1.What is educational research?

Educational research is the systematic and objective collection and analysis of data for the
purposes of solving educational problems and making appropriate decisions related to the
problems that have been identified. Examples of educational research are, Teacher-student
interaction, assessment in education, evaluation of teaching methods, curriculum development
and classroom dynamics.

2. Educational research can be classified as pure and applied. Write two research topics each
under pure and applied research.
PURE RESEARCH TOPICS
 A study on how was the universe formed.

 A study on the constituents of water.

APPLIED RESEARCH TOPICS

 A study on how to improve computer literacy in second cycle institutions.

 A study to minimize the negative effect of social media on students.

3. Explain three relevance of research to the study of English.

 Research informs practice and policy in the teaching and learning of
English. The ultimate goal of research in English is to enable teachers, teacher
educators and institutions to make sound decisions about the educational activities
and experiences that will best serve students. Such decisions ranges from
selection of standards and benchmarks or the evaluation of instructional and
assessment programs at the national and local level, to the individual decisions
each teacher and teacher educator must make about his or her particular
classroom. While not all English language research focuses directly on students
learning, all English language research is guided by an interest in the process and
challenges people experience in becoming literate citizens.

 Research supports high quality instructions English Language instructions

for all students. The purpose of English language research is to ensure that
practice and policy decisions are appropriate for the full range of learners in a
setting. Why? Because learners have varied background, skills and needs.
English language research seeks to illuminate both differences among various
 groups such as students learning English as a second language or students in rural
schools and the common The common the common principles that can guide
decision- making Across a range of setting.

 Research stimulates conversations Among researchers and all involved in the

teaching and learning of English language. Research can stimulate discussion,
challenge assumptions and raise new questions. It does so in part by revealing the
complexity of English language teaching and learning. For instance, research may
explore the many factors that’s affect any instructional decisions or it may
describe the intricacies of personal history, culture and psychology that reside
within a child. In portraying such complexities, researchers often draw upon
multiple disciplines related to language, art literacy and schooling. This include
English studies, education, linguistics, psychology, anthropology, sociology,
history, philosophy and arts. The potential for research to stimulate conversations
and portray complexity become especially important when various constituents
beyond school, such as legislators, business leaders and parents ask what research
can tell them about teaching and learning of English language.

4. Critically examine five essential nature of educational research.

 Research must be systematic. The procedures adopted to undertake an
investigation must follow a logical sequence, that is a step by step approach and
not in a haphazard manner. Each procedure must follow the other sequentially.

 Research must be empirical. This means that, any conclusions drawn by the
researcher, must be based on hard evidence gathered from real life experiences or
observations.

 Another essential nature of research is that, research must be critical. This

requires that the process of investigation must be free from any drawbacks and
procedures adopted and used must be able to withstand critical scrutiny.

 The next characteristic feature of research is that research must be

controlled. In the study of cause-and-effect relationship, it is important to be able
to link the effects with the causes and the causes with the effects, respectively.
However, this is extremely difficult and often impossible in practice, especially in
the social sciences.
 Research must be valid and verifiable. That is to say, whatever a researcher
concludes on the basis of his or her findings, must be correct and verified by him
or herself and others.