Educational Research Methodology Research Articles

Calling for Equity-focused Quantitative Methodology in Discipline-based Education Research: An Introduction to Latent Class Analysis.

Mixture modeling is a latent variable (i.e., a variable that cannot be measured directly) approach to quantitatively represent unobserved subpopulations within an overall population. It includes a range of cross-sectional (such as latent class [LCA] or latent profile analysis) and longitudinal (such as latent transition analysis) analyses and is often referred to as a "person-centered" approach to quantitative data. This research methods paper describes one type of mixture modeling, LCA, and provides examples of how this method can be applied to discipline-based education research in biology and other science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines. This paper briefly introduces LCA, explores the affordances LCA provides for equity-focused STEM education research, highlights some of its limitations, and provides suggestions for researchers interested in exploring LCA as a method of analysis. We encourage discipline-based education researchers to consider how statistical analyses may conflict with their equity-minded research agendas while also introducing LCA as a method of leveraging the affordances of quantitative data to pursue research goals aligned with equity, inclusion, access, and justice agendas.

Optimising Healthcare Education with Design-Based Theory

Introduction In complex, and socially dynamic educational systems, traditional research methodologies often fail to connect with everyday practice, creating a need for “usable knowledge” when solving individual and collective education problems (Design-Based Research Collective, 2003). Traditional methods are effective, but do not necessarily uncover the nature of changes to student thinking during an education experience. With this, Design-Based Research (DBR) is a proposed solution that emerges as a pivotal methodology in educational research, as it aims to integrate theories of learning with practical experiences. Seen as a systematic yet adaptable approach, DBR integrates iterative cycles of analysis, design, and evaluation in collaboration with researchers and practitioners within authentic educational settings, (Harrington, 2012; Wang & Hannafin, 2005). This (poster) presentation will describe how DBR was utilised to create a learning environment to improve learning experiences within healthcare education. An analysis of the problem highlighted that healthcare students experienced high levels of anxiety during high-fidelity simulation when asked to perform and treat simulation manikins (Aiello et al., 2023). In part, the main issues relate to a lack of environmental authenticity, resulting in under-stimulation and performance anxiety resulting in over-stimulation. This relates to the Yerkes Dodson stress performance curve and suggests that too little or too much arousal results in poor performance (Yerkes, 1908). The hypothesis therefore was to design a solution for peak performance by increasing environmental authenticity and managing anxiety. Method The hypothesis is conceptualised as a ‘design solution’ rather than an intervention. To provide an authentic learning experience virtual reality environments were developed, and to aid performance anxiety, the centering technique was used. Centering is a visualisation technique that teaches participants to focus on the here and now, reduce negative thoughts, and lower anxiety. Virtual reality scenarios were provided prior to each simulation and included a ward-based environment (nurse students) and a rescue helicopter (paramedic students). The study involved 35 Master of Nursing Science, Entry to Practice student nurses at the University of Melbourne and 33 Bachelor of Health Science, Paramedicine students at Auckland University of Technology and industry experts within nurse and paramedic education. All data was collected for each cohort iteratively in 2023 and 2024 to evaluate and develop the design. Data collection included using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory as a pre-test baseline to measure general and long-standing anxiety for each participant. Within-test heart rates was recorded on a Polar H10 chest strap to measure an objective physiological response to stress. Post-test participants completed the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory–2R after each simulation to understand subjective anxiety and several focus groups were completed to gain further insight into experiences and perspectives. Discussion and Conclusion This presentation outlines the design characteristics used to support student learning within healthcare education settings. Design-Based Research offers a robust framework to develop and refine educational practices through iterative design and implementation cycles. Early results suggest that both virtual reality and the centering technique impact healthcare learning and the implementation of this approach could lead to long-term resilience and build confidence that maximises potential.

