences requires detailed and subjective data. Qualitative methods such as interviews, focus groups, and reflective journals enable researchers to capture the depth and complexity of these experiences that quantitative data might overlook. For example, exploring students’ personal narratives about how specific teaching methods influence their thinking provides context and meaning that numbers alone cannot convey.

However, it is possible to reframe the research question to fit a quantitative approach. For instance: "To what extent do different instructional strategies statistically affect students’ critical thinking skills?" or "Is there a significant difference in critical thinking scores between students exposed to inquiry-based learning versus traditional instruction?" These questions emphasize measurable outcomes, such as test scores or rating scales, allowing for statistical analysis.

If approached quantitatively, the research might uncover patterns or correlations, such as the degree of improvement in critical thinking skills across different interventions, that qualitative methods may not detect with the same certainty. Quantitative data can reveal the magnitude of effects and generalizable trends among larger populations, providing broader applicability of findings.

The goals of research also shift with the approach: qualitative research primarily seeks to explain and understand phenomena deeply, often emphasizing context, meaning, and subjective experiences. Conversely, quantitative research aims to measure, quantify, and generalize findings across populations, seeking to establish or test hypotheses through numerical data.

In summary, my research on how instructional strategies influence students’ ways of thinking fits well with a qualitative approach for exploring perceptions and subjective experiences. However, reframing the question to measure effects numerically allows for broader generalizations and statistical conclusions. Both approaches serve valuable roles, but the choice depends on the specific research goals—whether depth and understanding or breadth and generalizability.

References

• Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. Sage Publications.
• Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods. Sage Publications.
• Salkind, N. J. (2010). Encyclopedia of Research Design. Sage Publications.
• Johnson, R. B., & Christensen, L. (2019). Educational Research: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Approaches. SAGE Publications.
• Maxwell, J. A. (2013). Qualitative Research Design: An Interactive Approach. Sage Publications.
• Leedy, P. D., & Ormrod, J. E. (2014). Practical Research: Planning and Design. Pearson.
• Anderson, C. (2010). Presenting and Evaluating Qualitative Research. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 74(8), 141.
• Krathwohl, D. R. (2009). Methods of Educational and Social Science Research: An Integrated Approach. Longman.
• Gillham, B. (2000). Case Study Research Methods. Continuum.
• Yin, R. K. (2018). Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods. Sage Publications.