FDN 5000 Research Methods

Research Questions and Hypotheses

Research Questions and Hypotheses

Research questions derive from many sources: Everyday experiences. Hunches. Questions raised after reading a popular

or scientific article. Educational or psychological theory.

Research Questions and Hypotheses

The BEST research questions concern relationship between and among variables. For example: Does the frequency of

sentence disruption in language development in young children increase with sentence complexity? Does it decrease with advancing maturity?

Some More Examples of Research Questions

Some more examples of research questions: Does the use of spell-checkers in word-

processors facilitate or hinder spelling? Among elementary-school children? Among middle-school or high school

students? What is the relationship between

teachers’ age and teacher burnout?

Research HypothesesResearch Hypotheses: Predict the outcome of a study.

Predictions about correlations among variables.

Predictions about differences among groups. Subject to empirical verification.

Can be tested. Postulate manifest relationships.

Should be consistent with existing body of knowledge. Skepticism or fresh look at evidence is OK. Outright contradictions are NOT OK.

Types of Research Hypotheses: Inductive vs Deductive

Inductive vs deductive hypotheses. Inductive hypotheses are derived from

generalizations from observed relationships.

E.g.: we observe that disruptive boys seem to get more attention than disruptive girls.

We observe, also, that students who get more attention tend to perform better on tests than students who receive less attention.

Therefore we hypothesize that disruptive boys will perform better than girls on tests.

Types of Research Hypotheses: Inductive vs Deductive

Deductive hypotheses are typically derived from theory.

May be an informal theory. E.g.: We theorize that because disruptive behavior is

more noticeable than non-disruptive behavior, disruptive children well receive more attention than non-disruptive children.

Our reading tells us that boys tend to be more rambunctious than girls.

Therefore, we hypothesize that because of the greater attention they receive, disruptive boys will perform better on tests than will girls.

Types of Hypotheses: Directional vs Non-directional Hypotheses

Directional hypotheses. Predict the direction of the outcome or

expected relationship. Examples:

Among high school students there is a positive relationship between students’ self-concept and their grade point average.

When given a chance, elementary-school students prefer to have their written compositions evaluated by a computer rather than by a teacher.

Types of Hypotheses: Directional vs Non-directional Hypotheses

Non-directional hypotheses. No rational basis for predicting the

direction of the outcome. Examples:

Elementary-school children’s spelling performance is affected by their use of spell-checkers in word processing.

There is a relationship between the number of hours high school students spend watching TV and their grade point average.

Types of Hypotheses: Research vs Null Hypotheses

Research Hypothesis substantive postulates re-

lationships of differences

directional or non- directional

cannot be tested by statistical methods

Null Hypothesis hypothesize NO re-

lationship, or NO difference

observed relationships or differences arise from chance

researchers want to REJECT

Three Examples of Research Hypotheses

Group study leads to higher grade achievement.

Practice in a mental function has no effect on the future learning of that mental function.

Middle-class children more often than lower-class children will avoid finger painting tasks.

Evaluating Research Questions and Hypotheses

Is the question or hypothesis research-able? Is it philosophical? Does it involve questions of value or morality? Are solutions possible?

Is the question or hypothesis legal or ethical?

Is the question or hypothesis meaningful? Will the answer further our understanding or add to our knowledge base?

Evaluating Research Questions and Hypotheses

Has the question or hypothesis already been answered or tested? What does the literature say? Does the question or hypothesis acknowledge

previous research? What kind of data is required to answer or

test the question or hypothesis? Is it possible to collect the kind of data necessary

to answer the question or test the hypothesis? Are the procedures required ethical or moral?