Kathmandu University

School of Education

Research Methods in Education

(Lecture 3 – Types of Research)

-- Mahesh Nath Parajuli

Types
yp off research
‰ Survey
‰ Descriptive
‰ Experimental
‰ Action research
‰ Case study
‰ Evaluation
‰ Ex-post facto
‰ E h
Ethnographic
h study
d
Mahesh Parajuli, 2009 2
Types
yp off research
‰ Based upon different assumptions and the way
we understand and take the research, they can
be classified into different types
yp
‰ Types of research is thus a system of
classifying researches based upon the way we
approach, organize, and proceed with the whole
process off research
h

Mahesh Parajuli, 2009 3

Types
yp off research
‰ Some bases for classifying research
‰ Field – sociology, education, economics

‰ Purpose – exploratory, descriptive,

comparative, relational
l l
‰ Application – basic, applied

‰ Instruments – survey, interview,

quantitative, qualitative
‰ Types of f data
d – objective,
b subjective,
b
quantitative, qualitative
‰ Forms
F off thi
thinking
ki – deductive,
d d ti iinductive
d ti
Mahesh Parajuli, 2009 4
The survey
y method
m
‰ Survey is basically a method of research that
emphasizes in collecting and analyzing data,
mostly
y quantitative,
q , in a very
y strict scientific,,
objective and orderly manner
‰ Researches seeking representation and
generalizability need to collect comparatively
l
large volume
l of
f data
d t andd hence,
h they
th needd to
t go
for the survey method

Mahesh Parajuli, 2009 5

The survey
y method
m
‰ Ensuring for reliability and validity are thus
important in surveys and are often used to test
and develop hypotheses
‰ Surveys can be carried out on any topic of
human interests including perceptions and
values of people and groups and relations and
interactions among variables
‰ Depending upon the need, it can be carried out
i a census
in s s and
d sample
s l manner
Mahesh Parajuli, 2009 6
Descriptive
D p research
‰ Descriptive researches are carried out with
the main purpose of describing some processes
and p
phenomena in the sense of what has
happened or what is happening out there
‰ Descriptive research does not go for explaining
causal relationships and test hypotheses
‰ While describing phenomena/processes they
however try to identify the relationships

Mahesh Parajuli, 2009 7

Descriptive
D p research
‰ Description should not be understood as simple
description because without ordering and
organizing
g g data we cannot describe (hence,
( ,
description includes some analysis)
‰ Descriptive researches are often known as
basic form of research because these provide
i
important
t tbbase f
for llooking
ki f for analysis
l i and
d
interpretation

Mahesh Parajuli, 2009 8

Experimental
E p m research
‰ Experimental research explores cause and
effect relationship and thus often used for
hypothesis
yp testing
g
‰ It does so by controlling/manipulating the
independent variable(s) and seeing how these
control/manipulation affect the dependent
variable
i bl
‰ But such control and manipulation is possible
only in laboratory situation
Mahesh Parajuli, 2009 9
Experimental
E p m research
‰ Hence, the idea of quasi-experimental method
h been
has b developed
d l d where,
h attempts
tt t are maded
to control some variables, if not all, to the
maximum possible extent and see the effects
of such control
‰ Control – independent group

‰ Post – pre-test group

‰ Example :

Mahesh Parajuli, 2009 10

Action research
‰ Action research is intervention in some
program, process, etc. and to see the outcome
of such interventions
‰ Largely a ‘situational’ research, concerned with
identifying problems and then problem-solving
measures in specific situational contexts
‰ The objective
j is also to develop
p new programs,
p g
policies, approaches, etc. in order to enhance
the quality and effectiveness of processes and
outcomes
Mahesh Parajuli, 2009 11
Action research
‰ Action research generally continues for longer
period and may consist multiple phases like
base-line,, trial,, developmental,
p , etc.
‰ It is a flexible research method that can adopt
or adjust new variables,
variables in other words,
words the
study can adopt itself as per the change taking
place
l in
i the
th study
t d population
l ti
‰ Hence, it is often blamed for being less
rigorous and scientific
Mahesh Parajuli, 2009 12
The case study
y method
m
‰ Case studies are detailed, deep, systematic,
and interpretive studies that seek to answer
questions like ‘how’ and ‘why’
q y
‰ A study of characteristics of one – a person, a
unit/section of a company,
company a company,
company etc – or
few units in order to make a ‘full’ understanding
of
f th
the ‘‘case’’
‰ Comprehensive understanding of some issue

