Transcript Workshop 30

NAILING RESEARCH
METHODS
JESS NEEDHAM: CORNISH COLLEGE
[email protected]
QUICK SURVEY – IT IS RESEARCH
METHODS!
Please write on the Post-it and bring it to the table up the
front:
1.
Do you like teaching research methods? Just write ‘yes’ or ‘no’
2.
Name something you would hope to get out of this session.
I have a planned a few things, so your answers to Question
2 could guide me in terms of where to put in the detail. (If
there are any trends.)
AIMS FOR THE SESSION
1.
To present you with an overview of the challenges in teaching research
methods, and ways to tackle such challenges.
2.
To offer an analysis of research methods in previous examinations, and
provide an overview of the 2017 examination.
3.
To provide sample extended response answers. (And to go through at
least one of these with you.)
4.
To provide you with resources that will allow you to teach specific aspects
of research methods in a logical sequence. (And to go through some of
these in detail.)
5.
To very briefly show you one way to approaching the layout of the
Scientific Poster.
1. DISCUSSION OF THE CHALLENGES AND
STRATEGIES TO TACKLE THEM
Put simply, one of the major challenges is…
…finding time for it all!
Secondly, another challenge is…
…the degree of sophistication expected in analysis of research scenarios and
the time pressures in the exam. (Although the time pressures have eased
somewhat for 2017!)
WHAT CAN WE DO?
There are some of the key ways we can try to help our students:
1.
Teach and emphasise skills over content.
2.
Seek to integrate research methods as meaningfully as possible into the
teaching of Units 3 and 4. (For example, consider when are the most
appropriate times to teaching sampling, ethical considerations, and so
on. Timing? Matching content?).
3.
Use SACs to replicate exam like conditions and questions.
WHAT CAN WE DO? – MORE DETAIL
Choose key science skills and periodically focus on them as you go through
the key content.
• Link the key science skills theory to the appropriate dot points.
Practise different types of questions and gradually increase content and
complexity
•
•
•
•
Multiple choice questions
Short answer questions
Responding to research scenarios
Provide students with unseen content and ask them to apply their
skills.
WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO?
• Use the terms in the study design as frequently as possible.
• Match the definition with the name. (Often the term itself is a strong
indicator of the meaning.)
A possible way to sequencing content research methods content:
• Students should pre-read the relevant information.
• Activities in class should be designed to highlight key aspects, should
elaborate on meaning, and should be skills focused involving the ‘how’ and
‘why’.
• Then, post the lesson, students should take part in consolidation.
• At the end of a sequence, students should create condensed notes.
2. ANALYSIS OF PREVIOUS
EXAMINATIONS
-Types of questions
-What is expected
of students and
how can they
approach
questions?
OVERVIEW OF 2014 TO 2016
EXAMINATIONS
Section
Number of marks
A
2014: 2
2015: 13
2016: 3
B
2014: 15
2015: 3
2016: 14
C
15
Total Marks for sections A and B combined:
2014: 17; 2015: 16; 2016: 17
Total Marks in the examination: Between 31-32/ 140 (around
20% of the examination marks)
GENERAL TRENDS IN THE
EXAMINATIONS
• 2014: Students need to be able to apply their knowledge of research
methods.
• 2015: Section C, in particular, continues to require a more sophisticated
understanding of the meaning of the results, particularly in terms of what
is suggested about the theory.
• 2016: Students need to have a thorough understanding of the links
between research (particularly results) and theory. They also need to have
a firm grasp of the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of the scientific method. (Students are
not just responding to scenarios but ‘creating’ research designs and
samples.)
KEY SCIENCE SKILLS: 2016
EXAMINATION
Question 9 (3 marks)
The Sunnydown Basketball League has 1500 players aged 12–18.
Explain how a researcher could design a random sampling procedure to
investigate the effect of sports drinks on the performance of under-16 basketball
players in the Sunnydown Basketball League.
Question 13 (4 marks)
A researcher wants to compare the relative sensitivity between two different
parts of the body.
Describe an appropriate research technique that the researcher could use and
how the results obtained could demonstrate the relationship between cortical
representation of body parts and relative sensitivity. In your response, refer to two
different parts of the body.
2017 ASSESSOR’S REPORT
Question 9 (3 marks)
The Sunnydown Basketball League has 1500 players aged 12–18.
Explain how a researcher could design a random sampling procedure to
investigate the effect of sports drinks on the performance of under-16
basketball players in the Sunnydown Basketball League.
RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS:
SHORT ANSWER
Question 9 (3 marks)
The Sunnydown Basketball League has 1500 players aged 12–18.
Explain how a researcher could design a random sampling procedure to investigate the effect of sports drinks
on the performance of under-16 basketball players in the Sunnydown Basketball League.
