Research and Publishing Guidelines - Designing and Conducting Research

Designing and Conducting Research

CASS plays a significant role in sharing school authority expertise through its conferences, webinars and general web presence. This intentional focus of being a learned organization with strong connections among school authorities and local faculties of education places CASS in a favourable position to support and enhance the application and implementation of research findings in classrooms, schools, and an entire school authority.

1

What is the question?

Establishing a good research question

  1. To begin the project of researching, it is valuable to reflect upon key questions around strengthening the impact of education research (OECD, 2022). The reflective questions found here and are important to formulating helpful research questions and to designing the research itself.
  2. A useful website (see https://www.scribbr.com/research-process/research-questions/ ) provides guidance to establishing good research questions. As a reminder, before a research question and its sub-questions are established, it is useful to conduct a simple review of related literature. This information is valuable in the ultimate formalizing of the research question.

2

What are helpful ways of preparing a literature review?

  1. Conducting a literature review as part of the research plan is essential. Online and accessible resources are available to support practitioner researchers in school authorities. One site to highlight is from the University of Toronto (see https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/types-of-writing/literature-review/ ). It is geared to academic researchers, but the structure of a thorough literature review is presented.
  2. Another site that offers accessible and helpful information on conducting a literature review is found on Sribbr (see https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/types-of-writing/literature-review/ ). A well developed literature review is a significant component for credible school authority based research.

3

What methods might be good to begin with in school authorities?

Action research

  1. An excellent place to start is to review the Alberta Teachers’ Association guide for conducting Action Research. The guide is thorough and easy to follow. (See Engaging in Action Research: A Practical Guide for Alberta Teachers and School Leaders.)
  2. Another Alberta made resource (From Action Research to Collaborative Inquiry) by Dr. Adams and Dr. Townsend highlight a practical path for developing and enhancing school authority based research.

Design-based research

Design-based research in education is concerned with practical concerns in classrooms, schools and authorities. It is most commonly conducted collaboratively with researchers and practitioners. A core tenet of design-based research is a focus on development or designing of research with teachers and researchers. There is also an emphasis on theoretical concepts and how they may influence and enhance educational practice

4

How are data worked with and analyzed?

Methods

  1. The ATA document on Action Research provides relevant information about data collection and analysis. (See Engaging in Action Research: A Practical Guide for Alberta Teachers and School Leaders. )
  2. A non-academic approach to data analysis is described in Examples of Qualitative Data in Education: How to Use (Deshpande, 2021). This is an overview of examples. More detailed descriptions of approaches would require in-depth searches or the purchase of a book on the topic.

5

How can research findings be shared?

Once research is completed and the data analyzed, it is time to share findings with educators and other professionals. Some open-access sources are recommended in that the articles are also available to other educators at little or no cost.

Sample Listing of Open Access Education Journals

6

How can research be funded?

Undertaking research will take time, energy and resources. In relation to school authorities, several funding sources may be available for specific research.

Self-funding

For example, the school authority provides release time and related expenses for researchers for approved research topics.

Research Partnerships Program (Alberta Education)

  1. Calls for specific proposals are made annually (depending on provincial funding) and require a university and a school authority partnership
  2. For a recent example see: Research Partnership Projects

Alberta Teachers’ Association

See education research: ATA Education Research

Max Bell Foundation

  1. Max Bell Foundation makes grants to support projects that are designed to inform public policy. The foundation supports four program areas: Education; Environment; Health & Wellness; and Civic Engagement and Democratic Institutions.
  2. Follow this link: Max Bell Foundation

Direct university partnerships

Indigenous funding supports

Elementary and Secondary Education Program (Government of Canada)