GSHU 199.01 Discovering the Secret of Inspirational Teaching - Dr. Stella Erbes   Tags: education, first-year seminar  

To find articles that report on empirical research, some keywords you might want to use:

study, results, discussion, data, variables, limitations, implications, survey, respondents, population, conclusion

Such terms should be searched as keywords rather than subject terms because they reflect the kind of language used in an article describing empirical research, but they are not the topic or subject of the study.

• If you find little or no information on your topic, you may need to find alternate terms.  Use the Thesaurus in the database or consult a standard thesaurus.
• Finding too little information might indicate that you need to broaden your topic.
  For example, look for information on students, rather than college students.
  Link synonymous search terms with or: discipline or punishment or negative reinforcement

Provides a brief introduction to understanding and using scientifically based research.  This brochure explains that the emphasis on scientifically based research supports the consistent use of instructional methods that have been proven effective.

Why does a particular teacher or learning experience stand out above others from your academic career? What factors contribute to the making of an effective teacher? What innovative methods can teachers implement to connect with students in today’s classrooms? These are just a few of the questions that can be explored in this research seminar. This course focuses on what is revealed through current educational research. Students will be able to: 1) Understand major areas of research in curriculum and instruction; 2) Evaluate a variety of professional articles and studies in terms of validity, methodology, findings, and conclusions; 3) Synthesize research articles and studies into a coherent and appropriate literature review; and 4) Propose an original research study related to the field of education which may be submitted for funding. Select studies will be eligible for participation at research conferences and may even lead to journal publications.

If you conduct research involving human subjects, you will need to have your research proposal reviewed and approved by the Seaver College Institutional Review Board.