Empirical research in education needs conceptual clarity, a good balance between the various parts of research, and particularly the research questions and research methods (Punch, 2009). Module 1 SLP addressed the various types of research methodologies as well as their strengths and weaknesses. Module 2 SLP addresses the types of research questions and compares them as well as the recommended steps to use when designing research questions. Research questions are an important part of research planning because they assist in the organization of the project, form the boundaries of the project, help in maintaining focus on relevant issues and point out the required data (Punch, 2009).
When preparing research questions the researcher starts with general and abstract information and works towards specific information that is relevant to the study. Punch (2009) refers to this process as the hierarchy of concepts. Punch (2009) explains that a researcher begins with the identification of the research area, then proceeds to the identification of the topic to study, after which he/she formulates general research questions. Later during the research process, the researcher drafts specific research questions and data collection questions (Punch, 2009).
Each of the three types of research modes, namely; mixed research, qualitative research and quantitative research can have different approaches when formulating research questions. Qualitative research in education examines, analyzes, and interprets observations with the aim of understanding the meaning and patterns of relationships, using methods that do not involve mathematical models. Qualitative research questions are either descriptive questions or relational questions. Descriptive questions are used in scenarios where phenomena are defined (VanderStoep & Johnston, 2009). Megay-Nespoli (2001) carried out a survey and found out that a teacher’s attitude influences student participation in class. The descriptive question in relation to the study would be; how does a teacher’s attitude affect student participation? On the other hand, relational questions seek to find out whether there is a relationship between two or more variables for example; is there a relationship between the hours that a student spends in the library and the continuous assessment test scores?
Quantitative research investigates education phenomena through mathematical, statistical, and computational techniques (Johnson & Christensen, 2012). Quantitative research uses theories, hypotheses, and mathematical theories in relation to phenomena, to find out whether there is a cause and effect between various research variables (Kaplan, 2004). In addition to descriptive and relational questions, quantitative research has causal questions, which are designed to investigate whether one, or more variables cause or effect one or more outcome variables. An example of a causal question is; what is the effect of student aid on college enrollment?
Descriptive research questions aim at investigating phenomena that is defined in advance, therefore the questions are limited within the defined area of study. Descriptive research questions are also very broad in nature. Relational research questions seek to find out whether there is a relationship between the research variables. Relational research questions are more specific than descriptive research questions but they only seek for relationships however, they cannot be used to determine whether the research variables have effects on each other. Causal research questions aim at investigating whether there is a cause and effect relationship between variables. The cause and effect between variables can be tested by varying, controlling the research variables.
References
Johnson, B., & Christensen, L. B. (2012). Educational research: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches. Thousand Oaks, Calif: SAGE Publications.
Kaplan, D. (2004). The Sage handbook of quantitative methodology for the social sciences. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage.
Megay-Nespoli ,K . (2001). Beliefs and Attitudes of Novice Teachers Regarding Instruction of Academically Talented Learners. Roeper Review, 173.
Punch, K. F.(2009). Introduction to Research Methods in Education. Sage Publications.
VanderStoep, S. W., & Johnston, D. D. (2009). Research methods for everyday life: Blending qualitative and quantitative approaches. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
