Components of Quantitative Approach - Assignment Example

? Components of Quantitative Approach Components of Quantitative Approach The three researches that this paper picked are Differentiated Instruction: The Effect on Student Achievement in an Elementary School, by Patricia Koeze, A Review of the Quantitative Research on Multigrade Instruction, by Bruce Miller, and The Impact of No Child Left behind Act on School Achievement and Accountability, by Glenn Maleyko. All these researches dealt with the current issues facing elementary education; hence, their importance. Summary of Findings The aim of Patricia’s study was to establish whether educators who were using differentiated instructional techniques were producing greater achievement results with their students compared to educators who were not using differentiation techniques. Findings from this research proved that there were many diverse understandings of differentiation, even for the educators who undertook professional growth in this area (Koeze, 2007). This finding confirmed that employing a mixed approach to data gathering and understanding the quantitative data through the interpretive orientation of symbolic interactionism was the suitable methodology for this research. Miller’s research, on the other hand, was meant to study the quantitative research literature concerning the effects or consequences multi-grade classroom organizations have on student cognitive, as well as affective outcomes. Miller’s study found out that being a learner in a multi-grade class neither does not unenthusiastically influence academic performance nor learner social attitudes and relationships (Miller, 1990). Finally, Maleyko’s research studies the impact of No Child Left behind Act on school achievement and accountability. According to the researcher, States have the skill of statistically manipulating their Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) implementation. This may give a fake impression to people that AYP is a reliable measure of a school’s success (Maleyko, 2011). The findings from this research proved that the exploitation of the NAEP evaluation is an efficient technique to examine the reliability of AYP among states. Evaluation of the Approach In Patricia’s study, quantitative data gathering was carried as a way or means to draw broad relationships from the information. Findings from the quantitative data collected guided the researcher on the way to organize the qualitative study (Koeze, 2007). From the wide relationships revealed through quantitative findings, qualitative methods were utilized in exploring these wide relationships further and hunt for explanations, which could only be revealed by classroom interviews and observations. Such methods of collecting data make the research extremely accurate, and the findings from the research could be used to enhance elementary education. Miller’s research, unlike Patricia’s, strictly maintained a quantitative approach to come up with the findings (Miller, 1990). The researcher provided a summary of quantitative studies, which were intended to determine the distinctions in student achievement between learners registered in multi-grade and single classrooms. According to the researcher’s findings, there is minute or no distinctions in the achievements of learners enrolled in multi-grade or single classrooms. However, it is risky to follow such findings as only depending on numbers to come up with your conclusion can be dangerous. Finally, Maleyko’s research, The Impact of No Child Left behind Act on School Achievement and Accountability, uses both quantitative and qualitative methods to come up with its findings. The literature review of the research recognizes the measurement worries with the execution of AYP, the advantages of AYP, the unintentional upshots, along with the hardships involved with setting up school accountability and the efficient and unproductive provisions of the NCLB change (Maleyko, 2011). The findings could be considered valid since the research incorporated both numerical and empirical techniques to come up with its conclusions. Key Characteristics of the Sample Population Some of the characteristics of the sample population were that the people were mainly from the United States, they had a Low Sampling Error, High Confidence Level, High Degree of Variability and were mainly not married. The researchers choose to incorporate Americans only in their sample population because the study mainly focused on the welfare of the American elementary education (McCarthy, 2012). The Low Sampling Error meant that the population, which was used, knew a lot about the elementary education of the United States that if any error was made then it would be extremely low. High Confidence Level meant that the population knew what they were contributing to the research, which increased the accuracy of the findings. The Degree of Variability meant that the population used was quite diverse regarding the backgrounds of the people, but they were strictly Americans. Finally, the population involved a majority of individuals who were not married such as the students themselves (McCarthy, 2012). Challenges Encountered and Ways to Meet Them Some of the challenges that might be encountered when trying to come up with such a sample population are how to bring together diverse people who are extremely knowledgeable in the field elementary education and funds to move around when gathering data from the sample