Designing Immersive Reality Environments in Healthcare Education

This paper presents a proposed research framework aimed at addressing the critical need for innovative approaches in healthcare education by exploring the implementation of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies across Australasia. Utilizing an Educational Design Research (EDR) methodology, the proposed study seeks to develop a comprehensive, context-sensitive framework for the effective integration of AR and VR in healthcare curricula. The study navigates the unique challenges posed by Australasia's diverse cultural landscape, varying resource availability, and distinct institutional policies. Through iterative cycles of analysis, design, development, and evaluation, the proposed research intends to create and assess contextualized AR/VR experiences, their impact on student learning outcomes, and their potential to enhance healthcare education quality. The resulting framework and guidelines are intended to serve as a robust foundation for healthcare institutions across Australasia, potentially revolutionising healthcare professional training and ultimately contributing to improved patient care and public health outcomes. This proposed research not only addresses a significant gap in the current literature but also provides practical, evidence-based solutions for the successful adoption of cutting-edge technologies in healthcare education. Finally, the proposed framework generalisability to a global context focusing on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of quality education and good health for all.

Person-centered and qualitative approaches to network analysis in physics education research

Network analysis has become a well-recognized methodology in physics education research (PER), with study topics including student performance and persistence, faculty change, and the structure of conceptual networks. The social network analysis side of this work has focused on quantitative analysis of whole-network cases, such as the structure of networks in single classrooms. Egocentric or personal network approaches are largely unexplored, and qualitative methods are underdeveloped. In this paper, we outline theoretical and practical differences between two major network paradigms—whole-network and egocentric—and introduce theoretical frameworks and methodological considerations for egocentric studies. We also describe qualitative and mixed-methods approaches that are currently missing from the PER literature. We identify areas where these additional network methods may be of particular interest to physics education researchers and end by discussing example cases and implications for new PER studies. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

VIRTUAL LABORATORIES IN SCIENCE EDUCATION: UNVEILING TRAJECTORIES, THEMES, AND EMERGING PARADIGMS (2013-2023)

Virtual laboratories are transformative tools in science education, yet comprehensive reviews of their prospects are limited. This study addresses this gap through a bibliometric analysis of 218 articles published between 2013 and 2023. Key findings included: (1) research has evolved from initial exploration to rapid expansion; (2) virtual labs have demonstrated adaptability across various scientific disciplines, including chemistry, physics, biology, engineering, and medicine; (3) five research trajectories focus on virtual labs, science education, and computer-based learning; and (4) eight research topics, such as comparisons with physical labs and student performance, have gained prominence. These findings had implications for educational practices, research methodologies, and policy considerations. For educational practices, virtual laboratories offer benefits by removing the need for physical resources, providing flexible delivery, enabling safe exploration, fostering engagement through hands-on experimentation, and enhancing understanding with immersive experiences. For research, virtual labs improve learning and analytical skills, generate detailed data on student behaviors and learning patterns, and lead to innovations in teaching methods and curriculum design. For policymakers, strategic planning is needed to create supportive policies for the effective adoption of virtual labs, including teacher training, infrastructure development, and curriculum integration, making science education more accessible and equitable for all students. Keywords: bibliometrics analysis, science education, research trends, virtual laboratory

