"Understanding Education Research" is designed to help students learn to read educational research articles carefully, systematically, and critically. Students learn to categorize titles, decode abstracts, find research questions, characterize research arguments, break down methods and procedures, explore references, apply analysis strategies, and interpret findings. The book allows them to easily develop the skills they need to be research literate. It offers simple guidelines for qualitative, quantitative, and statistical approaches that help students master the basics behind these often complex and confusing methodologies. The book is accessible for future researchers or for students who simply need to understand research clearly. It is written in a clear and engaging style, with ample concrete examples of each stage, offering exercises for student practice.
Designed to help students learn to read educational research articles carefully, systematically, and critically. Students learn to categorize titles, decode abstracts, find research questions, characterize research arguments, break down methods and procedures, explore references, apply analysis strategies, and interpret findings.
"Understanding Education Research is about what it takes to become research literate. It is a must read for all graduate students and educators who want to become researchers. The book offers a meaningful framework for designing educational research through a systematic analysis of the research phases. The authors decipher the logic of research articles, while supporting critical reading. Practice exercises throughout the book and examples of the key qualitative research methods are provided with insights that lead the readers to question their roles as educational professionals."
-Francois Victor Tochon, University of Wisconsin-Madison
"I found this book to be both practical and thought provoking. Having taught educational research for many years, I think this will be a book that faculty will enjoy discussing with their students. Students will appreciate how it makes research more accessible."
-Barbara A. Greene, University of Oklahoma
"Understanding Education Research is an insightful, accessible introduction to the basics of reading and critiquing educational research. Taking a unique perspective on the importance of developing skills in research literacy, the authors offer up a set of lenses and examples that help students learn to read research articles in a systematic, step-by-step manner."
-Sarah E Peterson, University of Texas at El Paso
