Educational Research and Assessment

The primary goal of educational research is to generate knowledge that can be used to improve teaching and learning outcomes for students.

Action research is a type of research that is conducted by practitioners in order to improve their own practice. It is not typically considered to be a type of educational research.

Quantitative research uses numerical data while qualitative research uses non-numerical data. Quantitative research is more objective while qualitative research is more subjective. Quantitative research is more generalizable while qualitative research is more specific.

Assessments are used to measure student learning, provide feedback to students and teachers, and identify students who need additional support.

Portfolio assessment is a type of assessment that collects evidence of student learning over time. It is not typically considered to be a type of assessment.

Formative assessment is used to provide feedback to students and teachers while summative assessment is used to measure student learning. Formative assessment is more informal while summative assessment is more formal. Formative assessment is conducted more frequently than summative assessment.

A research proposal outlines the research question and methodology, secures funding for the research project, and obtains ethical approval for the research project.

A research hypothesis is a specific prediction about the outcome of a study while a research question is a broad question that guides the research. A research hypothesis is more specific than a research question. A research hypothesis is testable while a research question is not.

A literature review identifies existing research on a topic, summarizes the findings of existing research, and identifies gaps in the research literature.

Quantitative research methods use numerical data while qualitative research methods use non-numerical data. Quantitative research methods are more objective while qualitative research methods are more subjective. Quantitative research methods are more generalizable while qualitative research methods are more specific.

A data analysis plan outlines the methods that will be used to analyze the data, ensures that the data is analyzed in a valid and reliable manner, and identifies the research questions that will be answered by the data analysis.

A research report is a formal document that presents the findings of a research study while a research paper is a more informal document that presents the findings of a research study. A research report is typically longer than a research paper. A research report is typically written for a more academic audience than a research paper.

A research ethics review board reviews research proposals and ensures that they are ethical, provides guidance to researchers on ethical research practices, and investigates allegations of research misconduct.

A research sample is a subset of the research population. A research sample is typically smaller than the research population. A research sample is used to make inferences about the research population.

A research dissemination plan outlines the methods that will be used to disseminate the findings of the research study, ensures that the findings of the research study are disseminated to a wide audience, and identifies the stakeholders who will be interested in the findings of the research study.