II Identifying a Research Problem Research Problem Research problems are the educational issues, controversies, or concerns that guide the need for conducting a study. Literature Review What is it's Purpose? Give an Overview of What has already been done Describe why prior research has lead to the current inquiry What are The 5 Steps? 1. Identify key terms to use in your search for literature. 2. Locate literature about a topic by consulting several types of materials and databases, 3. Critically evaluate and select the literature for your review. 4. Organize the literature you have selected by abstracting or taking notes on the 5. Write a literature review that reports summaries of the literature for inclusion in your Causation The idea of probable causation is that researchers attempt to establish a likely cause-and-effect relationship between variables, rather than prove the relationship. Example: Phonological awareness causes reading and also less oral language correlates to poor reading outcomes Variables A variable is a characteristic or attribute of an individual or an organization that (a) researchers can measure or observe and (b) varies among individuals or organizations studied Dependent A dependent variable is an attribute or characteristic that is dependent on or influenced by the independent variable. Independent An independent variable is an attribute or characteristic that influences or affects an outcome or dependent variable Control A control variable is a variable that is important to consider and “neutralize” (Tuckman, 1999, p. 100) because it potentially influences the dependent variable. Confounding Variables Confounding variables (sometimes called spurious variables) are attributes or characteristics that the researcher cannot directly measure because their effects cannot be easily separated from those of other variables, even though they may influence the relation between the independent and the dependent variable. Framework to Hunches Some researchers have hunches or educated guesses as to why two variables might be related. For example, from personal experience, one researcher might feel that Hispanic children succeed in elementary school because the teacher is sensitive to cultural issues (e.g., the recognition and celebration of Hispanic holidays). Researchers have not tested this hunch, and it represents an unsophisticated approach based on the experiences of the researcher.
II Identifying a Research Problem Research Problem Research problems are the educational issues, controversies, or concerns that guide the need for conducting a study. Literature Review What is it's Purpose? Give an Overview of What has alre