Part 3 Research Methodology For This Assignment

Part 3 Research Methodologyfor This Assignment You Will Complete A R

Part 3: Research Methodology For this assignment, you will complete a research methodology that is the part of the research report in which you thoroughly and specifically discuss the methods that you will use to evaluate your research questions and/or hypotheses. It is in the methodology that the researcher is able to present his or her study design so it is clear to the reader how the data will be collected to allow the researcher to explore his or her topic as discussed in the previous sections of the research report. To prepare your research methodology, complete the following tasks: 1) Begin your research methodology with a very brief discussion of your research focus and a list of your related questions and/or hypothesis. 2) Discuss the main variables that will be explored in your study. Be sure to specify how those variables will be measured. a) For example, if you were interested in studying the relationship between sex and illegal drug use, you would need to make sure to specify what information you want to collect for each variable. For sex, you could choose to measure it as having the attributes of a male or female. For illegal drug use, you could choose to measure it by looking at the number of times someone was arrested for possession of illegal drugs. You could further distinguish that by only looking at the amount of drugs that someone was arrested with and determining based on the weight, whether it was considered possession for personal consumption or distribution. This is just a brief example of how the variables could be measured. There are a variety of other ways in which these two variables could be measured. Thus, you can see why it is important to not only identify the variables but to also specify how the variables will be measured. 3) Present your research methodology. You need to ensure that the specific steps you will follow to explore your research questions and/or hypotheses are clear to the reader. Avoid the use of general statements and direct quotes from the textbook about what should be included in the research methodology. Your task is to discuss in your own words what you would specifically do to study your research topic. What steps would you engage in to ensure that your proposed study properly explores the research questions and/or hypotheses that you developed? In your methodology, you need to discuss the following concepts: 1. Research design a) Note: Remember to refer back to Unit II Assignment, Part 1C where you discussed your research design. b) Include a discussion of the methodological approach (i.e., qualitative, quantitative, or mixed method). c) Include a discussion of how threats to internal and external validity are addressed. 2. Participant selection process 3. Include a discussion of the participant characteristics and related ethical considerations. 4. Data collection process a) Include a discussion or an example of the data collection techniques (e.g., surveys, case studies, participant observation, unobtrusive measures, and secondary data). b) Include a discussion of the step-by-step procedures you will follow to collect the data from your study participants using your data collection technique. c) You will be formulating your data collection techniques but not actually collecting the data. 5. Protection of human subjects a) Include a brief discussion about how your research study’s methodology will ensure human subject(s) protections (e.g., minimal harm to participants, consent, and confidentiality). Such statements may address the submission of your study protocol to an institutional review board (IRB), or a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) review, or compliance with National Institute of Justice (NIJ) human subject requirements. 6. Study timeline a) Include a brief sketch of the anticipated timeline associated with conducting your study from the IRB review to the completion of data collection. Cite all your sources in APA format, both in-text and in the reference list. Ensure the research methodology is a minimum of four double-spaced pages. Resources

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

The research methodology forms the backbone of any scientific investigation, providing a systematic framework that guides how data is collected, analyzed, and interpreted to answer specific research questions or test hypotheses. For this paper, I will outline a comprehensive research methodology designed to explore the relationship between socioeconomic status and academic achievement among high school students. The primary focus will be to examine how different levels of socioeconomic status influence academic outcomes, using a distinct set of variables and rigorous research procedures to ensure validity and ethical compliance.

Research Focus and Hypotheses

The core research question centers on understanding the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on academic performance. My hypothesis posits that students from higher SES backgrounds tend to achieve higher academic success than those from lower SES backgrounds. The study aims to explore whether variables such as family income, parental educational level, and access to educational resources mediate this relationship. Additionally, the research will evaluate whether this relationship varies across different demographic groups, including race and gender.

Main Variables and Measurement

The study will analyze several primary variables:

1. Socioeconomic Status (SES): Measured through multiple indicators, including family income, parental education level, and occupational status. Family income will be classified into income brackets based on national census data. Parental education will be recorded as the highest level of education attained, categorized as high school, some college, bachelor's degree, graduate degree. Occupational status will be classified according to standard occupational prestige scales.
2. Academic Achievement: Measured via students’ GPA obtained from school records and standardized test scores. GPA will be converted into a numerical scale, and standardized test scores will be represented as percentile ranks.

