Group+A

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Group Memb﻿ers:

Keri Bachtel Lindsay Barrash Jason Shaw Erin Walker



__WIKI GLO﻿____SSAR﻿Y PROJECT__


 * Glossary of Research Term**** ﻿ s:**

**Andragogy:** Andragogy is the theory of teaching/learning strategies for adults. More simply, andragogy is the adult equivalent to “pedagogy.” The theory is based on a person becoming an adult when he develops a sense of self-direction and responsibility.

Andragogy proposes several bases for adult learning. First, adult learners need to know why they need to learn something before undertaking to learn it. Second, adults need to be treated as capable of self-direction so teachers should recognize responsibility (Atherton, 2011). Third, the teacher should recognize that adult learners have a variety of experiences in life which will as the richest resource for learning. Also important is that adults are most interested in learning subjects which have immediate relevance to their work and/or personal lives. Lastly andragogy encompasses that adult’s respond better to internal versus external motivators.

As educators we can use these theories when working with colleagues or other adults. Understanding andragogy should also help us develop our own learning process.

**Archival research**: Archival research involves using past records to better understand an event, theory or forecast future phenomenon. This is also called secondary research. Researched material may include census data, newspapers, birth certificates and past records in different areas.

Before conducting archival research a person should think about how to find the archive in mind. The researcher should ask; What is my topic of interest?; Do I need specific information or am I just curious about a broad topic?; Should I be using an archive or a library? Next the researcher will gather basic facts about the topic of interest. It is important to understand what particular data you are looking for before jumping into archived information. Today there are many websites associated with the particular archive buildings where we can gather data, but libraries are still efficient.

Archival research can be used for almost any topic in the classroom. Instructors should utilize archived data to help students understand past phenomena and reoccurring patterns or to reference specifics about a covered topic.

**Conclusions:** A final part of the writing that restates the thesis, analyze and evaluates the main points, considers consequences, shortcomings, general implications, recommendations and manifests the value of the research’s main ideas (615 glossary). This portion is just as important as the introduction. The conclusion of a paper makes the essay complete and leaves the final impression to the reader. In educational research, providing this portion to students will help them to illustrate the important parts of the research paper. Teaching students to recognize that the conclusion is primarily summarizing at the end of the research paper will help them write conclusions of their own.

In research control groups are used as a baseline to compare the “experimental group.” The control group is essentially identical to the treatment group, except for the single variable of interest whose effect is being tested (Bracey, 2006, p. 24). This assures the researcher that variables of interest are the only things affecting the outcome of a study. “Control groups are especially important in educational research where the control is used to prevent the effects of one variable of interest from being drowned out by other known, more effective variables (Song and Keller, 2001).” Example: A new program distributing books at a shopping center wants to measure effects on standardized test scores. Researchers know that other variables such as prior education and household income have an effect on test scores. Using a control group will allow the researcher to focus on the one single variable of interest.
 * Control group:**

A statistical relationship between two variables relevant in a given situation. A correlation can be concluded between any two variables present; however it is important to examine the specific relationship between the correlation and actual causation (Bracey, 2006, p. 75).
 * Correlations:**

In a study, the experimental group is exposed to the variable understudy. The experimental group is identical to the control group with the only exception that it is manipulated (Bracey, 2006, p. 27). This group is compared to the control group to determine the effect of variables under study. In education research it is particularly important to delineate experimental and control groups in order to accurately evaluate the effects of the variable under review.
 * Experimental group:**

Supposition or explanation (theory) that is provisionally accepted in order to interpret certain events or phenomenon, and to provide guidance for further investigation (615 glossary). It is important in educational research to have a starting point from which to either prove or disprove a concept. This method will permit an idea to go from the abstract to something tangible that may be used as an example that the student may relate to. The students will form their own hypothesis about gravity. Gravity may be easily demonstrated by allowing an object to drop from a height and fall to the floor.
 * Hypothesis:**

