Course title: Research Methodology Full marks: 50

Course No. Ed.504 Pass marks: 20

Nature of the course: Theory Periods per week: 3
Level: M. Ed. Time per period: 55 Minutes
Year: Second Total periods: 75

1. Course Description
This course aims to equip the students with knowledge and skills pertaining to research
methods and statistics for enabling them to carry out researches and to prepare their
reports. Hence, it deals with the concept and types of research, sampling, data collection
instruments and application of statistics in educational research. It also focuses on the
concept and processes of qualitative research in education and aims to enable the students
in proposal by writing providing hands-on experiences.

2. General Objectives
The general objectives of this course are as follows:
• To provide the students with the broader knowledge on educational research, and in
research, problems.
• To acquaint the students with different types of research.
• To familiarize the students with the use of different techniques in educational
research.
• To impart the knowledge of constructing data collection instruments.
• To make the students familiar with different statistical tools and to enable them in
applying these tools in educational research.
• To make the students familiar with the concept and processes of qualitative research.
• To enable the students in preparing research proposal and research report.

3. Specific Objectives and Contents

Specific Objectives Contents

• Clarify the meaning and definition of
research and educational research.
• State the purposes of research in
education.
• Explain the ways of identifying the
problems and sources of problems, and
factors to be considered while selecting
a research problem.
• Cite the statement of the problem.
• State the objectives and research
questions.
• Cite the hypotheses and research
questions.
• Explicate the ways of
Unit I: Concept of Research (5)
1.1 Meaning and definitions of research and
educational research.
1.2 Purposes of research in education
1.3 Problems in research
1.3.1 Identification of problems
1.3.2 Sources of problems
1.3.3 Statement of the problem
1.3.4 Factors to be considered while
selecting a research problem.
1.4 Hypothesis
1.5 Stating objectives and research
questions
1.6 Review of related literature

1
 theoretical/conceptual framework.
• Differentiate between basic and applied
research.
• Give introduction to historical research,
descriptive research and experimental
research.
• Distinguish between quantitative and
qualitative research.
• Illustrate the concept and processes of
policy research and formative research.
• Explain the concept and steps of action
research.
• Illustrate the concept and uses of
probabilistic and non-probabilistic
sampling.
• State the sample size for different types
of research.
• Explain sampling errors.
• Explicate different scales of
measurement.
• Apply the measures of central tendency
and measures of dispersion in
educational research.
• Calculate Pearson’s and Spearman’s
correlations.
• Apply parametric and non-parametric
tests in educational research.
• Explain the characteristics and types of
data collection instruments.
• Illustrate the ways of estimating
2
1.7 Theoretical/conceptual framework
Unit II: Types of Research (8)
2.1 Basic and applied research
2.2 Historical research
2.3 Descriptive research
2.3.1 Survey
2.3.2 Case study
2.3.3 Casual comparative research
2.4 Experimental research
2.5 Quantitative and qualitative research
2.6 Policy research and formative research:
Concept and processes
2.7 Action research
Unit III: Sampling in Quantitative
Research (4)
3.1 Probabilistic sampling
3.2 Non-probabilistic sampling
3.3 Sample size
3.4 Sampling errors
Unit IV: Statistics in Quantitative
Research (20)
4.1 Measurement scales
4.2 Descriptive statistics
4.2.1 Application of measures of central
tendency and dispersion in
quantitative research
4.2.2 Pearson’s and Spearman’s
correlations.
4.3 Inferential statistics
4.3.1 Parametric tests
• Hypothesis testing: level of
significance, degree of
freedom, one-tail and two tail
tests, alpha and beta errors.
• t-test in the following research
designs
- Pre-test posttest design
- Pre-test posttest control
group design
• One-way analysis of variance
4.3.2 Non-parametric tests
• Chi-square test
Unit V: Data Collection Instruments in
Quantitative Research:
Characteristics, Types,
 reliability and validity of data gathering
instruments.
• Construct questionnaire, interview
schedule, checklist, attitude scale and
achievement test.
• State the characteristics of qualitative
research.
• Explain three qualitative research
methods.
• Describe the ways of applying sampling
techniques in qualitative research.
• State the ways of analyzing qualitative
research.
• Explain the ethical guidelines in
qualitative research.
• Give introduction to phenomenology,
ethnography, grounded theory and
narrative inquiry in relation to
educational research.
• Cite the need for the research proposal.
• State the ways of writing different
components of a research proposal.
• Prepare the research proposal including
its essential components.
• Describe the basic requirements of
report writing.
• Elucidate the ways of different essential
3
Construction, Reliability and
Validity (8)
5.1 Questionnaire
5.2 Interview schedules
5.3 Checklists
5.4 Attitude scale/opinionnaire
5.5 Achievement tests
Unit VI: Qualitative Research (5)
6.1 Characteristics of qualitative research
6.2 Qualitative research methods
6.2.1 Participant observation
6.2.2 In-depth interviews
6.2.3 Focus groups
6.3 Sampling in qualitative research
6.3.1 Purposive sampling
6.3.2 Quota sampling
6.3.3 Snowball sampling
6.4 Analysis of qualitative data
6.5 Ethical guidelines in qualitative
research
Unit VII: Introduction to Types of
Qualitative Research (10)
7.1 Phenomenology
7.2 Ethnography
7.3 Grounded theory
7.4 Narrative inquiry
Unit VIII: Research Proposal (5)
8.1 Need for research proposal
8.2 Components of a research proposal:
8.2.1 Topic of a research
8.2.2 Background for the problems
8.2.3 Relevant literature and research
8.2.4 Problem and its key terms
8.2.5 Objective
8.2.6 Questions of the study /
hypothesis
8.2.7 Research design
8.2.8 Population and sample
8.2.9 Research tools
8.2.10 Procedures of data collection
8.2.11 Data analysis and interpretation
8.2.12 Reference / bibliography
8.3 Preparation of research proposal
Unit IX: Research Report (10)
9.1 Requirements of report writing
9.1.1 Professionalism
 components of research report. 9.1.2 In-depth knowledge of the
• Apply American Psychological subject
Association while preparing educational 9.1.3 Concentration
research report. 9.1.4 Exceptional writing skills
9.2 Ways of different essential components
of a research report
9.3 Use of American Psychological
Association in research report
Note: The figures in the parentheses indicate the approximate periods allotted to respective units.

