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Applying Educational Research: How To Read, Do, and Use Research To Solve Problems of Practice, 7th edition

Published by Pearson (April 25, 2014) © 2015

  • M D. Gall University of Oregon
  • Joyce P. Gall University of Oregon
  • Walter R. Borg late of Utah State University

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  • Each chapter begins with a list of the problems of practice featured in the chapter’s research examples and full-text articles.  This provides education students with a meaningful and practical context for learning about research.  It also shows them very concretely the relevance and importance of educational research to teaching. (See the beginning of any chapter for examples.)
  • A core goal of the book is to help students become intelligent consumers of research. To help readers develop skills for evaluating research studies, chapters provide criteria for evaluating studies that use the research design presented in that chapter.  (See pages X and X for examples.)  Also,  Appendices 3, 4, and 5 include questions for evaluating quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies.
  • The book includes 18 full-text research articles, 13 of which are new to this edition. Nine of the new articles were published in 2010 or later, and all address significant problems of practice that confront educators today.  (See pages x, x, and x for examples.)
  • Design chapters include a section that illustrates how that particular research design can be used to investigate problems of practice.  (See pages x-x for an example.)
  • Chapter 2 gives an overview of all aspects of how to conduct a research study, from the initial design and pilot study to the preparation of a final report of the study’s findings.  Once educators have this overview, they can study the specialized steps for conducting a study using any of the research designs in Parts 3, 4, and 5 of the book. Also, Appendix 1 contains a form for outlining a research proposal.
  • Students can assess how well they have learned key concepts by using the self-check tests at the end of each chapter.  These tests include multiple-choice items related to the chapter’s important ideas. Answers to these questions are provided at the end of the book.  (See pages x and x for examples.)

This is a substantial revision of the sixth edition of Applying Educational Research. It updates the problems of practice that concern educators, many of the reprinted articles at the end of chapters, research studies within chapters, and resources for further study.  It also presents  new developments in research methodology.

  • The new edition includes 136 examples of current problems of practice distributed across 19 chapters.  A new feature of the book is that the problems are stated as questions and put in list form at the beginning of each chapter.
  • Thirteen new full-text research articles. Nine of the new articles were published in 2010 or later, and all address significant problems of practice that confront educators today.
  • Chapters 4 and 5 in the sixth edition have been combined into a single chapter—Chapter 4: Using Search Engines and Available Literature Reviews.
  • New Appendix 2: Search Options in the ERIC Search Engine enables students who wish to build on their search skills can gain an in-depth knowledge of of the search functions available in ERIC.

Table of Contents

PART 1: INTRODUCTION

  • Chapter 1: Using Research Evidence to Improve Educational Practice
    • Evidence-Based Professional Practice
    • Evidence-Based Practice in Education
    • The Purpose of Educational Research
    • Characteristics of Research as an Approach to Inquiry
    • Quantitative and Qualitative Research
    • Collaborating with Researchers
    • A Personal Note: The Research “Spark”
    • An Example of How Research Can Help in Solving Problems of Practice
    • Self-Check Test
    • Article: How Students’ Sleepy Brains Fail Them
  • Chapter 2: Doing Your Own Research: From Proposal to Final Report
    • Identifying a Research Problem
    • Outlining a Research Proposal
    • Other Steps in the Research Process
    • Self-Check Test
    • Sample Outline of a Quantitative Research Proposal
    • Sample Outline of a Qualitative Research Proposal

PART 2: APPLYING THE RESEARCH LITERATURE TO PROBLEMS OF PRACTICE

  • Chapter 3: Conducting and Writing Your Own Literature Review
    • Informal Literature Reviews
    • Formal Literature Reviews
    • Professional Literature Reviews
    • A Systematic Procedure for Doing Formal Literature Reviews
    • Parts and Presentation of a Literature Review
    • Self-Check Test
    • Article: The Case For and Against Homework
    • Article: The Process Writing Approach: A Meta-Analysis
  • Chapter 4: Using Search Engines and Available Literature Reviews
    • The Purpose of Search Engines
    • Selecting a Useful Search Engine
    • Using Search Engines
    • Obtaining a Publication after a Literature Search
    • Locating Published Literature Reviews
    • Criteria for Evaluating Published Literature Reviews
    • An Example of How Literature Reviews Can Help in Solving Problems of Practice
    • Self-Check Test

