Learning Log #1

There are four main types of research. They are descriptive, correlational, experimental, and action.

• Descriptive research describes a situation. With descriptive "you get what you see." Descriptive research is mainly beneficial when used as a foundation for other types of research. The conclusions derived from descriptive research contain qualitative and/or quantitative information. When working with descriptive research it is important to remember that it is not correlational or cause and effect.


• Correlational research shows how things interrelate. It can show how different things affect other things. (Whether they change each other or not.) This type of research is great at showing the strength of relationships, but it doesn't explain why relationships exist.


• Experimental research allows conclusions to be drawn which can be proven. It shows cause and effect relationships. Experimental research is a bit more complex than the other forms of research. There must be a control group and at least one test group in order to provide a reliable study. Often quasi-experimental research is done in place of true experimental research. (A semi-experiment is much easier to perform than a true experiment.)


• Action research is research done by teachers and other school personnel. It is research aimed at specific problems and situations that reside in individual schools and classrooms. It can take any form and is extremely personal. Although, it can be time consuming and labor intensive to perform action research, the results can be extremely beneficial due to the fact that they are unique to an individual school and/or classroom.

As an educator it will be important for me to know and understand the various types of research, there strengths and weaknesses, and the results that they provide. I want to know the best ways to encourage learning in my students, research will help me to discover the methods that will work best for myself and my students.

Research is a crucial tool that is at my disposal, and as an educator I want to utilize that tool and make the most of it. If I take the time to learn from the past as well as the present then I will be maximizing my teaching ability.