1. Day #3, June 20 th CEP 955 Summer Hybrid, 2013 Jack Smith Michigan State University

2. Overview Work on the Wentzel piece (pick up some of yesterday’s content) Features of “good” research questions Work on your research questions (laboratory work) Comfortable with your RQs or Recently changed and want feedback Two theory bites

3. Wentzel Pick up what we did not do with conceptual frameworks yesterday Examine the conceptual frame to RQs relationship Look from RQs into her study design Ten minutes to review her article front end (up to Method) How well does her conceptual framework link the constructs she wants to study? Does her diagram communicate this frame well? Where are her RQs?

4. Questions & Research Questions Not all interesting questions are RQs RQs often only approximate what we want to know; rationality can entail disappointment Two types of questions that are not RQs Questions of wonder Why are some teachers open to experimentation and others not? What makes some kids voracious readers? Why does “practice” work for some kids and not others? Questions driven by compelling need (“do something” Qs) How can I change these kids’ lives? How can I reduce the stress on these teachers? How can I increase students’ real interests Non-RQs can be refined to RQs Suggestion: Honor and record all your questions

5. Qualities of Well-formed RQs Significant (SRIE, chap. 3) Empirical (SRIE, chap. 3) Feasible (has specific meaning in Practicum context) Clearly stated Key terms (nouns and verbs) are defined/explained Linguistic forms of RQs align with study’s design and methods How…? How much…? When…? What kind of…? Does…? [suggests Yes/No response] Yes/No answers are usually not very informative without follow-up questions to nature or extent of the Yes or No

6. Criteria (for evaluating RQs) Is it empirical (or some other kind of question)? Is it related clearly to the stated need/problem? Are the key components (nouns & verbs) clarified sufficiently? What sort of answers might result?

7. RQ Laboratory Who is ready for some class attention to their current RQs? Background (to make sense of RQs) Features of the problem What literature review has shown Peers and Jack will Apply the criteria for good RQs Ask about or nominate alternative RQs

8. Conceptual & Operational Definition (of key terms) The success of your proposal depends on your ability to clarify the meaning of your most central terms Conceptual definition: Define the construct in terms that an educator could understand Operational definition: Describe the conditions under which you will say that the construct is present Conceptual precedes operational Operational engages your measures Sources (for both) Prior research Your own efforts

9. Theory Bites (x 2) Reminder on time restriction = 10 minutes Introducing Jessica’s Practicum Jessica’s theory bite: UTAUT theory Q&A; discussion Introducing Josh’s Practicum Josh’s theory bite: LPP Q&A; discussion

10. Homework for tomorrow Tomorrow’s focus: Uses of theory Key (recommended) text: Greeno, Collins, & Resnick, “Cognition & Learning” (1996) Distinguishes three families of perspectives on C & L Discusses multiple influential theories within each perspective Theories of technology use: CBAM, TPACK, UTAUT Creswell chapters 3: Uses of Theory (“preliminary consideration”) Definition of theory Test of theory or theory to frame and orient? 6: Purpose Statements (not explicitly “theoretical”) Issues for you to ponder: Am I engaging theory? If so, which? How to place my discussion of theory(ies) in my proposal?