Advice:
• Students should be guided by the verb and key terms in the question.
• What is the “really asking” and have I “answered the question”?
• They should also be guided by the number of marks – roughly three points
for a three mark question.
• It may be useful for students to think as they would in English. In response
to a question, you have a stance and this stance is supported through
evidence. Linking words should be used to orientate the marker.
• Students also need to learn to discard peripheral information.
RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS:
SHORT ANSWER
Question 9 (3 marks)
The Sunnydown Basketball League has 1500 players aged 12–18.
Explain how a researcher could design a random sampling procedure to investigate the effect of
sports drinks on the performance of under-16 basketball players in the Sunnydown Basketball
League.
Make a case – position/argument and evidence:
• As a random sample requires X, the researcher could do Y and Z to
achieve this.
• To investigate X, the researcher could do Y and Z to achieve this.
This technique gives a student a sense of direction when answering a
question. Have I made my case?
RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS: SHORT ANSWER
Question 9 (3 marks)
The Sunnydown Basketball League has 1500 players aged 12–18.
Explain how a researcher could design a random sampling procedure to investigate the effect of sports
drinks on the performance of under-16 basketball players in the Sunnydown Basketball League.
Example Response:
• In order to generate a random sample for this experiment, the
researcher needs to ensure that every member of the population
(under-16 players from the Sunnydown Basketball League) has an equal
chance of being selected in the sample.
• Thus, to generate this sample, the researcher could put all the names of
the under 16-players into an online database and then have that
program randomly select the appropriate number of participants.
• Participants could then be randomly allocated into groups, with one
drinking sports drinks and the other using water.
KEY SCIENCE SKILLS: 2016 EXAMINATION
The use of this table in Section C suggests that students are now being asked to actively
sort through data and to then work through several steps in order to evaluate an
experiment and determine the significance of its findings.
KEY SCIENCE SKILLS: 2016 EXAMINATION
What did students need to notice?
• Mean response for each item – what do brides find most stressful about wedding
planning? Why might this be? (links to theory)
• How does timing affect stress levels? Students needed to look at the overall response
for each stage, as well as individual items (e.g. seating plan peaked a week prior to
the wedding)
• A weakness in the experiment: n = 300; n=210; n = 190. Why would someone
withdraw from the experiment? Disinterest over time? Continued stress?
• Original sampling – convenience – do all brides go to bridal expos?
2017 ASSESSOR’S REPORT
ASSESSORS REPORTS 2014 - 2016
2016
(Not yet available)
2015
An area of weakness identified was:
• application and interpretation of theory in relation to experimental
results in Section C. (Hence the Section C in 2016!)
2014
“A particular area of weakness in students’ responses in 2014 was a failure
to apply knowledge in the context of the scenario provided in the
question. Generic, rote-learned responses to questions that required
specific application to the given scenario were not awarded any marks.”
There are sample answers and/or sections of sample answers for Section C
on the 2015 and 2014 list of assessor’s report.
THE 2017 EXAMINATION
• There will be 15 minutes reading time and 2 hours and 30
minutes writing time.
• Section A will consist of 50 multiple-choice questions worth 1
mark each.
• Section B will consist of short-answer and extended-answer
questions, including questions with multiple parts. One of the
extended-answer questions will be worth 10 marks and will
not have multiple parts. The number of questions in Section B
may vary from year to year. Section B will be worth a total of
70 marks.
SUMMARY OF CHANGES
• Less Total Marks
• 2016 = 140 marks; 2017 = 120 marks
• Less multiple choice questions
• 2016 = 65; 2017 = 50
• No ‘Section C’
• but extended response questions as part of
Section B (a 10 mark question without multiple
parts)
ADVICE – EXAMINATION
SPECIFICATIONS
Students will not be expected to calculate any statistics in the examination, but
are expected to be able to:
• draw conclusions from descriptive statistics about a sample and hypothesis
involved in a specified research study.
• to make qualitative generalisations about a research population after
considering the research design
• So students will need to know how to understand what means, percentages,
tables and standard deviations reveal/describe about a sample.
• They will also need to be able to discuss the degree of likelihood that the
results could have relevance for the research population. This judgement will be
based on the research methodologies and the descriptive statistics.
ADVICE – EXAM SPECIFICATIONS:
EXTENDED ANSWER QUESTIONS
Extended-answer questions may be related to:
• psychological concepts and theories as well as research methods and
ethics
• students will not be required to write a response using conventions of
psychological report writing in the examination as this skill is assessed
through School-Assessed Coursework.
Based on this comment, it seems that the door is open for an extended
response questions that is not research methods focused.
(Will have to stay tuned for the sample examination at the end of Term 1.)
