WebQuest Reflection

What?

Chapter 1 presents an introduction to Educational Psychology and then also presents different types of research that can be conducted in the classroom or for behaviors. The four types of educational research includes Descriptive Studies, Correlational Studies, Experimental Studies and Action Research. Descriptive Studies actually describes a situation using percentages, frequencies, or averages. You can tell how long something has happened or how often. Descriptive allows you to draw conclusions about the current state of affairs that are going on in a particular setting. Correlational Studies explore the possible relationships among different variables. You can examine how two characteristics are associated with one another or might give us information about the consistency with which certain human behaviors occur in conjunction with certain environmental conditions. After we make correlations we can use those to predict other events. Unfortunately correlation doesn't tell us why the causes or effects of the behaviors it just merely tells us that relationships exist. Experimental Studies is when the researcher changes or manipulates one or more aspects of the environment (independent variable) and then measures the effects of such changes on something else (dependent variable). The dependent variable is usually a student behavior of some sort. This type a research is harder to conduct, however, it allows you to know why and how behaviors come about and allow you to see what corrections are available and useful for gaining success. Action Research is the act of having you as the teacher conduct the research on your own in your classroom or within you school. You may conduct a study of any of the previous examples but do it in your own class with issues that are addressed with your students. The hardest thing about this method is having the resources to accurately perform the experiment and having enough time to do so.

So What?

It is important to learn about the different methods of conducting research so that you can utilize them in your classroom in the correct manner. It's important to know the validity of the research and if they are appropriate for your classroom and your group of students. Research is always changing. If you chose to experiment in your own classroom, it's crucial to understand the components of research so that if you want to share your findings with others you know how accurate your research is for all students...not just your class.

Now What?

As it is mentioned in the text, research is always changing and a theory is rarely ever set in stone and is almost always flexible. With that in mind, I always need to be keeping up with the new research and technology that is available for my classroom and students. Teachers all over the world are desperately trying to find newer and better ways for students to learn and retain information in order to succeed in society. I need to learn more about the studies that have been discovered so far and start to prepare to implement them into my future class, but remembering to always keep an open mind and be willing to revise my own theories when ideas come to the surface. As an educator I will use educational research to assist me in my instructional strategies and ability to understand my students behaviors. As a researcher I will be willing to experiment in my class to hopefully find better ways to present information to my students. There is not one way to teach in your class, however, some things may work better than others, so it's valuable to be able to reflect and adjust according to what works for you and your students!