Evaluating Research Methods

After studying the different types of research methods, which included qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, action research, and secondary data analysis, the next step was to provide the correct research method for a given scenario.

The first scenario is the following: Ten students are available for in-depth interviews. Participants will be selected based on their involvement with the peer mediation program. They will be observed over three weeks. Analysis will attempt to determine issues concerning peer mediation. I feel that the type of research that needs to be used for this scenario is Qualitative. My reason behind my answer is because the researcher will be conducting in-depth interviews with participants of a program. I chose qualitative because in this type of research the “data are in the form of words rather than numbers” (McMillan & Schumacher, 2006, p.26). So because of the in-depth interviews, the research will be word based and not number based.

The second scenario is the following: Two classrooms of students are selected. There are 30 students in each class; each group will have similar demographics—age, sex, race, socio-economic background, etc. Classes will be randomly divided into two groups of 15 students. Of these two groups, one randomly selected group will get training on peer mediation and the other group will not. Thus in each classroom there will be one group that is trained in peer mediation and one that is not. Analysis will occur on which groups have the fewest office referrals. I feel that the type of research that needs to be used for this scenario is Quasi-Experimental. I chose this type of research because here some of the students are going to be subjected to the experiment and the others will be the control group (McMillan & Schumacher, 2006). As the book explained further, the researcher has created his / her control group to study, once the numbers come out, then the researcher will analyze the before mentioned group.

The third scenario is the following: A school counselor is interested in knowing how student attitudes affect the value of peer mediation to decrease the number of office referrals that are being filed for inappropriate interactions. I feel that the type of research that needs to be used is the Ex Post Facto design. I chose this method because, “rather than manipulate what will happen to subjects, as in experimental deigns, the research focuses on what has happened differently for comparable groups of subjects, then explores whether the subjects in each group are different in some way” (McMillan & Schumacher, 2006, p.25). This was a difficult method to choose. I finally went with this one because our explained that the subjects would not be manipulated and I felt that the school counselor was only looking at the attitudes associated with peer mediation.

The fourth scenario is the following: Peer mediation has become widely used in many schools. The feelings of those involved in the process are little known—either from those doing the mediation or those receiving it. The ZASK-R Acceptance Preference Survey will be given as pre- and post-tests to 40 students participating in mediation. Follow-up interviews will be conducted on a bi-monthly basis. I feel that the type of research that needs to be used for this scenario is the Explanatory method. I chose this method because, “quantitative data are collected first and, depending on the results, qualitative data are gathered second” (McMillan & Schumacher, 2006, p.28). The Explanatory method clearly states that the research uses the quantitative method first and then follow up with qualitative. Numbers before words, the survey is first followed up by interviews.

The methods I chose for the scenarios are not set in stone, I chose those methods based on the information I found either in our class text or from our DVD. I am sure that different methods can be substituted for these scenarios to get the same results, and I welcome any and all comments to help enlighten me. I will tell you that scenario number 3 stumped me, so I definitely need your help on that one.

McMillan, J. H., & Schumacher, S. (2008). Research in education: Evidence-based inquiry (Laureate custom edition). Boston: Pearson.