Research design principles and methodologies

¶ … Emotions

Quantitative Research Design

In order to design a quantitative research project it is necessary to identify the necessary components of a quantitative design. Quantitative design requires proving hypotheses based on numerical and statistical analysis. The formulation of these designs must adhere to certain mathematical principles making them valuable in some aspects of the research. Quantitative research requires that the populations being sampled are random and adhere to scientific inductive reasoning principles.

The general area of research for my topic of emotional issues within student/teacher relationships places a unique challenge on a quantitative design formulation. Emotions are inherently abstract and provide a certain amount of gray area discussion to truly understand how this abstract idea impact education and science in general. To formulate a quantitative design research project that can be associated with this project requires a certain approach to the topic that can identify certain and true mathematical relationships between arguments.

Hypothesis: Emotional support programs in middle schools provides assistance in student outcomes.

In order to support this hypothesis, it is necessary to gather empirical evidence to support such claims before designing a research problem from scratch. There is much good research started that merely needs to be explored and expanded upon in order to preserve the essence of the work. Reviewing the appropriate literature is an appropriate first step in gathering an understanding of the problem.

Once this gathering of data is complete a more formulated idea of research project can be design. To research this hypothesis it is necessary to choose a type of research design. Survey provides the best and most appropriate manner in which to investigate the aforementioned hypothesis. Surveys provide excellent means of gathering information and providing sources of data that can be inferred for many different aspects. The most important aspect of this design is asking the correct questions. Asking the right questions is key to unveiling the answers necessary to determine the answer to the research question.

Once the survey has been properly designed the data can be gathered and then manipulated to find the necessary relationships that relate to the original hypothesis. It is of great importance to keep in mind the assumptions that are made during each statistical manipulation of the data. Assumed premises must be revealed as much as possible in these types of design to help allow the numbers tell the story. Using the gathered data and linking logical arguments that can be explained by these statistical manipulations must be addressed, recorded and eventually blessed by a committee of peers in order for it to be validated and accepted as research.

Qualitative Research Design

Any real research must include some subjective qualifications in order to communicate results and recommendations. Qualitative research allows the researcher to find and identify new relationships as they exist subjectively. Qualitative research explores the depth and detail of a subject and finds new opportunities for expression. It is the creative aspect of research design as it seeks to imagine new results and correlations that can be applied to older theories and provide a new models of thinking and behavior.

Qualitative design in the case of emotional problems affecting students can be addressed with a well thought out and reasoned hypothesis that seeks to find new definitions. The qualitative design project in this case should find new ways of explaining how and why emotional problems may be related to educational problems. A hypothetical design in this manner should eventually be completed with a different aim and idea.

Hypothesis: How do teachers define emotional problems ?

The flexible use of languages and the continual evolution of any groups vocabulary requires researchers to stay modern and up-to-date with current definitions of words. Emotions and emotional problems have taken on a new life of their own within schools and the school system. Many times teachers do not have the ability to identify emotional problems because they may not know what to look for. On the other hand, emotional problems, in some environments can be too hastily administered due to poor judgment or ignorant standards.

Greenberg et al. (2003) highlighted how difficult the landscape is for teachers and emotional problems are part of the occupational challenges. They argued that "today's schools are expected to do more than they have ever done in the past, often with diminishing resources. In 1900, the average public school enrolled 40 students, and the size of the average school district was 120 students; today, an average elementary school enrolls more than 400 pupils, and a typical high school enrolls more than 2,000 pupils (Learning First Alliance, 2001). In 1900, schools were more economically, racially, and ethnically homogeneous; today's schools face unprecedented challenges to educate an increasingly multicultural and multilingual student body and to address the widening social and economic disparities in U.S. society." It is necessary that to identify how emotions can play into this problem.