PART 3: USING QUANTITATIVE METHODOLOGY TO STUDY PROBLEMS OF PRACTICE

  • Chapter 5: Analyzing and Evaluating Reports of Quantitative Research Studies
    • Organization of a Quantitative Research Report
    • Abstract and Introduction
    • Method Section: Sampling Procedures
    • Method Section: Measures
    • Method Section: Research Design and Procedures
    • Results Section
    • Discussion Section
    • An Example of How Quantitative Research Can Help in Solving Problems of Practice
    • Self-Check Test
    • Article: Developing a Measure of Behavior Change in a Program to Help Low-Income Parents Prevent Unhealthful Weight Gain in Children
  • Chapter 6: Using Descriptive Statistics to Study Problems of Practice
    • Constructs, Variables, and Measurement Scales
    • Statistical Analysis of Data
    • Descriptive Statistics
    • Multivariate Descriptive Statistics
    • Calculating Descriptive Statistics
    • An Example of How Descriptive Statistics Can Help in Solving Problems of Practice
    • Self-Check Test
  • Chapter 7: Tests of Statistical Significance
    • The Logic of Statistical Significance and Confidence Intervals
    • Inferential Statistics
    • Tests of Statistical Significance
    • Calculating Statistics
    • Using Statistics to Improve Professional Practice
    • An Example of How Tests of Statistical Significance Can Help in Solving Problems of Practice
    • Self-Check Test
  • Chapter 8: The Practical Significance of Statistical Results
    • The Practical Significance of Statistical Results
    • Comparisons with Personal and Organizational Standards
    • Comparisons with Ideal Standards
    • Comparisons with Curriculum Standards
    • Comparisons Based on Rankings
    • Comparisons Involving Tables of Norms
    • Comparisons Involving Standard Scores
    • Effect Sizes
    • Gain Scores
    • Practical Significance as an Interpretive Process
    • An Example of How Determining the Practical Significance of Statistical Results Can Help in Solving Problems of Practice
    • Self-Check Test
    • Article: Can Growth Ever Be beside the Point?
  • Chapter 9: Descriptive Research
    • The Relevance of Descriptive Research to Educational Practice
    • Examples of Descriptive Research
    • Features of a Descriptive Research Report
    • Evaluating a Descriptive Research Study
    • An Example of How Descriptive Research Can Help in Solving Problems of Practice
    • Self-Check Test
    • Article: Examining the Extent and Nature of Online Learning in American K-12 Education: The Research Initiatives of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
  • Chapter 10: Group Comparison Research
    • Classification of Quantitative Research Designs
    • The Relevance of Group Comparison Research to Educational Practice
    • Examples of Group Comparison Research
    • Features of a Group Comparison Research Report
    • Evaluating a Group Comparison Research Study
    • An Example of How Group Comparison Research Can Help in Solving Problems of Practice
    • Self-Check Test
    • Article: Jordanian Prospective and Experienced Chemistry Teachers’ Beliefs about Teaching and Learning and their Potential for Educational Reform
  • Chapter 11: Correlational Research
    • Comparison of Correlational and Group Comparison Research Designs
    • Examples of Correlational Research
    • Correlation between Two Variables
    • Correlation Involving More Than Two Variables
    • Features of a Correlational Research Report
    • Evaluating a Correlational Research Study
    • An Example of How Correlational Research Can Help in Solving Problems of Practice
    • Self-Check Test
    • Article: The Measurement and Predictive Ability of Metacognition in Middle School Learners
  • Chapter 12: Experimental Research
    • The Relevance of Experimental Research to Educational Practice
    • Characteristics of Experiments
    • Examples of Experimental Research
    • Features of a Report of a Pretest–Posttest Control-Group Experiment with Randomization
    • Other Group Experiment Designs
    • Threats to the Internal Validity of Experiments
    • Threats Directly Involving the Experimental Intervention
    • Threats to the External Validity of Experiments
    • Single-Case Experiments
    • Features of a Report of a Single-Case Experiment
    • Evaluating an Experimental Research Study
    • An Example of How Experimental Research Can Help in Solving Problems of Practice
    • Self-Check Test
    • Article: After-School Multifamily Groups: A Randomized Controlled Trial Involving Low-Income, Urban, Latino Children
    • Article: Increasing On-Task Behavior in the Classroom: Extension of Self-Monitoring Strategies

