Educational Research: Competencies for Analysis and Applications (6th Edition) [Hardcover]

L. R. Gay (Author), Lorrie R. Gay (Author), Peter W. Airasian (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 10, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0130961035 | ISBN-13: 978-0130961037 | Edition: 6th

For courses in Research Methods/Educational Research.This market-leading text offers all the skills and procedures students need to become competent consumers and producers of educational research. It uses a direct, step-by-step approach to the topic, while placing a strong emphasis on evaluation of student performance. The accessible writing style and light, humorous tone demystify this demanding course. This comprehensive instructional resource encompasses the full spectrum of the field, making it appropriate as a core text for an introductory course in educational research.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

This market-leading book offers all the skills and procedures students need to become competent consumers and producers of educational research. This comprehensive resource encompasses the full spectrum of the field, making it appropriate as a core text for an introductory course in educational research. It uses a direct, step-by-step approach to the topic. Data collection. Qualitative data analysis. Action research. For those interested in Research Methods/Educational Research.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 660 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 6th edition (June 10, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130961035
• ISBN-13: 978-0130961037
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #301,338 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Educational Research: Competencies for Analysis and Applicat, November 26, 2000

By 

Kerri Leeser (LaGrange, Missouri) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Educational Research: Competencies for Analysis and Applications (6th Edition) (Hardcover)

As the introduction to Educational Research states, "one out of every two introductory educational research students uses this book." It is no surprise that college professors use this text because it is well written. The material is both in depth and reader friendly. The text takes you though a step-by-step process of planning, conducting, and evaluating research. Anyone who is struggling with writing a Master's Thesis will find the book to be a most helpful resource tool. The material is presented with a straight forward approach (along with some humor), and the book also provides useful chapter summaries and actual research reports. From a personal standpoint, the book is just that much better because it was written by a woman in a time when a woman with a brilliant mind was considered to be dangerous.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Educational Research, November 12, 2000

By 

Bobbi Walker (Quincy, Il United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Educational Research: Competencies for Analysis and Applications (Includes Software for Windows) (Hardcover)

Educational Research: Competencies for Analysis and Application 6th Edition is an excellent introductory text to assist in writing a Master's thesis or Research paper. The book is well organized and will take you step-by-step through the process of educational research. It begins with selecting and defining a problem, gives strategies to prepare and evaluate a research plan, selecting measuring instruments, also includes the different types of research, to analyzing and interpretaing statistics, and to writing your final research report. This book teaches the importance of reviewing and analyzing your research related literature and includes samples of educational research reports. Excellent summaries are included at the end of each chapter. It is a great resource and my book is earmarked and tabbed throughout as I am working on my Master's Degree Action Research paper.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nuts and Bolts of Writing a Research Paper, November 18, 2000

By 

Sue Welch (Quincy, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Educational Research: Competencies for Analysis and Applications (Includes Software for Windows) (Hardcover)

This book, Educational Research, by L. R. Gay and Peter Airasian is an excellent source with an immense amount of information on how to conduct a research project and write the research paper.

Although the main emphasis is on action research in the educational setting, this book provides easy to understand, step by step directions for any research project including choosing a topic, gathering research from both existing materials as well as collecting and analyzing new data, and stucturing the actual final written presentation. Different types of action research, measuring instruments and statistical analyzing methods were also covered thoroughly. The chapters about methods of gathering data were described in great detail.

I found the text easy to read (even the more difficult concepts) and explained well enough for a beginning researcher but with valuable information for the veteran, also. The text structure is reader friendly and reviews many of the major concepts in subsequent chapters. I especially found the examples intertwined with the text and the chapter summaries very helpful. Tables and charts were clear and well designed. The authors' style of writing makes the reader feel as if he/she were merely having a very easy discussion about a very difficult idea.

After reading this text, anyone would feel more confident with the daunting task of conducting and presenting an action research project.