This informal and highly readable text helps students acquire the knowledge they need to conduct educational research and evaluate published research. Educational Research introduces students to the fundamental logic of empirical research and explores the sources of research ideas. Detailed descriptions guide students through the design and implementation of actual research studies. One of the strongest features of this book is its focus on both quantitative and qualitative research. While quantitative research strategies are covered extensively, various qualitative approaches such as ethnography, historical methods, phenomenology, grounded theory, and case studies are also discussed.

The authors show students how to prepare a proposal for submission to an Institutional Review Board and present detailed coverage of the key elements of research, including sampling techniques, ethical considerations, data collection methods, measurement, judging validity, experimental and nonexperimental methods, descriptive and inferential statistics, qualitative data analysis, and report preparation.