Research Proposal: Qualitative And Quantitative Method

Research Methods

Newman, Ridenor, Newman, and DeMarco suggest that when the purpose of the research is complex, it is necessary to have multiple questions which frequently necessitate the use of mixed methods. Mixed methods have the potential to contribute to addressing multiple purposes and thus to meeting the needs of multiple audiences for the results (Newman, et al., 2002 as cited in Mertens & McLaughlin, 2004). A mixed method design is one in which both quantitative and qualitative methods are used to answer research questions in a single study (Mertens & McLaughlin, 2004, p. 112). Quantitative data is objective, deductive, and uses numbers while qualitative data is subjective, inductive, and uses words. Like Newman, et al., Morse agrees

This baseline assessment with given prior to the study being conducted in all fourth-grade classrooms. Students were assessed on LAFS.4.RF.3.3, know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words; use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar multi-syllabic words in context and out of context. LAFS.4.RI.1.1, refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. LAFS.4.RI.1.2, determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text. LAFS.4.RL.1.1, refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. A rubric was used to determine which students qualified for the iReady reading intervention program. The rubric indicated a rating scale ranging from 0.5-4.0. Students who scored in the 0.5 range were considered below grade-level. Students who scored in the 1.0-3.0 range were considered to be performing at grade-level. Students who scored above a 3.0 range were considered to be performing above grade-level. Only students performing below 3.0 will use the iReady program to differentiate instruction. The same iReady reading intervention tool

This tool was implemented to document students’ engagement and motivation when using iReady. Also, I wanted to record how these students responded before, during, and after each activity was completed. In addition, I needed to note how often the program was used and whether students presented on-task behaviors. At times, I would document things that were unexpected and environmental changes displayed in the setting. This information provided vital information to my research in determining how effective technology integration is for