The Process of
Conducting Research
what is research? Research is a process in which you engage in a small set
of logical step. In this chapter ,we define research, discuss why it is important,
advance six steps for conducting research, and identify how you can conduct
research ethically by employing skills that you already have.
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
- Define educational research.
- Identify three reasons for the importance of research.
- Name the six steps typically undertaken by researchers in the process of research.
- Identify important ethical issues in conducting research.
- Reflect on the skills you bring to the research process.
Maria, a teacher with 10 years of experience, teaches English at a midsized metropolitan
high school. Lately, a number of incidents in the school district have involved students
possessing weapons:
- A teacher found a 10th grader hiding a knife in his locker.
- A 12th-grade student threatened another student, telling him “he wouldn't see the
light of day" unless he stopped harassing her.
- At a nearby high school, a student pointed a handgun at another student outside
the school.
These incidents alarm district officials, school administrators, and teachers. The principal
forms a committee made up of administrators and teachers to develop guidelines about how
the school should respond to these situations. In response to a call for teachers to serve on
this committee, Maria volunteers immediately.
Maria sees the school committee assignment and her graduate program's research
study requirement as mutual opportunities to research school violence and weapon
possession. Where does she begin?