population. The population incorporated in this research mainly had people from diverse backgrounds who needed to have the same high knowledge in the field being researched (Hohmann, 2007). Therefore, coming across them seems to be a difficult task. A way this could be achieved is going to educational centers to ask for their assistance in incorporating their students, as well as the teachers themselves. Also, a way of bridging the financial gap is through incorporating government funding by informing them on the significance of the research, which will, in reality, assist the nation. Advantages and Limitations of Using Surveys from Research Some of the advantages of using surveys to conduct researches are that they ease the cost and data collection. Surveys have an extremely minute cost per contributor. Still with incentives, the fee per contributor is frequently far less than the fee of using a phone interview or a focus group, while the responses researchers get can add up to thousands (Hohmann, 2007). Data collection is also much easier with surveys. This is because researchers employ easy-to-read information, which can be analyzed and compiled as needed for the research. The qualitative research methods of other education research methods might yield some fascinating answers, but the capacity to analyze themes is a much more difficult process. Some of the limitations include sample choice and rigidity. It is up to the researchers to make sure they have a representative sample from, which to gather data. Survey research is normally prone to researcher inaccuracy, where guesses are made regarding the sample, which may not be exact (Hohmann, 2007). Also, before people develop their survey, they need to consider accounting for all likely answers plus encoding the survey accordingly. Ethical Issue That Might Be Involved In Survey Research An ethical issue that might arise in survey research is respect (McCarthy, 2012). The term respect refers to as protecting the worth and dignity of everybody, and the rights of persons to confidentiality, privacy, as well as self-determination. Exceptional safeguards might be essential to guard the welfare and rights of communities or persons whose vulnerabilities damage self-directed decision making (McCarthy, 2012). Researchers, therefore, should remember to maintain and uphold the above aspects of the population, which takes part in the survey, in order to keep it ethical. A Survey Instrument Staff Survey Form Name Staff Survey 1. Kindly list any techniques, which you employ frequently to test your class. 2. How frequently do your learners employ group strategies? (Circle one) At all times Nearly every time a few times Roughly never Never 3. If your learners work in groups, how are the clusters structured? (Circle all that relate) At random Interests Skill Let them decide Learning ways How frequently do groups alternate? (Circle all that relate) They stay the same Every time When they request When actions affirm With a fresh unit By task 4. Have your learners taken a learning technique inventory this year? (Circle the relevant one) Yes No 5. Kindly state any resources that you employ to establish your students’ willingness. 6. How frequently are learners given alternatives in how they do their projects or assignments? (Kindly explain your answer) At all times Nearly every time a few times Roughly never Never 7. Rate the work your learners do in school Extremely Easy At times easy Precise At times hard Extremely hard 8. Rate the cultural diversity of the of the students in your class (Circle the relevant one) Too Diverse Semi Diverse Uniform 9. How frequently do you give a specific student choice in projects or class assignment? (Circle one) At all times Nearly every time a few times Roughly never Never 10. How frequently do you work in groups with your students? (Circle one) At all times Nearly every time a few times Roughly never Never Method of Administering the Survey, Interpreting, and Reporting the Data School teaching staff will be informed of the exercise that will be taking place in their institution (Koeze, 2007). They will be asked to sign consent forms, which will also assure their confidentiality in the procedure. The interviews will be carried in the staffroom, which will consume a minimum of 20 minutes. Pre-assessment techniques will be used frequently to educators who have differentiation training. This will not be a mark awarding survey, but it will be interpreted according to the way the teachers understand differentiation in education (Koeze, 2007). The information will be reported in journals, and the findings also given to major schools to show them just how they need to stress on differentiation in their institutions. References Hohmann, U. (2007). Quantitative methods in education research. New York: Oxford University Press. Koeze, P. (2007). Differentiated instruction: The effect on student achievement in an elementary school. Retrieved from http://commons.emich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1030&context=theses Maleyko, G. (2011). The impact of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) on school achievement and accountability. American Journal of Education, 6(7), 89-107. McCarthy, K. (2012). How to conduct a survey: Ethics involved. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Press. Miller, B. (1990). A review of the quantitative research on multi-grade instruction. Research in Rural Education, 7(1), 1-8. Read More