Editorial

This issue of RERM includes four papers that boldly attempt to propose ways in which educational research practices, traditions and methods might be enacted differently. They take seemingly foundational research methods (reviewing literature, ethnographic observation, walking methodologies) and transform them in to something less familiar that invite our readers to stutter and reappraise how else research might be done and with what outcomes. Firstly, researching from Danish inner cities, Staunæs and Vertelyte draw on affect theory and a concern with moods and felt pedagogies in education to explore how hopes and anxieties are woven through school objects and architecture. Through minor interventions the authors propose that there are abundant possibilities to improve the inclusion of racialized students in the inbetween, and often pathologised spaces of school. This holds the potential to radically shift perceptions, prejudices and behaviours that are not always identifiable but that can be sensed through the minor gesture. The authors attend to the significance of language and what happens through translation and diffractive readings. They stress that concepts that travel require careful consideration when transposed into alternative geopolitical contexts. They take Ahmed’s ‘happy objects’ as a case in point to make visible the specificities of local context and what that means for advancing theory that can pay closer attention to time and space. The next two papers address ways in which literature reviews – a staple element to any research project – can be up-ended and reimagined when post-foundational theories and practices are put to work. Naomi Pears-Scown makes use of Baradian theoretical concepts to think-with literature rather than merely review what is already known and organize a corpus of knowledge into useful categories. Through literature cartographies, Pears-Scown develops a mapping strategy that makes visible her affective engagement with literature through the crafting of found-poems which tell stories of the ways in which place shapes approaches to arts therapy in various geopolitical contexts. This novel approach to engaging with and encountering literature disrupts received wisdom about how literature should be reviewed and instead invites the reader to sit with the discomforts of expanding how literature stories can be told. In resonance with Pears-Scown, the next paper written by co-authors Boks-Vlemmix and Aspfors, offers a similar challenge to orthodoxies surrounding what a literature review is and how it should be undertaken. In their experimental piece the authors offer glimpses into what gets generated when the emphasis concerns processes and practices of doing a literature review rather than what it represents. Like the previous paper, the authors are inspired by a cartographic approach that holds the potential to map the processes involved in becoming deeply immersed and affect with a body of literature. They take literature on Teacher Educator Professional Learning as a case in point to explore how mapping and tracing entangled concepts can generate unanticipated insights and present new lines of thought. Finally, Louisa Allen explores the potential of smell, with all the senses and beyond the human, for educational research. She takes the reader on ‘smellwalks’ which presented themselves as an unlikely research method during pandemic lockdown. Allen provides detailed accounts of the ways in which smellwalks came into being in a small coastal town in Aotearoa-New Zealand and enabled a deep exploration of pandemic-transformed life at a daily and local level. The paper offers a theoretical examination of smellwalk methodology as a means to consider smell through multisensory conceptualisations where human senses are understood as distinct but overlapping. Further, the paper theorises the act of smelling as unbounded and ultimately, always more-than-human. A series of research moments are examined to demonstrate how smelling involves a multisensory experience that emerges with/through the material landscape. Together these papers offer important ways to reappraise approaches to research methodology in education that have become so deeply embedded that they unwittingly shape conventional expectations of how research should be done, has always be done. Each of these papers offer exciting invitations to interrupt this routine way of thinking. Respond to the invitation to pause, to ask, must we do it that way? The way it has always been done? What happens if we question and dare to experiment with alternative approaches? When theory is mobilized through research that seeks to pursue alternative lines of inquiry, what then? When theoretical concepts are taken up in/to ‘foreign’ spaces what happens to them? How do they travel? What do they agitate? What do they make possible? Aligned with the aims of this journal, these papers individually and collectively, invite a pause to business-as-usual in educational research. Jayne Osgood Camilla Andersen Mona-Lisa Angell Ann Merete Otterstad Editors

‘A Realist Conceptual Methodology for Qualitative Educational Research: A Modest Proposal’

AbstractThis article explains and illustrates an approach to the design of qualitative inquiry in education using a conceptual methodology informed by a realist ontology. It is written with research novices in mind, based on two observations we have made while supervising postgraduate students. The first is that the methodology literature education students often engage with tends to focus on interpretivist-constructivist approaches. The second observation is that it can be challenging for students to find appealing and accessible material which employs realist informed methodology. To counter this we offer a general introduction to undertaking educational research informed by a realist ontology drawing on a simplified account of critical realism (CR). We illustrate the key concepts of this approach using examples from postgraduate studies in education. It is our hope that this article may stimulate wider discussion about the possibilities, development, and use of realist approaches.

CiteSaga: Conceptualisation of a Serious Game for Citation and Reference Styles

This article asserts that serious games (SGs) are effective tools for teaching citation and referencing styles in higher education. The proposed SG aims to enhance students' understanding and application of these styles through an engaging, game-based approach. We use an agile design cycle combined with educational design and design science research methodologies. The SG's key elements include objectives, rules, mechanics, learning outcomes, and assessment strategies, all integrated into higher education curricula.

