EDU794: Quantitative Research

Credit Hours:
3
Estimated Hours Per Week:
20

Overview

This course focuses on quantitative techniques of inquiry that pertain to education research and policy. It is designed to provide candidates with the basic principles and practices needed to conduct scientifically-based research methods. Candidates will learn and practice analytical research skills, review and critique current research in the field, and develop a synthesized literature review. Additionally, candidates will develop competency in the research process, including:

  • Developing a rationale, a hypothesis, a research question, and research design (correlational, causal-comparative, experimental, survey)
  • Developing and administering instruments
  • Analyzing research results, determining validity and reliability, and presenting results
  • Researching and evaluating a variety of quantitative data designs and analytic/presentation techniques

In the course project, Research Report: Presentation of Findings and Implications of Quantitative Study, candidates investigate a hypothetical research study using the quantitative research processes outlined in the course. Candidates include in their final research report document a literature review, research design, research instruments, data collection forms, compiled data, analysis, and conclusions. By completing the final project, candidates will demonstrate their ability to conduct and evaluate doctoral-level research.  

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of how quantitative research can be used to address problems and needs that develop in an institution and develop a comprehensive, significant research study to investigate the topic.
  • Develop a strategy for searching for and identifying appropriate literature references that relate to the purpose of the research study and utilize efficient and effective search techniques for identifying literature sources and determining their relevance to the research topic.
  • Describe the elements of a research design and how each of these elements contributes to the formation of a hypothesis and conduct of the research project.
  • Relate the proper use of statistical procedures for hypothesis testing in a research project and select the proper statistical method based on the research design.
  • Describe the nature of reliable instruments that can be used to collect data in an experiment, how those instruments are used and how collected data can be compiled and displayed.
  • Choose a proper statistical software package and employing that package to calculate the desired statistic(s), analyze the statistical results for significance.
  • Write an accurate, brief, clear, concise, and complete research report and critique a research report written by others.
ENROLLMENT
To enroll in this course, please complete the online application.

Prerequisites

EDU792 is a prerequisite for this course.

Required Texts
EDU794 texts are available from the JIU/MBS bookstore