Research Pathways Writing Professional Papers, Theses, and Dissertations in Workforce Education

by Farmer, Edgar I.; Rojewski, Jay W.; Herr, Edwin L.; Bettis, Pamela; Gregson, James; Wright, Carol A.; Williams, Saundra Wall; Burrow, James L.; Petty, Gregory; Nassar, Fadia M.; Brewer, Ernest; Mulenga, Derek; Jones, Lee; Farmer, Barbara; Lewis, Theodore;

• ISBN13: 9780761820581
• ISBN10: 0761820582
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-09-12
• Publisher: UPA

Summary

Graduate students in general and those in Workforce Education & Development in particular are often frustrated when they are assigned the task of writing a research paper, thesis, or dissertation. After teaching a research methodology course for several years, the editors of Research Pathways have discovered a solution to resolve the frustration experienced by graduate students as they approach the writing stage of their academic degree program. Based upon the students' participation in the research colloquium, there has been expressed a tremendous need for a comprehensive handbook of this nature to describe and discuss a practical approach to writing those final graduate research reports. This handbook introduces a practical approach to writing research papers, theses, and dissertations in Workforce Education & Development, with examples and best practices for the practitioners and researchers.

Author Biography

Jay W. Rojewski is Professor in the Department of Occupational Studies, University of Georgia. Dr. Rojewski received the PhD from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1990 Pamela Bettis is affiliated with the University of Idaho. She received her PhD in Educational Theory and Social Foundations of Education at the University of Toledo in 1994 and has taught at Auburn University and the Oklahoma State University James L. Burrow is Coordinator of the graduate Training and Development Program at North Carolina State University Ernest W. Brewer is Professor in the Department of Human Resource Development at the University of Tennessee. He is also the Principal Investigator/Director of Federal Programs Sherilee R. Carpenter is Editor and Research Assistant for the Institute for Policy Research and Evaluation, Pennsylvania State University Jeffrey Chen is Director of Institutional Research and Analysis at Cleveland State University Barbara W. Farmer is Principal of Houserville/Lemont Elementary Schools and chairperson of the Professional Development Committee in the State College Area School District, State College, Pennsylvania Fadia M. Nasser is Assistant Professor in the School of Education, Tel Aviv University, Israel Curtis R. Finch is Professor of Vocational and Technical Education at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Jeffrey A. Gliner is Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy and an affiliate faculty member of the School of Education at Colorado State University Gene Gloeckner is Associate Professor in Education at Colorado State University James Gregson is Director and Professor in the Division of Adult, Counselor, and Technology Education at the University of Idaho Edwin L. Herr is Distinguished Professor of Education (Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology), Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, Research, and Faculty Development, and Interim Department Head for Adult Education, Instructional Systems, and Workforce Education and Development, Pennsylvania State University Brian Hess is Project Director at Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc. in Tampa, Florida Roger B. Hill is Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Studies, University of Georgia Carl J Huberty has been Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, University of Georgia since 1969 Mohamed H. Hussein is a doctoral candidate and graduate research assistant in the Department of Educational Psychology, University of Georgia Li-Shyung Hwang is Senior Research Analyst of Planning and Research at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, North Carolina Lee Jones is Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Instruction and Associate Professor of Educational Leadership in the College of Education at Florida State University Paul E. Krueger, PhD, EdD, is Assistant Professor of Workforce Education, and the Director of the Institute for Research in Training and Development at the Pennsylvania State University Theodore Lewis is Professor in the Department of Work, Community and Family Education, University of Minnesota George A. Morgan is Professor of Education and Human Development at Colorado State University Derek C. Mulenga is Assistant Professor of Adult Education at the Pennsylvania State University Stephen Olejnik is Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Georgia Gregory C. Petty is Professor and former head of the Department of Human Resource at the University of Tennessee where he has been on the doctoral faculty since 1982 Suzanne M. Tochterman is Assistant Professor of Education at Colorado State University Saundra Wall Williams is Assistant Professor of Training and Development in the Department of Adult and Community College Education at North Carolina State University Carol A. Wright is Education and Behavioral Sciences Librarian at the Pennsylvania State University Libraries Zhicheng Zhang is Associate Director of Institutional Research at Virginia Military Institute

Table of Contents

Foreword	ix
Edwin L. Herr
Preface	xi
Section One: Introduction
The Why of Quantitative and Qualitative Research: Paradigmatic and Pragmatic Considerations	1	(22)
Pamela Bettis
James Gregson
Finding a Researchable Topic	23	(14)
Jay W. Rojewski
Edgar I. Farmer
Section Two: Dissertation Development
Conducting an Extensive Review of the Literature	37	(20)
Carol A. Wright
Elements of an Introduction Chapter	57	(16)
Saundra Wall Williams
James L. Burrow
Theoretical or Conceptual Frameworks	73	(18)
Gregory Petty
Section Three: Research Design
Selecting an Appropriate Research Design	91	(16)
Fadia M. Nassar
Mixed Methods Research Designs	107	(22)
Ernest Brewer
Case Study Research	129	(28)
Derek Mulenga
Focus Group Research	157	(18)
Lee Jones
Barbara Farmer
Designing Quantitative Research	175	(26)
Theodore Lewis
Survey Research	201	(22)
Roger B. Hill
Validity and Reliability Concerns of Data Collection Instruments	223	(24)
Gene Gloeckner
Jeffrey A. Gliner
Suzanne M. Tochterman
George A. Morgan
Section Four: Data Analysis
Determining Appropriate Sample Size	247	(12)
Paul E. Krueger
Research Using Available Data: Secondary Data Analysis	259	(26)
Li-Shyung Hwang
Zhicheng Zhang
Jeffrey Chen
Analysis of Categorical Data with Chi-square and Log-linear Models	285	(20)
Jay W. Rojewski
Analysis of Variance	305	(20)
Stephen J. Olejnik
Brian Hess
Multiple Regression Analysis and Multiple Correlation Studies	325	(24)
Carl J Huberty
Mohamed H. Hussein
Considerations for Statistical Significance Testing	349	(18)
Jay W. Rojewski
Preparing the Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations Section	367	(8)
Curtis R. Finch
Tips on Proofreading and Editing	375	(14)
Sherilee Carpenter
Subject Index	389	(8)
The Editors and Contributors	397