A qualitative study exploring graduated medical residents’ research experiences, barriers to publication and strategies to improve publication rates from medical residents

BackgroundIn Kenya, postgraduate medical residents must complete a research dissertation for their Master of Medicine studies. However, the subsequent publication rate is lower than in higher-income settings, limiting the availability of population-specific data. This study explored residents’ experiences with research, reasons for the low publication rate, and strategies to improve publication rates.MethodsIn-depth interviews were conducted with 9 faculty members and non-academic support staff, as well as 18 Master of Medicine graduates who had successfully completed their research projects, to investigate their experiences with conducting, supervising, and publishing research. The interview data was analysed using inductive thematic analysis. The study also explored strategies to improve publication rates.ResultsThe graduates (former medical residents) described difficult research journeys – from concept development to final submission of dissertation – which discouraged them from seeking publication. Many faculty and staff lacked time or sufficient expertise to successfully guide residents to publication. Departmental research culture, faculty expertise as supervisors and prioritisation of clinical work over research and lack of dedicated research time impacted both residents’ and faculty capacity for research. Strategies to improve publication rates focused on developing faculty research expertise, more protected research time, and a more structured approach to teaching research methodology, including academic writing skills.ConclusionsResidents in low- and middle-income countries such as Kenya encounter systemic and personal challenges to successful publication of research. The ease or difficulty of a resident’s research journey influences their attitudes to subsequent publication. Strategies to improve publication rates can improve the dissemination of relevant research data in such settings.

Research Methodology Courses in Advanced Studies in Education: Trends from the Portuguese Case

The identification and characterisation of all course syllabus on research methodologies in education in advanced studies in education allows to present the current Portuguese teaching and learning scenario in this field for the first time. The approach for the development of this empirical work was a national survey of all master's and doctoral programmes in education and in teaching, coding and translating the information. The data collected was validated with the respective higher education institution, the master or doctoral coordinator and the teacher responsible for the research methods teaching. A qualitative based methodology through descriptive statistical analysis enables a presentation of trends in the design and organisation of the course syllabus. The results show a research knowledge that is fragmented and not clear. The descriptions of course syllabus undervalue the epistemological and methodological issues inherent in the construction of scientific knowledge in education. Privilege is given to the operationality of the methodology with a view to developing a scientific project.

Educational Research Methodology Trends of Southeast Asia English Major Undergraduate Theses: A Content Analysis

The present study thoroughly examines the predominant research methodology trends and topics applied in a specific time frame from 2019 to 2023 in educational research of the online searchable undergraduate theses in English major programs across Southeast Asia, utilizing a comprehensive content analysis approach. By employing keyword extraction, topic-specific modelling, and thematic evaluation, our objective is to ascertain the prevailing methodologies in English language teaching and the research interest themes from 347 undergraduate downloadable theses that have been investigated. The analysis explores the possible ramifications of these patterns on the caliber of undergraduate research, English language instruction, and the broader education domain within the given area. This study revealed a strong preference (54.5%) for quantitative approaches, highlighting the importance of empirical methodologies. Additionally common were qualitative approaches (24.8%), suggesting an increasing recognition of the importance of examining human factors. While action research (8.4%), particularly Classroom Action Research (CAR), was less prevalent than mixed-method approaches (12.8%), this suggests that action research needs to be recognized. The different ratios of research methods demonstrated a dedication to investigating various questions and advancing knowledge in language, literature, and education. The interesting research themes identified the complex and diverse nature of English language raising focus in Southeast Asia such as technological integration, teacher development, cultural studies, assessment, and language teaching methodologies. The study provides useful information for enhancing research mentorship and education, and it improves knowledge of research trends in this setting. Furthermore, the findings obtained from this study have the potential to contribute to the enhancement of curriculum design, instructional approaches, and distribution of resources in the English language education research area.

Investigating the use of ChatGPT to solve a GeoGebra based mathematics+computational thinking task in a geometry topic

