There is no way to complete one's education without encountering a research report. Navigating through the mysteries of reports is the subject of this helpful volume.
The authors, presuming their readers have no special background in research, begin by introducing and framing the notion of reading research within a wider social context. Next, they offer insight on when to seek out research, locating and selecting the right reports, and how to help evaluate research for trustworthiness. A step-by-step reading of reports from both qualitative and quantitative studies follows, and the final chapters examine in greater detail the different types of research to be encountered and how to examine the research more critically.
Stephen J. Silverman is Professor of Education at Teachers College, ColumbiaUniversity. He is a native of Philadelphia and holds a bachelor’s degree from TempleUniversity, a master’s degree from WashingtonStateUniversity, and a doctoral degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. His research focuses on teaching and learning in physical education and on the methods for conducting research in field settings. He has authored numerous research articles and chapters and is coauthor of a number of books. He is an experienced research consultant, has directed graduate students, and has, for many years, taught classes in research methods, statistics, and measurement. Professor Silverman, who enjoys running, aquatic sports, and following politics, lives with his wife, Patricia Moran, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. His Web site is
www.tc.columbia.edu/faculty/ss928
Lawrence F. Locke is Professor Emeritus of Education and Physical Education at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. A native of Connecticut, he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from SpringfieldCollege and a Ph.D. from StanfordUniversity. He has written extensively on the production and utilization of research on teaching and teacher education. As a teacher, graduate advisor, and consultant, he has supervised many student research projects. He continues to have an active interest in the use of the qualitative research paradigm for the study of teachers, teaching, and teacher development. He makes his home in Sunderland, Massachusetts, and, with his wife, Professor Lorraine Goyette (ElmsCollege), he spends part of each year writing, running, and exploring the Beartooth and CrazyMountains at Sky Ranch in Reed Point, Montana. In addition, he maintains a Web site devoted to the support and dissemination of research on curriculum, teaching, teacher preparation, and in-service teacher development for the subject area of public school physical education at
www.unlockresearch.com
Waneen Wyrick Spirduso is the Mauzy Regents Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education at The University of Texas at Austin. She is a native of Austin and holds bachelor and doctoral degrees from The University of Texas and a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Her research focuses on the effects of aging and the mechanisms of motor control. She has been a prolific contributor to the research literature and has authored textbooks related to research methods and aging. She has taught research methods and directed student research for more than three decades and has received numerous research grants from the federal government and foundations. Professor Spirduso, who is an avid golfer and rower, lives with her husband, Craig Spirduso, in Austin, Texas. Her Web site is
