Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, Fourth Edition

The book enables students to become intelligent consumers of educational research and introduces basic research principles to those who may eventually be involved in research in their work. Understanding of the intent of the researcher, the research procedures, and the results are highlighted throughout. Principles for conducting research and criteria for evaluating its overall credibility are presented in a concise manner. Students learn to analyze and evaluate research, and judge the usefulness of the findings for educational practice. There is extensive use of aides to facilitate student learning, including chapter roadmaps and concept maps, study questions, a book website, consumer tips, examples and excerpts from published articles (including seven full length articles), and author reflections. The Fourth Edition includes a more extensive, balanced presentation of both quantitative and qualitative methods, new discussion of mixed-mode studies, new discussion of effect size, and greater treatment of survey research.