Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer (5th Edition) (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This book educates students to become intelligent consumers of educational research and introduces basic research principles to those who may eventually use research in their work. Principles for conducting research and criteria for evaluating its overall credibility are presented in a concise manner, with numerous excerpts from published studies, to enable students to learn to read, understand, and evaluate research, and judge the usefulness of the findings for educational practice. There is extensive use of aids to facilitate student learning, including chapter roadmaps and concept maps, study questions, a book website, consumer tips, over 90 examples from published articles (including eight full length articles), and author reflections. The Fifth Edition includes a more extensive presentation of experimental and quasi-experimental design, consistent with the current emphasis on conducting "scientific research," qualitative data analysis, effect size, and a new chapter devoted to mixed-method studies and action research.

From the Back Cover

Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, Fifth Edition

James H. McMillan

 

“Our faculty reviewed all the available texts in the field and felt Educational Research best fit our needs. We teach this course to a wide variety of students in a variety of majors (counseling, physical education, curriculum and instruction, educational administration, etc.) and it did the best job of providing for all these individual needs.”

–Steve Neill, Emporia State University

 

“I think the features add a nice element and are helpful for students to better understand the text. I direct students to the research articles and use some of the charts and tables in my lectures. I point out the outlines in the front of the chapters and direct them to the website for practice exam questions.”

–Anastasia Elder, Mississippi State University

 

 

Designed to help students become intelligent consumers of educational research, the fifth edition of this text introduces basic research principles to those who may later use research in their work. The author utilizes aids to facilitate student learning, including chapter concept maps, study questions, a book website, and more than 90 examples from published articles, including 11 full-length articles.

 

New features in this edition include the following:

• Completely revised Chapter 3, Locating and Reviewing Related Literature, consistent with new features of ERIC and online searching
• Revised Chapter 1, which now discusses the nature of research consistent with Scientific Research in Education
• New chapter on mixed-method and action research
• Expanded treatment of qualitative data analysis in response to instructor’s needs
• More detail about research ethics
• Examples and excerpts from published articles representing more than 50 different journals to illustrate the range of current thinking
• A new Exercise Manual available to be packaged with the text at no extra cost developed to provide more application exercises for students

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Allyn & Bacon; 5 edition (April 5, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0205508308
• ISBN-13: 978-0205508303
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #262,089 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars User Friendly Guide to writing educational research, March 20, 2004

By	J. E. Gothberg "PhD candidate" (Michigan, United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, Fourth Edition (Paperback)

This is a simple to follow instruction book that guides you through reviewing and writing an Educational Research paper. It provides easy to follow explanations on Quantitative and Qualitative Research methods, as well as details on running these types of research with integrity. The website that you gain access to for this book is phenomenal with a self-study guide and quiz for each chapter. I had to purchase this book for a Master's Program I am in, but it will be one I keep on my shelf of treasured resources.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recommending this textbook, September 13, 2008

By	Marta Garcia Conto - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book not only provides a thorough discussion of the topics included, but also provides a wide variety of tools and resources for the reader. It is visually packed with attractive text features, outlines before each chapter, definitions enhanced on the side of the pages, wonderful examples along the way, tables, consumer tips at the end, websites, etc. This book becomes a teacher all by itself.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars nanacheryl, September 9, 2005

By	Cheryl A. Swartz "nanacheryl" (Kansas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, Fourth Edition (Paperback)

This is a text, but is very informative and easy to read. It certainly is applicable to the subject matter for which it is being used.