Exploring Research Methods in Educational Research

Research is a systematic inquiry that aims to describe, explain, predict and control the observed phenomenon. When planning any project, consideration needs to be given to the design and how the study will be conducted. The design is dependent upon the research strategy. It is also necessary to consider what type of data (evidence) would best address the research questions. These considerations will significantly determine the research methods to be employed in conducting the study.

Research methods are broadly divided into quantitative and qualitative methods. Applied behaviour analysis applies educational research methods that are evidence-based to provide significant changes in the individual's life (Cooper, Heron and Heward, 2014). Therefore, quantitative methods such as single-subject designs, randomised controlled trials or meta-analysis research are used to support the significance of the science. However, qualitative methods, such as open-ended interviews, are also applied to understand individuals' meanings to a social or human problem. A particular example is in the case of functional assessment, in which significant others are asked to give information regarding the individual who exhibits challenging behaviour.

Additionally, research involves inductive and deductive methods (Babbie, 1998). Inductive research methods are used to analyse an observed event, while deductive methods verify the practical event. Each method has a different purpose: one seeks to develop explanations, while the other tests the validity of the explanations. Inductive approaches are associated with qualitative methods, while deductive methods are more commonly associated with quantitative research. When choosing a method, it is crucial to consider your research questions, your underlying philosophy of research, and your preferences and skills. This section will explain the differing perspectives underlying quantitative and qualitative methodologies, how research quality is defined concerning different research approaches, and how to develop research questions and appropriate study designs. Limitations associated with the primary methods will also be discussed.

The methodology you use to gather the data for your research, whether qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods, will depend on which one best aligns with your research question.

Creswell, (2003, p.11) highlights how the pragmatic paradigm places "the research problem" as central and applies all approaches to understanding the problem. With the research question being 'central', the data collection and analysis methods chosen should be most likely to provide insights into the question. This suggests that the hypothesis and research question should determine which data collection and analysis methods (qualitative/quantitative or mixed methods) will be the most appropriate for a study. It has also been argued that researchers are not quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods researchers; instead, a researcher may apply the data collection and analysis methods that are most appropriate for a particular type of research study (Mackenzie & Knipe, 2006). Thus, while interpretivist/constructivist paradigms can be more subjective and focus on participants' views on the situation being studied, constructivists formulate theories/research questions during the research process (Creswell, 2003), resulting in them preferring qualitative methods or mixed methods to support qualitative data.

Qualitative

In quantitative research, your goal is to determine the connection between an independent and a dependent variable. Qualitative researchers study things in their natural environment, attempting to make sense of phenomena regarding the meanings people attach to them (Denzin & Lincoln, 2005). Qualitative data analysis aims to uncover emerging themes, patterns, concepts, insights, and understandings (Patton, 2002). Unlike its quantitative counterpart, qualitative research does not lend itself to empirical inference to a population as a whole; instead, it allows the researcher to generalize to a theoretical understanding of the phenomenon being examined (Tesch, 1990). Qualitative research is essential in educational research as it concentrates on the "how" and "why" research questions and allows a deeper understanding of experiences, phenomena, and context. Qualitative research permits you to ask questions that cannot be put into numbers to comprehend human experience (Cleland, 2017). Therefore, this type of research may produce rich data and a profound description of the phenomenon being studied or a theory about the phenomenon- this makes qualitative research methods particularly useful for exploring how and why things have happened.

Qualitative research also involves qualitative data analysis, which, unlike quantitative data analysis, is not concerned with statistical analysis but with analysis of codes, themes, and patterns in the data (Tesch, 1990).

As qualitative research is subjective, therefore its validity, accuracy, and reliability must be ensured. However, while the effectiveness of qualitative research is heavily based on the skills and abilities of researchers, the outcomes may not be perceived as entirely reliable because they mainly come from the researcher's judgments and interpretations. Because it is more appropriate for small samples, it is also risky for the results of qualitative research to be perceived as reflecting, and therefore generalized as, the opinions of a broader population (Bell, 2005).

The two most common and popularly used qualitative research methods include interviews and observations. Conducting a face-to-face interview is said to generate a better response from respondents as it is a more personal approach. However, face-to-face interviews' success depends heavily on the researcher's ability to ask questions and their experience in conducting such interviews in the past. The types of questions that are used in this type of research are primarily open-ended questions. These questions help to gain in-depth insights into the opinions and perceptions of respondents

Conducting an interview

Before conducting an interview, it is necessary to restate its purpose and address terms of confidentiality. Participants were also asked to sign a Debriefing and Withdrawal Letter. Both letters aimed to reassure participants that their participation in the research was voluntary and that they were free to withdraw from it at any point and for any reason.

