Provides training in the methods necessary for understanding and conducting quantitative research in education.
This paper is designed to help master's and doctoral students acquire the necessary quantitative skills to design studies and analyse the data gathered. We take a very hands-on approach, working from examples and focusing on using statistical computer packages in addition to statistical techniques.
| Paper title | Quantitative Research Methods in Education |
|---|---|
| Paper code | EDUC422 |
| Subject | Education |
| EFTS | 0.1667 |
| Points | 20 points |
| Teaching period | Not offered in 2023 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees (NZD) | $1,206.91 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Limited to
- PGCertEdLn, PGDipEdLn, MEdLn, BA(Hons), PGDipArts, MA(Coursework), MA(Thesis)
- Notes
- Students outside of the approved programmes, with 54 300-level EDUC points, may be admitted with approval from the Dean of the College of Education.
- Eligibility
- No prior quantitative background is required for the paper, just a willingness to work hard in the paper.
- Contact
- Teaching staff
- Professor Jeffrey Smith
Professor Lisa Smith - Paper Structure
- The paper is taught in a small class/workshop fashion. We work together on analysing real data sets, using data collected through the class when possible.
- Textbooks
- Pedhazur, E. J., and Schmelkin, L. P. (2013). Measurement, design, and analysis: An integrated approach. Psychology Press.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Scholarship, Communication, Information literacy, Research.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
Generic attributes
Students who successfully complete this paper will be able to:
- Understand the role of quantitative research in education and how it relates to other approaches to research
- Design research studies that provide powerful tests of underlying hypotheses and are resistant to alternative interpretations
- Determine the appropriate statistical analysis and execute it using statistical packages for the computer
- Appropriately interpret and present findings based on their analysis
- Read the research literature concerning quantitative studies in education
Specific attributes
Students who successfully complete this paper will:
- Learn to critically examine the ethical issues underlying various approaches to quantitative research, particularly in working with schoolchildren
- Be able to choose among various research designs in terms of which will provide the strongest test of a given hypothesis and which will be the most reasonable to actually execute
- Understand the process through which observations are turned into quantifiable variables, including various approaches to establishing measurement reliability and validity
- Calculate various statistical analyses using the computer
- Understand the process of re-analysing data based upon preliminary results
- Be able to present findings in a fashion appropriate for professional presentation and publication
