An Introduction to Educational Research

Chad Lochmiller is currently an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. He received a Ph.D. from the University of Washington in 2010 with a specialization in leadership, policy, and organizations. His research currently focuses on issues related to K-12 educational leadership. Broadly, his research explores how leaders develop capacity to effect positive changes in teaching and learning. His research has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals and in edited volumes. Furthermore, his teaching supports certification, masters, and doctoral students in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Jessica Lester is a Professor of Inquiry Methodology in the School of Education at Indiana University, Bloomington. Having been trained in cultural studies and qualitative research methodology, she takes an interdisciplinary approach to her scholarship, including both the methodological and substantive foci of her research program. In her methodological work, Lester focuses on the study of language-based methods, digital tools in qualitative research, and disability in qualitative inquiry. Her substantive research has focused on examining interactional practices in clinical and educational contexts that involve children and youth. Lester has received numerous awards for her scholarship, among them the 2014 AERA Division D Early Career Award in Measurement and Research Methodology, the 2018 APA Distinguished Early Career Contributions in Qualitative Inquiry Award, and the 2022 American Educational Studies Association Critics' Choice Book Award. At Indiana University, Lester teaches qualitative methods courses and was recently recognized by the 2022 Gorman Distinguished Teaching Award.

Part I: Examining the Foundations of Educational Research Chapter 1: Studying Education Practice with Research Practitioner-Scholars Defined Using Problems of Practice to Frame Research An Overview of the Problems of Practice The Purposes and Types of Educational Research Research Paradigms Defining Research Methodologies and Research Methods Chapter 2: Designing a Research Study The Overarching Research Process Designing a Research Study Chapter 3: Reviewing the Literature The Importance of the Literature Review Unpacking the Literature Review Difference between Qualitative and Quantitative Literature Reviews The Process of Conducting a Literature Review Staying Organized and Updated: A Few Reminders Using Technology to Complete the Literature Review Chapter 4: Considering Research Ethics Ethics and Educational Research Legal and Institutional Ethical Requirements Managing Research Relationships with Schools and Districts Considering Ethics Across the Research Process Emerging Ethical Challenges Part II: Considering Approaches to Educational Research Chapter 5: Introducing Qualitative Research Characteristics of Qualitative Research Qualitative Methodologies Chapter 6: Introducing Quantitative Research Quantitative Research: Aims and Purposes Characteristics of Quantitative Research Quantitative Research Designs Chapter 7: Collecting Qualitative and Quantitative Data Sampling Strategies Site Access and Participant Recruitment Collecting Qualitative Data Collecting Quantitative Data Considering Technology Tools to Support Data Collection Chapter 8: Completing Qualitative Data Analysis Defining Qualitative Data Analysis: Aims and Purposes Carrying Out Qualitative Data Analysis Issues of Validity in Qualitative Research Technology that Supports Qualitative Data Analysis Chapter 9: Completing Quantitative Data Analysis Quantitative Data Analysis: A Cyclical Approach Descriptive statistics: Identifying Patterns, Trends, and Frequencies Calculating Inferential Statistics A Few of The Most Common Statistical Tests Identifying Missing or Out-of-Range Data Reliability and Validity in Quantitative Research Technology that Supports Quantitative Data Analysis Chapter 10: Introducing Mixed Methods Research and Analysis Defining Mixed Methods Research Characteristics of Mixed Methods Research Mixed Methods Research Designs Models of Mixed Methods Research Selecting a Fixed or Emergent Mixed Methods Design Beyond Selecting a Mixed Methods Model Carrying Out a Mixed Methods Study Mixed Methods Analysis Chapter 11: Introducing Action Research Overview of Action Research The Action Research Cycle Unique Considerations for Action Research Using Technology in Action Research Part III: Producing Research to Improve Practice Chapter 12: Writing the Research Engaging in the Academic Writing Process The Basic Structure of a Research Report Formulating Arguments and Presenting Findings Technologies to Support Writing and Disseminating Research Chapter 13: Using and Sharing Research to Improve Practice Revisiting the Meaning of Practitioner-Scholarship Technologies to Support Sharing Research Summarizing the Research Process and the Methodologies Presented Returning to the Place We Began: Problems of Practice Conclusion

"It is practical for teacher leaders and researchers." -- Jill Bradley-Levine "The content is not overly complex but at the same time explains very important research method concepts" -- Arturo Olivarez, Jr. "The "practice-first" approach is very productive and creative. I enjoyed this aspect very much." -- Harriett Gaddy "Links to practice are useful and clear, and provide "anchoring points" for the concepts and content." -- Wendy G. Troxel "The embedded activities, links, reflections, etc., in each chapter are excellent and hopefully, if used by the instructor/student, may lead to a deeper, richer class discussion." -- Dawn Behan "Very specific and well-articulated vocabulary reviews at the end of each chapter." -- Michael Putman "School leaders, teachers, and other educators wanting to learn more about how to conduct research on important topics that will improve their knowledge and practice will find this book to be incredibly beneficial. Chad Lochmiller and Jessica Lester provide numerous examples of relevant research questions, strategies for collecting qualitative and quantitative data, ethical considerations influencing researchers, and effective ways to prepare and disseminate research findings. By presenting complex ideas in very readable and understandable terms, the authors demystify research jargon and approaches to conducting educational research. By furnishing educators with a fresh perspective on the practice and utility of educational research, this book provides a useful and practical approach for data-driven decision making." -- Bruce Barnett "In writing this book, Lochmiller and Lester have made useful progress on an issue that long plagued education - the divide between worlds of research and practice. Having lived for a number of years in both of these worlds, I recognize that resources for teaching research practices and traditions to Ed. D. students are often not written to speak to the particular issues that education practitioners face. The authors have fulfilled the promise of creating a volume that truly addresses the "practitioner-scholar," recognizing that the marriage of scholarly work traditions and the practice of education is necessary for those seeking to develop a deep understanding what happens in schools, defining and investigating problems of practice, and, ultimately, for imagining solutions that ensure schools and school systems work better for students. Along the way, the authors have incorporated practical exercises and regular opportunities for reflection on- and in- practice. This volume is a must read for those heading into leadership roles in schools and systems who want to incorporate a research-grounded frame, and who are interested in integrating research practices into their daily work. Well done!" -- Michael Copland