ChatGPT is a chatbot with potential educational benefits, particularly in enhancing computational thinking (CT) proficiencies such as programming, debugging, and algorithmic thinking for students. Despite its promise, there is limited research on how ChatGPT can specifically support the integration of CT into mathematics education using tools like GeoGebra. The researchers implemented plugged-computational thinking in mathematics (Math+CT) lessons by means of the utilization of GeoGebra, an application that requires students to input commands in order to generate mathematical objects. The present investigation employed an educational design research (EDR) methodology in which the researchers incorporate ChatGPT into our Math+CT lessons to assist students in accomplishing the task. We purposely selected the participants who are mainly postgraduate students and collected data from the participants’ conversation with ChatGPT and recorded their screens while interacting with ChatGPT and our Math+CT task. We analyzed the data through descriptive qualitative method on the participants’ prompts, the final codes and the number of iterations. The researchers examined how ChatGPT could be utilized to assist the participants in writing GeoGebra commands in terms of its benefits and limitations. ChatGPT assisted most participants in completing the task successfully, with only a basic need for proficiency in GeoGebra commands, mathematics, and critical thinking. However, it revealed that participants did not yet utilize an affective prompt to ChatGPT. Furthermore, ChatGPT has the potential to be utilized for differentiated instruction due to the fact that its responses to individual users vary significantly based on the input prompts. Limited understanding of basic GeoGebra commands, and mathematical concepts could hinder the participants from training ChatGPT or prevent them from arguing with ChatGPT. This study enhances the existing literature by illustrating that ChatGPT can facilitate critical CT aspects, including programming and debugging, in a mathematics education context. This suggests that AI tools such as ChatGPT can contribute to the development of independent problem-solving skills, provide tailored support based on the needs of individual students, and enhance personalized learning experiences. Additional research involving students in school is required in order to gain a deeper understanding of the integration of ChatGPT into Math+CT lessons.

She-Search: The Fertile Ground of Black Indigenous Methods (BIM) in Qualitative Inquiry

Educational research methodologies are often situated in the onto-epistemologies of patriarchal whiteness. Lacking critical emotionality, these designs repress human instinct for the fallacy of scientific objectivity. The life-giving methods and methodologies employed by many Black women educational researchers oppose these positivist designs. In this context guided by our collective “she-searches,” we conceptualize Black indigenous methods (BIMs). Engaging in the Black feminist tradition of storytelling, we recount our application of Black indigenous interview method by “she-telling” our lived raced and gendered experiences with our communities. Thus, we unearth the fertile ground of BIM and offer insight into our methodological sense-making for researchers.

Enhancing fraction learning through problem-solving and historical context: A didactic unit approach

This study examines the outcomes of implementing a teaching unit that integrates problem-solving with the history of mathematics to improve fifth-grade students' understanding of fractions at an educational institution in Yopal, Colombia. Utilizing an educational action research methodology, the study commenced with a diagnostic assessment to identify learning gaps, followed by the design and implementation of a didactic unit. This unit comprised three activities embedded in historical contexts to facilitate the learning of fractions, with its effectiveness assessed through an exit test. Conducted with 32 fifth-grade students, the research employed diagnostic and exit tests to evaluate student performance before and after the activities. The results demonstrated that the teaching unit significantly enhanced students' abilities to understand and apply fractions, as evidenced by their improved performance in the activities within the didactic unit.

Effectiveness of Flipped Classrooms for K–12 Students: Evidence From a Three-Level Meta-Analysis

Flipped classrooms (FCs) in K–12 schools are growing in popularity. However, previous studies have reported inconsistent findings on the effects of FCs, and the conditions under which FCs are effective remain unclear. This three-level meta-analysis synthesized the effects of FCs versus traditional classrooms (TCs) on various learning domains among K–12 students based on 129 studies with 399 effect sizes (N = 12,727). The results revealed that FCs have a significant positive effect on K–12 students’ overall performance (without outliers: g = 0.53 [0.44,0.62], 95% prediction interval [–0.60, 1.66]) and on both the cognitive domain and the affective domain. Moderator analyses showed that region, measured outcome, outcome dilution, instructor equivalence, and publication type were significant predictors. In addition, the educational context and research methodology characteristics accounted for a significant proportion of the variability in overall effects. These findings provide valuable evidence-based recommendations for future research and practice.

Sensory Panel Training: Developing Hospitality Students Analytical and Research Skills

Having been conducted for many years, sensory and flavour analysis have been instrumental in not only developing and assessing the quality of products, but also understanding their nature and unique characteristics. Relying on a variety of methods, this analysis can take on different forms, ranging from mostly descriptive to more instrumental approaches, which can include sensory panels, whose training is often time-consuming and demanding. Valued by winemakers, descriptive analysis procedures carried out with the help of sensory panels has been extensively used in the food and beverage industry and can be perceived as key within the scope of sommelier training and hospitality programs. However, despite this importance, given its subjective and intensive nature, sensory analysis can be affected by bias and fatigue, requiring regular calibration exercises, combined with structured tasting procedures and protocols. As a result, training sensory panels requires knowledgeable and experienced instructors, dedicated facilities and continuous support, in addition to a comprehensive view that includes other research approaches and tools that can be combined as to produce more valuable and accurate assessment. Focused on wine production and drawing from the authors’ experience, this paper aims to reflect on exploratory research methods involving sensory evaluation, putting forward strategies that can be used to support sensory training. Consistent with a work in progress, it addresses the topics of research methods, action research and reflective practice, contributing towards the development of novel approaches within the scope of teaching research methodology in business and management. Despite the focus on wine production, the strategies described aim at enhancing tourism and hospitality students’ research and analytical skills, ultimately being able to benefit other practitioners in the field.