4. Instructional Techniques
Two categories of instructional techniques – general and specific instructional techniques
are suggested

4.1 General Instructional Techniques

Lecture, discussion and question – answer will be the common instructional techniques to
be used while teaching this course. It is also anticipated that the lectures will be
participatory and interactive in nature.

4.2 Specific Instructional Techniques

Specific instructional techniques to be used while teaching the course will be as follows:
Unit IV and V: Practice/project work in preparing data collection instruments and in
calculating statistics in group and individually.
Unit VIII and IX: Practice/project work in preparing dummy proposal and reports in
group and individually
5 Evaluation
The learning of the students will be assessed during the academic session through class
work, written tests, dummy proposal preparation and report preparation. The results of
this type of assessment will be used only to provide feedback to the students so as to
improve their learning. The achievement of the students will be evaluated through annual
examination conducted by the Office of the Controller of Examinations, Tribhuvan
University. The types and number of questions to be included in the final examination are
as followed.
Number of questions
Total questions
Types of questions to be answered and Total marks
to be asked
marks allocated

Group A: Multiple choice items 8 questions 8 × 1 mark 8

Group B: Short answer 5 with 2 'or' questions 5 × 6 marks 30

questions
Group C: Long answer 1 question 1 × 12 marks 12
questions

6 Recommended Books and References

4
 Recommended Books

Best, J.W. & Kahn, J.V. (2001). Research in education. New Delhi: Prentice Hall of
India Private Limited. (For units I, II, IV, V, VIII and IX)
Cohen, L. Menion, L. & Morriom, K. (2008). Research Method in Education. India:
Pontledge (For units II, III & IV)
Denzin, N.K. & Lincoln, Y.S. (eds.). (2000). Handbook of qualitative research. London:
Sage Publications. (For units VII and VIII ).
Hancock, B. (2002). An introduction to qualitative research. Nottingham: Trent Focus
Group. (For units VI and VII )
Kerlinger, F.N. (1973). Foundations of beharioral research. New York: Holt, Rinehart
and Winston, Inc. (For units I, II, IV and V)
Kothari, C.R. (1997). Research methodology: Methods and techniques. Delhi: Wishwa
Prakashan. (For units I to IV)
Koul, L. (1997). Methodology of educational research. New Delhi: Vikash Publishing
House Pvt. Ltd (For units I, II, IV, VIII, IX)

References
American Psychological Association. (2008). Publication manual of the American
Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington, DC: APA
Borgatti, S.P. (1999). Elements of a theoretical framework. Retrieved 22 April, 2010
from http://www.analytictech.com/mb313/elements.htm
Qualitative research methods: A data collector’s field guide. Retrieved 11 May 2010
from http://www.fhi.org/NR/rdon/yres/etl7 ............ pdf.
Report writing. Retrieved 11 May 2010 from http://custom-writing.org/report writing
Thesis Report Writing Format, Online Sample Thisis Writing Example Format. (2010).
Retrieved 22 April, 2010 from http://thesisnepal.com/Thesis-Report-Format.php
What is the role of theoretical framework in research. (2010). Retrieved 22 April, 2010
from http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What is the role of theoretical framework in
research.