The mean of a data set refers to the average of all the values in the data set. The mean is found by adding all values together and then dividing the sum by the number of values in the data set (Bracey, 2006, p. 45). In educational research the mean is important, however sometimes controversial. If a student receives a grade of zero on an assignment, the overall mean for that student will be very low, even if the student receives high scores on the remainder of the assignments being examined. For this reason the mean is not necessarily the best method for evaluating individual student statistics and many teachers will not assign scores of absolute zero as it brings their student’s grades down too low (Bracey, 2006, p. 45). From a teaching standpoint the mean is an excellent source for determining the efficiency of a lesson using scores of an assignment or assessment and using the mean of a data set of scores from an entire class.
 * Mean:**

The term “mode” is used to describe the most recurrent value in a data set. While the mode is not used as frequently as other forms of data interpretation, it is important because it helps to shape the distribution of a data set (Bracey, 2006, p. 44). In educational research the mode is related to the mean, or average, in that it can be used to judge the efficiency of a lesson using the whole class scores of an assignment; however unlike the mean, or average, the mode allows the educator to see how many students had the same score.
 * Mode:**

**Observation:** The act of notating or recording data using measurements for a single instance of a study. In education, observation is used in many instances. Teachers observe student progress and learning. Administration observes teachers to ensure higher learning.

**Participant:** A person that has agreed to be involved in a survey, focus group, or study. Many times in education, participants are needed for studies to further education. This is someone that is willing to be analyzed, critiqued and discussed in order to learn about a particular topic.

**Reliability**: Reliability is using consistent methods with testing and retesting to measure accurate results. In educational research, when using testing and other data collection, evaluations of student performance should be the same. To ensure reliability, educators should strive to check for any irregularities and not make the data collection process too easy or too difficult.

**Summary:** A synthesis of existing research or a summary of research evidence; pulls together main messages from a number of published sources (615 glossary). This part is to help the reader understand the idea in a short synopsis. The summary highlights information like the title, author, and main idea of the work. This portion can be formally called the “abstract” section in a research paper. Students should understand that this part is placed before the actual paper to summarize what the readers will expect to read about in the paper.

Non-directive interview in which the interviewer may have some key questions formulated in advance, but allows questions based on the interviewee's responses and proceeds like a friendly, non-threatening conversation (615 glossary). According to Dahl (2004), “The [unstructured] interview style was chosen to avoid a self-fulfilling prophecy if both interview and model for analysis were very influenced by theories of learning.” This interview style specified that listening was paramount. The statements by the interviewee are to be followed by non-leading questions, which provide a sufficient opportunity for responses without interruption which could break a train of thought. Providing teleconferencing between two classrooms in different countries to permit students to learn from each other’s experiences. The session would begin with a general question to get the process underway.
 * Unstructured Interviews:**

**Unstructured observation** (Field Notes): Raw data observations where the onlooker simply records notes of what they see occurring without making assumptions, generalizations or inferences.

**Validity:** Validity is how well the educational tool or test measures what it intends to measure. In short, validity is the accuracy of the measurement. While both terms (reliability and validity) are similar, validity seems more important in educational research because if the testing measurement fails to be accurate, the consistency at which it is measured will not matter. Bracey (2006) states any tests offered by a publisher should present adequate evidence of both reliability and validity.

Atherton J S (2011) Learning and Teaching; Knowles' andragogy: an angle on adult learning retrieved 16 March 2011 from []
 * References:**

Bracey, G. (2006). //Reading educational research: How to avoid getting statistically snookered//. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Dahl, B. (2004). Analysing cognitive learning processes through group interviews of successful high school pupils: development and use of a model. Kluwer Academic Publishers, (56), 129–155.

Song, H. S., & Keller, J. M. (2001). Education research : Effectiveness of motivationally adaptive instruction on the dynamic aspects of motivation. Educational Technology Research and Development,49(2), 5–22.