Although it is essential to consider other methods and strategies, the research questions will ultimately determine the approach. In contrast, the chosen methodology will determine which types of questions you ask before, during, and after the interview.

The data collected from the interview sessions are then subjected to a data analysis process. Content analysis is a method used to analyse the data which was gathered from personal interviews. According to Moore & McCabe (2005), this is a data analysis technique whereby data gathered is categorized in themes and sub-themes to make it better understood and comparable. The main advantage of content analysis is that it helps in data collected being reduced and simplified while at the same time producing results that may then be measured using quantitative techniques

Quantitative

In this type of research, the data collected is generally presented in numbers and graphs to confirm theories and assumptions. The data collected represents factual information on the topic. As in qualitative research, the researcher needs to select the quantitative approach to answer the research question. Unlike qualitative methods, quantitative research methods involve a numerical process to collect and analyse data. Additionally, quantitative research involves a larger population, thus producing more data, which can lead to the attainment of more accurate results. The most common methods of collecting quantitative data include experiments, surveys, questionnaires, and case studies.

Quantitative research designs are either descriptive or experimental. While a descriptive study establishes only associations between variables, an experiment shows causality (Babbie, 1998). Before designing a quantitative research study, whether it will be descriptive or experimental must be decided because this will dictate how the results are gathered, analysed, and interpreted. An experimental design includes subjects measured before and after a particular treatment, the sample population may be tiny and purposefully chosen, and it is intended to establish causality between variables (Black, 1999)

MIXED Methods

Quantitative and qualitative methods can be combined and applied to the science of ABA. A mixed-method approach can use the best of both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to make the most appropriate decisions for interventions. This can include a combination of in-depth exploration and numerical measurement. As quantitative and qualitative research methods collect data in different ways, they allow you to answer different kinds of research questions.

Mixed methods research is essential to improve social science and education research by implementing various methods, which strengthen research (Gorard, 2004). According to Makenzie & Knipe (2006), research is only entirely effective when both quantitative and qualitative methodologies are applied. Cohen et al. (2016) share a similar view- that research that combines both quantitative and qualitative approaches allow for a more enhanced and accurate understanding than a single approach would. It may be beneficial for all paradigms to utilize mixed methods instead of being restricted to one method (Mackenzie, N. & Knipe, and S.2006).

Gorard (2004) highlights that mixed-methods research has been identified as critical in improving social science, including education research. I would, however, be open to utilizing a mixed-method approach, but I am aware that there are researchers who are strongly aligned with a particular research approach.

Single-subject design:

Among the most commonly used research methods in applied behaviour analysts are single-subject methods used to conduct experimental analyses. Single-subject designs (SSD) are experiments where each participant serves as their control (Bailey and Burch, 2002). In SSD, behaviours are measured across time and participants. Researchers use single-subject design because these designs are sensitive to individual organism differences versus group designs, which are susceptible to averages of groups. Often there will be large numbers of subjects in a research study using a single-subject design. However, because the subject serves as their own control, this is still a single-subject design. These designs are mainly used to evaluate the effect of various interventions in applied research (Suter, 2012).

The aim of using SSD in my practice has always been to get baseline data and identify which independent variables are needed, sufficient, and responsible for behaviour change. The selection of the appropriate SSD depends significantly on the research question and the type of dependent and independent ant variable. The most commonly used SSDs in applied behaviour analysis include alternating treatment design, withdrawal design and multiple baseline design.

In evaluating the behaviour, data is graphed and analysed visually. The effectiveness of the interventions is assessed by taking baseline data, selecting an appropriate intervention based on the function of the behaviour, and taking post-intervention data. This ensures that the intervention is suitable for each client and that any predicted behaviour changes occur. If the change isn't occurring, this is also evident using SSD, meaning changes can be made to ensure the target behaviour increases or decreases.

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Conclusion

Research in education is a process or series of integrated steps. The whole purpose of research, whatever approach is taken, is to learn more about the problem being investigated (Suter, 2012). Writing this essay has given me an excellent opportunity to understand the different methodologies and philosophical approaches involved with educational research methods.

As outlined above, research methods are broadly classified as qualitative and quantitative. Both methods have distinctive properties and data collection methods. However, the two methods (qualitative and quantitative) can also be combined to give rise to what is known as mixed-methods research. Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research each relate to a different paradigm, and the research question influences the choice of either method that the study seeks to address. Therefore, when conducting a study, it is vital to consider the research question that affects the selection of the research methods, including data collection and analysis techniques.