A Practical Guide to Teaching Research Methods in Education: Lesson Plans and Advice from Faculty

A Practical Guide to Teaching Research Methods in Education brings together more than 60 faculty experts. The contributors share detailed lesson plans about selected research concepts or skills in education and related disciplines, as well as discussions of the intellectual preparation needed to effectively teach the lesson.

Grounded in the wisdom of practice from exemplary and award-winning faculty from diverse institution types, career stages, and demographic backgrounds, this book draws on both the practical and cognitive elements of teaching educational (and related) research to students in higher education today. The book is divided into eight sections, covering the following key elements within education (and related) research: problems and research questions, literature reviews and theoretical frameworks, research design, quantitative methods, qualitative methods, mixed methods, findings and discussions, and special topics, such as student identity development, community and policy engaged research, and research dissemination. Within each section, individual chapters specifically focus on skills and perspectives needed to navigate the complexities of educational research. The concluding chapter reflects on how teachers of research also need to be learners of research, as faculty continuously strive for mastery, identity, and creativity in how they guide our next generation of knowledge producers through the research process.

Undergraduate and graduate professors of education (and related) research courses, dissertation chairs/committee members, faculty development staff members, and graduate students would all benefit from the lessons and expert commentary contained in this book.

Aimee LaPointe Terosky is Professor of Educational Leadership, Director of the Interdisciplinary Doctor of Educational Leadership program, and university liaison to School District of Philadelphia at Saint Joseph’s University, USA. Her expertise in K-12 and Higher Education focuses on teaching/learning, urban principal and faculty careers, and qualitative research.

Vicki L. Baker is the E. Maynard Aris Endowed Professor in Economics and Management at Albion College, USA. She currently serves as the faculty director of the Albion College Community Collaborative. Her most recent book is Managing Your Academic Career: A Guide to Re-Envision Mid-Career (Routledge 2022).

Jeffrey C. Sun is professor of higher education and law and distinguished university scholar at the University of Louisville. Dr. Sun’s research examines the extent to which policy instruments, other legal actions, and innovative interventions advance or inhibit the academic operations through college teaching, learning, and knowledge creation.