Educational Research and Students

¶ … diagramming on students learning the basics of English language sentence structure? The question could be rephrased in a hypothetical manner -- such as: Students who learn to diagram sentences perform better at writing and dissecting sentences than students who do not learn diagramming. The type of research that could be conducted in order to answer this question could be the experimental design. As Mills and Gray (2016) point out, in experimental research the independent variable is that factor that is being tested and the dependent variable is that which is affected.

So in this case the IV would be sentence diagramming and the DV would be the students' ability to write and dissect sentences. The DV could be identified through a testing procedure or process that is standardized for both samples of students. The experiment would require two distinct samples of students. First, there would have to be a classroom in which diagramming is taught to one sample. Second, there would have to be a class where no diagramming is taught to a second sample.

The two samples should be similar in makeup of students -- same ages, same ratio of boys and girls, and same intellectual skills and quality of students. This may be difficult to muster but it may be possible to do, depending on how I approach the problem and who I seek to employ to help me with the study. I could probably find help from friends who are teachers in schools. I could see if one teacher is able to utilize diagramming and if another teacher is not.

Then I could supply them both with a test at the end of a certain period of time to see what the students can do and if there is any difference in achievement levels. I would also have to define the method of teaching for the teacher who does not use diagramming and explain how the two are different and what it is that is expected to be shown between the two methods.

For example, I would have to explain why teaching diagramming can be impactful -- what skills it teaches, etc. Then I would have to explain what the other teacher who is not using diagramming is doing to teach the same skills. This would thus be an experiment on methodology of teaching.

I could read various studies performed on this subject in the past so as to develop an idea of the literature that is available and I could use this to build on my idea of what to expect and how to shape the study. This literature review could be a good way to guide me in my thinking on the subject. As this is a quantitative research project, I would have to develop a way to quantify the results.

Instead of doing experimental research, I could use survey method in order to assess the statistical significance of diagramming on student achievement in English language classes. I could do this by surveying teachers as well as students. This would.