EDUC 6653 Week 7 Application

In this week's application, we were to evaluate research methods. Below are four scenarios and with them, I provide a brief rationale for a research method that I feel would be the most effective in answering the question.


Scenario 1: Ten students are available for in-depth interviews. Participants will be selected based on their involvement with the peer mediation program. They will be observed over three weeks. Analysis will attempt to determine issues concerning peer mediation.

An interactive method called phenomenology within the qualitative research designs would be the best method used to answer the question. In this study, the researcher “collects data on how individuals make sense out of a particular experience or situation” (McMillan & Schumacher, 2008, p. 26). I chose this method because it specifically stated that long interviews are conducted with the subjects and the purpose is to gain their understanding on the issue at hand.

Scenario 2: Two classrooms of students are selected. There are 30 students in each class; each group will have similar demographics—age, sex, race, socio-economic background, etc. Classes will be randomly divided into two groups of 15 students. Of these two groups, one randomly selected group will get training on peer mediation and the other group will not. Thus in each classroom there will be one group that is trained in peer mediation and one that is not. Analysis will occur on which groups have the fewest office referrals.

A true experimental design within the quantitative research is what I feel would best suffice to this scenario. McMillan and Schumacher tell us that, “in an experimental design, the researcher manipulates what the subjects will experience” (McMillan & Schumacher, 2008, p. 23). This is exactly what the researcher is doing in this circumstance. They are making comparisons with students that will and will not receive training on peer mediation. I would also classify this scenario as being a true experimental because there is random assignment of subjects to two different groups.

Scenario 3: A school counselor is interested in knowing how student attitudes affect the value of peer mediation to decrease the number of office referrals that are being filed for inappropriate interactions.

Secondary data analysis would best serve this scenario with an accurate answer to its question. In this scenario, the researcher (school counselor) does not need to spend time designing a study or collect data. He or she simply wants to utilize data that has already been collected.

Scenario 4: Peer mediation has become widely used in many schools. The feelings of those involved in the process are little known—either from those doing the mediation or those receiving it. The ZASK-R Acceptance Preference Survey will be given as pre- and post-tests to 40 students participating in mediation. Follow-up interviews will be conducted on a bi-monthly basis.

This scenario screams mixed-method research. The ZASK-R Acceptance Preference Survey provides the researcher with quantitative results that can be shown and the follow-up interviews serve as a qualitative method because it explains why certain behaviors took place. McMillan and Schumacher gave us a great example that was clearly similar to this particular scenario: “For example, a study of how teachers apply the results of high-stakes tests to their instruction might use a written questionnaire to survey a large number of teachers, as well as qualitative interviews to probe the reasons for the use documented in the survey” (McMillan & Schumacher, 2008, p. 28). McMillan and Schumacher also point out that mixed-method research is becoming more popular because of the advantages it has by using a variety of methods to effectively investigate a variety of scenarios.


Reference

McMillan, J. H., & Schumacher, S. (2008). Research in education: Evidence-based inquiry (Laureate custom edition). Boston: Pearson.