W. Newton Suter argues that what is important in a changing education landscape is the ability to think clearly about research methods, reason through complex problems and evaluate published research. He explains how to evaluate data and establish its relevance.

Language learning research aims to describe and fully explain how and why language learning takes place, but can fall short of its stated purpose. Systematic, rigorous research is needed if the growing field of language learning is to progress methodically. This book demonstrates and fully explains such a methodology. Given that research in language acquisition yields practical pedagogical implications, it is crucial that it is rigorous and accurate. This book offers a quantitative research methodology that relies on statistical analysis in order to make inferences and conclusions about language learning. Experimental research aims to understand differences between or within groups of learners under manipulated environments. It requires strict control of conditions, enabling interpretations with a low factor of error. Aek Phakiti provides step-by-step guidelines and underlying principles, epistemology and methodology, in a book that is essential for advanced students of language acquisition and language and education.

Providing a comprehensive survey of cutting-edge work on second language learning, this Handbook, written by a team of leading experts, surveys the nature of second language learning and its implications for teaching. Prominent theories and methods from linguistics, psycholinguistics, processing-based, and cognitive approaches are covered and organised thematically across sections dealing with skill development, individual differences, pedagogical interventions and approaches, and context and environment. This state-of-the-art volume will interest researchers in second language studies and language education, and will also reach out to advanced undergraduate and graduate students in these and other related areas.

Researchers, historians, and philosophers of science have debated the nature of scientific research in education for more than 100 years. Recent enthusiasm for "evidence-based" policy and practice in educationâ€"now codified in the federal law that authorizes the bulk of elementary and secondary education programsâ€"have brought a new sense of urgency to understanding the ways in which the basic tenets of science manifest in the study of teaching, learning, and schooling. Scientific Research in Education describes the similarities and differences between scientific inquiry in education and scientific inquiry in other fields and disciplines and provides a number of examples to illustrate these ideas. Its main argument is that all scientific endeavors share a common set of principles, and that each fieldâ€"including education researchâ€"develops a specialization that accounts for the particulars of what is being studied. The book also provides suggestions for how the federal government can best support high-quality scientific research in education.

Learning Sciences Research for Teaching provides educators with a fresh understanding of the use and implications of learning sciences scholarship on their studies and professional preparation. A highly interdisciplinary field, the learning sciences has been expressly focused on the advancement of teaching and learning in today’s schools. This introductory yet cutting-edge resource supports graduate students of teaching, leadership, curriculum, and learning design in research methodology courses as they engage with and evaluate research claims; integrate common methods; and understand experimental, case-based, ethnographic, and design-based research studies. Spanning the learning science’s state-of-the-art approaches, achievements, and developments, the book includes robust, accessible coverage of topics such as professional development, quantitative and qualitative data, learning analytics, validity and integrity, and more. Please visit https://dple.nl/learning-sciences-research-for-teaching for additional resources, exercises, and a brief video introduction from the authors!

The field of design research has been gaining momentum over the last five years, particularly in educational studies. As papers and articles have grown in number, definition of the domain is now beginning to standardise. This book fulfils a growing need by providing a synthesised assessment of the use of development research in education. It looks at four main elements: background information including origins, definitions of development research, description of applications and benefits and risks associated with studies of this kind how the approach can serve the design of learning environments and educational technology quality assurance - how to safeguard academic rigor while conducting design and development studies a synthesis and overview of the topic along with relevant reflections.

This accessible and authoritative introduction is essential for education students and researchers needing to use quantitative methods for the first time. Using datasets from real-life educational research and avoiding the use of mathematical formulae, the author guides students through the essential techniques that they will need to know, explaining each procedure using the latest version of SPSS. The datasets can also be downloaded from the book′s website, enabling students to practice the techniques for themselves. This revised and updated second edition now also includes more advanced methods such as log linear analysis, logistic regression, and canonical correlation. Written specifically for those with no prior experience of quantitative research, this book is ideal for education students and researchers in this field.