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Week 4 Assignment: Critiquing Mixed-Methods or Action Research
Overview
This week’s assignment asks the student to critique examples of published research. During a professional
career, one will often be presented with research on a specific topic. As a consumer of research, how will
that person know if the research is legitimate and/or worthwhile? At other times, there will be a need to
find research regarding problems, issues, or needs at a campus or district. Additionally, if an educator was
personally researching a topic, this uniform method would assist with establishing a disciplined approach
to conducting research that could be shared with others and added to the body of knowledge on the topic.
The purpose of the Week 4 assignment is to critique a mixed-methods or action research article.
Week 4 targets the following Course Learning Objectives
• CLO4: Review and analyze published, empirical studies using a variety of research
methodologies (quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, and action research)
• CLO5: Develop a coherent research plan that support instructional planning through data-driven
decision-making
Week 4 Learning Outcomes
Students will:
• Read a mixed-methods and action research article and formally critique one of them.
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Assignment Instruction
1. Read the two research articles provided to you. One article will be a mixed-methods research example
and the other will be an action research example.
2. Ace my homework – Write a critique on one of the articles. Five sections have been identified: Introduction, review of the
literature, methodology, findings, and conclusions.
Section I: Introduction – Review the Introduction section of the article. Briefly describe each of the
following three parts of the Introduction and note the degree of clarity and completeness of each. Get custom essay samples and course-specific study resources via course hero homework for you service – Include
any concerns found or suggestions for improvement (This should be at least one paragraph, but no more
than two paragraphs and written in a narrative paragraph format.)
(1) Setting of the study and problem being addressed
(2) Purpose and significance of the study
(3) Research questions
Section II: Literature Review – Read the Review of the Literature (or Background) section of the chosen
article. Address the following four questions. (This should be at least one paragraph, but no more than
two paragraphs and written in a narrative paragraph format.)
(1) How many different sources were cited?
(2) Were the majority of sources current? (Be sure to compare with the date of publication)
(3) Briefly describe the consensus (or main point) of this section
(4) Did this section adequately cover the body of knowledge related to the topic? Why or why not?
Section III: Methodology – Review the Methodology section of your chosen article. Address the
following four questions. (This should be at least one paragraph, but no more than two paragraphs and
written in a narrative paragraph format.) Note: To answer questions 1 & 2, refer to the text –
qualitative sampling, pages 167-169 and quantitative sampling, pages 191-199. To answer
questions 3 & 4, refer to the text – qualitative data collection methods, pages 169-178 and
quantitative data collection methods, pages 202-214.
(1) What type of sample was used?
(2) Did the sample adequately represent the population? Why or why not?
(3) What data were collected?
(4) How were the data collected?
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Section IV: Findings – Review the Findings section of the chosen article. Address the following three
questions. (This should be at least one paragraph, but no more than two paragraphs and written in a
narrative paragraph format.)
(1) How were the data presented?
(2) Was the manner of presenting the data clear and understandable?
(3) Were the Findings directly related to the research question?
Section V: Conclusions – Review the Conclusions section of the chosen article. Address the following
three questions. (This should be at least one paragraph, but no more than two paragraphs and written in a
narrative paragraph format.)
(1) Were the conclusions solely based on the Findings of the study? Briefly describe.
(2) What populations can the conclusions be generalized to, and why?
(3) Why was the study design (quantitative or qualitative) the appropriate design?
Rubric
Use the following Rubric to guide your work on the Week 4 Assignment.
PEDG 5307
Week 4
Tasks
Does Not Meet
Minimum Criteria
Approaches Minimum
Criteria
appropriate
0 points 6 points 8 points 10 points
The Week 4 Assignment in PEDG 5307 asks students to critique a mixed-methods or action research article. The assignment has five sections: Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Findings, and Conclusions.
In the Introduction, students are asked to describe the setting of the study and problem being addressed, the purpose and significance of the study, and the research questions. In the Literature Review, students must evaluate the number and relevance of sources cited, describe the consensus of the section, and determine if the section covers the body of knowledge related to the topic.
In the Methodology section, students must determine the type of sample used, evaluate its representativeness, describe the data collected, and explain how the data were collected. In the Findings section, students must describe how the data were presented, evaluate the clarity and understandability of the presentation, and determine if the findings are directly related to the research question.
In the Conclusions section, students must evaluate if the conclusions are solely based on the findings of the study, describe the populations the conclusions can be generalized to, and explain why the study design was appropriate.
The assignment is graded using a rubric that evaluates the completeness and clarity of each section. The minimum criteria for passing the assignment is approaching the minimum criteria in each section, while exceeding the criteria is fully and clearly describing each prompt.
