Assignment 3 Lauer Chapter 3 & 4

1. Explain the key differences between descriptive and experimental research.

Descriptive research is used to answer descriptive research questions. It uses terms such as how, why, what, and where. Descriptive research design includes the following:
simple descriptive- when collecting data to describe persons, organizations, settings or phenomena.
Comparative descriptive- where the researcher describes and compares two or more groups of participants.
Correlational- used to describe the statistical association between two or more variables.

2. Explain correlational research.
Correlational research is used to compare two or more variables by the use of statistics such as test scores, district assessments,etc. An example would be to compare two different schools in different social economic areas but within the same district by using state standardized testing. The researcher would use the data to predict future achievement.

3. Explain the key differences between quantitative and qualitative research.
In quantitative research, the data are numbers and measurements. In qualitative research, the data are narrative descriptions and observations.Qualitative research occurs in more natural and less controlled settings and uses specialized methods for collecting data such as case studies and ethnography.

4. What is action research?
Action research is:
+ collection of data about current education practice or program and the resulting outcomes.
+ reflection on the information acquired.
+ development and implementation of an improvement plan.
+ collection of data on the practice or program after changes have been made.
+ development of conclusions about the results of the improvement plans.
Action research can be conducted by individuals or groups of individuals.
Action research can have several benefits such as reflection on educational practice, identification of strategies for improvement, and acquisition of research skills.