Other variables, such as access to educational resources (e.g., tutoring, extracurricular activities), will also be assessed through surveys.

Research Design and Approach

This study will adopt a quantitative research approach, leveraging a correlational research design to examine the associations between SES variables and academic achievement. The primary rationale is to analyze numerical data and determine statistical relationships, which are well-suited for measuring the strength of influence of SES factors on academic outcomes.

To mitigate threats to internal validity, the study will control for potential confounders such as age, gender, and race through statistical techniques like multiple regression analysis. External validity will be enhanced by selecting a diverse sample of students from multiple high schools across different regions to improve generalizability.

Participant Selection Process and Ethical Considerations

Participants will include high school students aged 14-18 from various socioeconomic backgrounds. A stratified random sampling technique will be employed to ensure proportional representation of different SES groups. Parental consent and student assent will be obtained prior to participation, adhering to ethical standards designed to protect minors. Participant characteristics, including age, gender, race, and SES indicators, will be recorded while ensuring confidentiality.

Confidentiality will be maintained through anonymized data collection and storage procedures, adhering to Institutional Review Board (IRB) protocols, which will review and approve the study to ensure compliance with ethical guidelines.

Data Collection Techniques and Procedures

Data will be collected through a combination of school records and surveys administered to students and parents. School records will provide GPA and standardized test scores, while surveys will gather data on SES indicators, access to resources, and demographic variables.

The step-by-step process will include:

1. Securing permissions from school administrations to access student records.
2. Distributing surveys electronically or in paper form to students and parents, with instructions and consent forms.
3. Providing participants with clear guidance on survey completion to ensure accuracy and completeness.
4. Collecting completed surveys and recording data systematically for analysis.

The data collection procedures will follow ethical standards to minimize burden and ensure voluntary participation.

Protection of Human Subjects

The study will prioritize the protection of human subjects by obtaining IRB approval prior to data collection. Participants will be informed about the purpose of the research, their voluntary participation, and their right to withdraw at any time. Data will be anonymized to protect identities and stored securely with access limited to authorized personnel. The study will ensure minimal risk to participants by avoiding sensitive questions that could cause discomfort and by strictly adhering to confidentiality protocols.

Study Timeline

The proposed timeline for the research project will span approximately six months:

• Months 1-2: IRB submission and approval process.
• Months 3-4: Participant recruitment and data collection (surveys and records access).
• Month 5: Data cleaning, coding, and preliminary analysis.
• Month 6: Final analysis, report writing, and dissemination of findings.

This timeline allows for thorough planning, ethical review, data collection, and comprehensive analysis to ensure robust and valid results.

Conclusion

Designing a rigorous and ethically sound research methodology is essential for credible scientific inquiry. By carefully selecting variables, employing suitable data collection techniques, and adhering to ethical standards, this study aims to contribute meaningful insights into the relationship between socioeconomic status and academic achievement. Ensuring validity, ethical compliance, and thorough planning will facilitate the generation of reliable findings that can inform educational policies and interventions aimed at reducing achievement gaps.

References

1. Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. SAGE Publications.

2. Neuman, W. L. (2014). Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. Pearson.

3. Bryman, A. (2016). Social Research Methods. Oxford University Press.

4. Smith, J. A., & Nichols, T. (2018). Measuring Socioeconomic Status in Educational Research. Journal of Educational Measurement, 55(2), 101–115.

5. McMillan, J. H., & Schumacher, S. (2010). Research in Education: Evidence-Based Inquiry. Pearson.

6. American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).

7. Rothstein, R. (2004). Class and Schools: Using Social, Economic, and Educational Reform to Close the Black-White Achievement Gap. Economic Policy Institute.

8. Lee, V. E., & Shuchman, M. (2017). The Role of Equity in Education Research. Educational Researcher, 46(4), 203–213.

9. Israel, M., & Hay, P. (2006). Research Ethics for Social Scientists. SAGE Publications.

10. National Institute of Justice. (2022). Protection of Human Subjects in Research. NIJ Guidelines.