Effective Strategies for Teaching Research Methodology to Master’s Students Writing a Mini-Dissertation as Their Capstone Project

This article explores effective strategies for teaching research methodology to master’s students who are required to write a 5,000 to 7,000-word mini-dissertation as their capstone project. Through a comprehensive analysis of teaching approaches, including traditional classroom instruction, online and hybrid models, and experiential learning, this study identifies best practices for facilitating students’ mastery of research skills. By examining pedagogical theories and empirical evidence, the article provides actionable recommendations for educators. Additionally, it addresses common challenges faced by students and offers solutions to support their success. The implications of these findings for curriculum design and the future of graduate education are discussed.

Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis: Learnings from Employing IPA as a Qualitative Methodology in Educational Research

Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) is an established qualitative methodology widely adopted within health-based research. However, one gap in the literature is that little has been written about IPA’s employability within educationally situated research. Our paper aims to demonstrate that IPA is a suitable methodology for education research. This paper has two parts. In the first part, the authors utilise the method of exegesis and theoretical analysis to explicate and provide clarity concerning the often-misunderstood philosophical and theoretical background of IPA. In the second part, we advocate for IPA as a suitable option for qualitative research in educational contexts. To execute this advocacy, the authors present a specific example of qualitative research that successfully employed IPA as its methodological approach and system for analysis. We present the details of a research project that utilised IPA to explore spirituality in early childhood education contexts, and in doing so the authors illustrate how the theories and methods of IPA can be actualised, thus introducing IPA into education contexts in a coherent fashion. The overall aim of the paper is to affirm IPA as a viable qualitative approach for education researchers.

Teaching Research Methodologies in Education: Teachers’ Pedagogical Practices in Portugal

Abstract Despite the several mismatches of methodological understanding between teachers and students in higher education, research methodologies in education are a relatively common pedagogical practice in most European advanced courses in education. However, only some studies have shown what pedagogical practices are mobilised by the teachers with their specific scientific conceptions. This article presents and discusses the results of an extensive research study conducted in Portugal with all the teachers involved in teaching research methodologies on master’s and doctoral programmes in education. The results show the personal and professional characteristics of the teachers involved in this teaching and the type of senses, decisions, and challenges experienced when teaching research methodologies. The study identifies and characterises the research culture generated by the different pedagogical practices in this scientific field. Based on the results, we argue that the teachers’ scientific conceptions and pedagogical practices may be developed by a “peer authorial construction of research understanding,” aiming to provide appropriate educational experiences to students in research methodologies courses in advanced studies in education.

Integration Review of Project Based Learning in Biology Education: A Systematic Literature Synthesis of Education Levels, Biology Subdisciplines, Research Methodologies and Learning Competencies

Project-Based Learning (PjBL) has become an increasingly popular learning approach in many fields, including biology. The research conducted a systematic review of the literature on the implementation and effectiveness of PjBL in biology education, especially in the period 2019–2023. The study explores the use of PjBL in various subdisciplines of biology, education, and research methodologies, as well as integrating a variety of targeted learning and competence approaches. Colleges widely adopt PjBL, focusing on developing students' cognitive, affective, and psychomotor abilities. The study also highlights the various learning methods integrated into the pjBL, including laboratory experiments, field activities, and reflection. The findings confirm that PjBL is an effective educational strategy for improving student understanding of concepts, critical thinking skills, and learning motivation. This approach supports holistic and applied learning experiences, integrating theory with real practice, as well as developing skills essential to students in the 21st century. The study provides a comprehensive insight into the current trends and potential of PjBL in biology education, as well as recommending directions for future education research and practice.