Mahesh Parajuli, 2009 13

The case study
y method
m
‰ The problem of establishing boundary for the
case is sometimes difficult
‰ As the findings of case study research are
derived from one (or few) cases, they cannot
be generalized
‰ Hence, case study is not appropriate for
hypothesis testing or for seeking causal
relationships

Mahesh Parajuli, 2009 14

Evaluation research
E
‰ Evaluation method is used for the evaluation of
programme: identifying gaps and problem areas,
measuringg achievements,, assessing
g impacts,
p , and
suggesting improvement measures
‰ Evaluation researches are carried out either as
on-going evaluation, known as Formative
researchh, or as terminal
t i l evaluation,
l ti k
known as
Summative research

Mahesh Parajuli, 2009 15

Evaluation research
E
‰ Formative - aims to provide feedback in
identifying problems and weaknesses and where
improvements are needed; hence, the focus is
on process
‰ Summative – aims to assess the overall outcome
or impact and the cost-effectiveness of the
program, that is, it is finding out whether a
program works or is worth implementation;
hence, the focus is on outcome

Mahesh Parajuli, 2009 16

Ex-post
E p facto
f research
‰ Ex post facto is ‘after the fact’ research
seeking explanations causing or affecting
present situation
‰ In it, one or more dependent variables are
examined, going back over time and space in
retrospective order, and seeking relationships,
causes, and their meanings
‰ Seeking explanation for what might have
contributed to the occurrence of a particular
phenomenon
Mahesh Parajuli, 2009 17
Ex-post
E p facto
f research
‰ In ex post facto research, the independent
variables
i bl are nott under
d th the control
t l of
f th
the
researcher because the event(s) has(have)
already taken place or because they cannot be
controlled
‰ The task now is to reconstruct the ‘event’
event
based upon other available information and
thus analyze
y and interpret
p the ‘event’ or
happenings to establish causes, effect,
relationships, and their meanings, and suggest
i
improvement t needs,
d if relevant
l t
Mahesh Parajuli, 2009 18
E
Ethnography
g p y
‰ Ethnos – ‘people’, ‘people in culture’,
ethnography – ‘study of people in different
culture’ or ‘describing their ways of life’
‰ Ethnography is an approach to give voice to
multiple realities people construct about
their world and everyday life
‰ It begins with the basic question of ‘what is
the culture of this group of people?’ (Patton,
2002, p. 81) and interprets social realities
from cultural perspective
Mahesh Parajuli, 2009 19
E
Ethnography
g p y
‰ What is the culture?
‰ Culture is the pattern of beliefs, behavior,
practices, thinking, etc. people develop and
share
h while
hil living
li i together
t th for
f a time
ti period
i d
‰ Ethnography thus is not only a particular
method
th d off data
d t collection,
ll ti b
butt also
l a style
t l
of research for understanding the social
meanings and activities of the people

Mahesh Parajuli, 2009 20

E
Ethnography
g p y
‰ Ontological and epistemological premise that
th realities
the liti are subjective
bj ti and d multiple
lti l and
d
that the knowledge can be created or
recreated perceived and interpreted by
recreated,
people themselves justify the ethnographic
studyy of social processes
p
‰ Traditionally, ethnography was mainly used
byy anthropologists
p g to study
y foreign
g cultures
(in Western sense) – a study of Others

Mahesh Parajuli, 2009 21

E
Ethnography
g p y
‰ But now the method is used by all social
scientists
i ti t and d can cover any contemporary
t
social issue under any social branch of study
‰ Th ethnographers
The thn r ph rs derive
d riv m mainly
inl fr
from
m th
the
participant observation, in-depth interviews,
etc meaning intensive field work in which
etc.
the researcher goes deep down the culture
under study y – seeking
g a ‘thick description’
p

Mahesh Parajuli, 2009 22

E
Ethnography
g p y
‰ Apart from these traditional methods,
today’ss ethnographer may use latest tools
today
and technology like computerized models,
internet, multimedia, and so on
‰ It is no more necessary to research in a
face-to-face situations (actually its meaning
h s changed)
has h n d)
‰ Some people even claim that an ethnographer
while staying in her/his own room
room, can now
be in the field interviewing people and
making observations – understanding and
i t
interpreting
ti diff
differentt cultural
lt l contexts
t t
Mahesh Parajuli, 2009 23
E
Ethnography
g p y
‰ Ethnography is thus a fine blend of theory,
analysis
l i and d narration
ti in i a localized
l li d context
t t
or it is a theoretical interpretation of
everyday realities
‰ Can I study myself, my family, my class, my
workplace?
‰ Autoethnography is the answer
‰ Studying oneself or one’s
one s group as a part of
that culture is autoethnography

Mahesh Parajuli, 2009 24