PART 4: USING QUALITATIVE METHODOLOGY TO STUDY PROBLEMS OF PRACTICE

  • Chapter 13: Case Studies in Qualitative Research
    • How Qualitative Case Study Research Can Help Educators Solve Problems of Practice
    • Key Characteristics of Case Studies
    • Examples of Case Studies
    • The Nature of Qualitative Research
    • Qualitative Research Traditions
    • Features of a Case Study Report
    • Checking the Applicability of Case Study Findings
    • Evaluating the Quality and Rigor of a Case Study
    • An Example of How Case Study Research Can Help in Solving Problems of Practice
    • Self-Check Test
    • Article: Teaching Secrets: Ask the Kids!
    • Article: Exemplary Social Studies Teachers’ Use of Computer-Supported Instruction in the Classroom
  • Chapter 14: Ethnography and Critical Research
    • The Use of Critical Ethnography to Study Problems of Practice in Education
    • The Characteristics of Ethnographic Research
    • Differences between Ethnographies and Basic Case Studies
    • Examples of Ethnographic Research
    • Critical Research as a Field of Inquiry and Practice
    • Foundations of Critical Research in Education
    • Features of a Critical Ethnographic Research Report
    • Evaluating Ethnographies and Critical Ethnographies
    • An Example of How Ethnography and Critical Research Can Help in Solving Problems of Practice
    • Self-Check Test
    • Article: A Visual Ethnography on Pedagogy, Aesthetics, and the Spatial Experience of Growing Up Urban
  • Chapter 15: Narrative Research
    • Narratives as a Focus for Research
    • Examples of Narrative Research in Education
    • Features of a Narrative Research Report
    • Evaluating a Narrative Research Study
    • An Example of How Narrative Research Can Help in Solving Problems of Practice
    • Self-Check Test
    • Article: Teacher Identity and Early Career Resilience: Exploring the Links
  • Chapter 16: Historical Research
    • The Nature of Historical Research
    • The Role of Historical Research in Education
    • Methods of Historical Research
    • Identifying Historical Sources
    • Validating Historical Evidence
    • Interpreting Historical Data
    • Features of a Historical Research Report
    • Evaluating Historical Research
    • An Example of How Historical Research Can Help in Solving Problems of Practice
    • Self-Check Test
    • Article: Go To the Principal’s Office: Toward a Social History of the School Principal in North America

PART 5: COMBINING QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE METHODOLOGIES TO STUDY PROBLEMS OF PRACTICE

  • Chapter 17: Mixed-Methods Research
    • The Need for Multiple Research Methods
    • Types of Mixed-Methods Research
    • Reading a Mixed-Methods Research Report
    • Evaluating Reports of Mixed-Methods Studies
    • An Example of How Mixed-Methods Research Can Help in Solving Problems of Practice
    • Self-Check Test
    • Article: A Portrait of Administrator, Teacher, and Parent Perceptions of Title I School Improvement Plans

PART 6: USING OTHER RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES TO STUDY PROBLEMS OF PRACTICE

  • Chapter 18: Action Research
    • The History of Action Research
    • Using Action Research to Address Problems of Practice
    • Examples of Action Research Studies
    • Design Features of Action Research
    • How Action Research Differs from Educators’ Other Approaches to Problem Solving
    • Purposes and Benefits of Action Research
    • Applying Action Science to Action Research
    • The Insider–Outsider Perspective in Collaborative Action Research
    • Evaluating the Credibility and Trustworthiness of Action Research Projects
    • An Example of How Action Research Can Help in Solving Problems of Practice
    • Self-Check Test
    • Article: Recognizing a “Different Drum” Through Close-Reading Strategies
  • Chapter 19: Evaluation Research
    • The Use of Evaluation Research in Educational Decision Making
    • Examples of Evaluation Research
    • Programs as a Focus of Evaluation Research
    • Evaluation Research as a Political Activity
    • Models of Evaluation Research
    • How to Read an Evaluation Research Report
    • Evaluating an Evaluation Research Study and Uses of Evaluation in Educational Practice
    • An Example of How Program Evaluations Can Help in Solving Problems of Practice
    • Self-Check Test
    • Article: What Did the Teachers Think? Teachers’ Responses to the Use of Value-Added Modeling as a Tool for Evaluating Teacher Effectivenes

Self-Check Test Answers

Appendix 1 Guide for Outlining a Quantitative or Qualitative Research Proposal

Appendix 2 Search Options in the ERIC Search Machine

Appendix 3 Questions To Ask Yourself When Evaluating a Report of a Quantitative Study

Appendix 4 Questions to Ask Yourself When Evaluating a Report of a Qualitative Study

Appendix 5 Design-Specific Questions to Ask Yourself When Evaluating a Research Report

Glossary

Meredith “Mark” Gall, professor emeritus, has a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in education from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of California at Berkeley. He was an R & D specialist at the Far West Laboratory for Educational Research and Development and then a professor of education at the University of Oregon, where he served in various capacities, including head of teacher education and director of graduate studies in curriculum and instruction. His specializations include research methodology, teacher development, teaching strategies, and the psychology of studying. He has served on the editorial boards of several journals, including the Journal of Experimental Education, Journal of Educational Research, and Elementary School Journal. Among his other book publications are Educational Research: An Introduction and Clinical Supervision and Teacher Development.

Joyce P. “Joy” Gall has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign and a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of California at Berkeley. She has worked as a trainer-developer at the Far West Laboratory for Educational Research and Development, the American Institutes for Research, ROLM Corporation, and the University of Oregon. Her specializations include educational leadership, the psychology of studying, and training and development in education and industry. Her other books include Educational Research: An Introduction, Making the Grade, Help Your Son or Daughter Study for Success, and Tools for Learning: A Guide to Teaching Study Skills.

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