CRITERIA FOR 10 MARK QUESTION
The extended-answer question in Section B that is worth 10 marks and that
does not have multiple parts will be assessed against the following criteria:
• identification and explanation of formal psychological terminology relevant
to the question (identify and understand)
• use of appropriate psychology terminology (overarching)
• discussion of relevant psychological information, ideas, concepts, theories
and/or models and the connections between them (possible question)
• analysis and evaluation of data, methods and scientific models (possible
question)
• drawing of evidence-based conclusions and explanation of limitations of
conclusions (possible question)
CRITERIA FOR 10 MARK QUESTION
The extended-answer question in Section B that is worth 10 marks and that does not have multiple parts will be assessed against the following criteria:
•
identification and explanation of formal psychological terminology relevant to the question (identify and understand)
•
use of appropriate psychology terminology (overarching)
•
discussion of relevant psychological information, ideas, concepts, theories and/or models and the connections between them (possible question)
•
analysis and evaluation of data, methods and scientific models (possible question)
•
drawing of evidence-based conclusions and explanation of limitations of conclusions (possible question)
Given the marking for his question in holistic, some guideline are:
• Students still need to be concise, but an upper-end response will
be detailed and insightful.
• Students need to make specific and perceptive observations,
examining the results (and thus the psychological constructs)
given the research methodologies.
• Quality of writing (e.g. using the appropriate terminology) and
conceptual grasp of the constructs will separate students.
SAMPLE EXTENDED RESPONSE
Read through the sample extended response question and we can look
through a sample answer. (6 pages from the back)
SAMPLE EXTENDED RESPONSE
ANSWER
In this experiment, Dr. Roberts wanted to investigate whether stress is
reduced, or in some way affected, when individuals are on the receiving end
of a random act of kindness.
Robert’s used a repeated-measures design, testing participants both before
and after they received a flower and a box of chocolates from a stranger (the
operationalisation of the ‘random act of kindness’). In this experiment, stress
level was operationalised as a mean score out of 5 after participants
answered several questions about their current stress level (on a scale from 1
to 5 – with the lower number indicating less stress).
Robert’s results [mean (M) = 3.6 and standard deviation (SD) = 0.6 for
participants before being given the gift; and M = 3.4 and SD = 1.1. after being
given the gift] do not provide compelling evidence for his prediction that
participants would report lower levels of stress after being bestowed with a
random act of kindness.
SAMPLE EXTENDED RESPONSE
ANSWER
Yet, when one considers the theory being tested, there are possible
alternative explanations for the results. Dr. Roberts’ ability to gauge the
extent to which participant’s stress levels were reduced could have been
confounded by the participants’ annoyance at having to redo the test. Thus,
their answers may have reflected this, rather than their level of happiness
about the random act of kindness. Indeed, with a SD of 1.1 for the second
testing, there is more variation in the second set of answers (almost double
the SD when compared with the first testing), and thus some participants may
have been quite angry about having to redo the test, while perhaps others
were moved by the random act of kindness and thus did report lower stress
levels, overall polarizing the results.
SAMPLE EXTENDED RESPONSE
ANSWER
This study is also hindered by the use of convenience sampling, limiting
generalising the results to the population. Though, this method undoubtedly
enabled Roberts to more easily gather a larger number of participants. The
repeated-measures design eliminated any potential problem with individual
participant differences influencing the results in terms of subjective
interpretations of the Likert scale survey. However, this benefit may be
outweighed by the practice effects which could not be eliminated by
counterbalancing because of the nature of the experiment. And, in answering
the sample test again, there is a possibility that many participants simply
remembered their responses and put their original answers in again as they
did before.
SAMPLE EXTENDED RESPONSE
ANSWER
If this experiment is replicated but modified in order to reduce potential
limitations, it is advised that the participants complete a different survey
during the second taking of the survey. This would eliminate any possibility
they would simply answer as they did the first time. Alternatively, an
independent-groups design could be used, eliminating any annoyance at
having to do the test twice, though increasing the likelihood of individual
participant differences affecting the results and halving the sample size.
In terms the original hypothesis, this experiment does not provide
compelling evidence for the stress response being influence by the kindness
of others, yet given the weaknesses of this experiment, further
experimentation is needed in order to more conclusively answer this
question.
INTEGRATING KEY SCIENCE SKILLS INTO
THE COURSE
INTEGRATING KEY SCIENCE SKILLS
INTO THE COURSE
• I will aim to have introduced all of the key science skills by the end of Term
2.
• This will allow for consolidation in Term 3.
• In teaching the key science skills, the emphasis will be on using the skills
and applying the theory.
PROVIDED ACTIVITIES
PROVIDED ACTIVITIES
PROVIDED ACTIVITIES
EXAMPLE: CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
Choose one of the following hypotheses below and design an appropriate
experiment to test the prediction being made.
•
It is hypothesised that when people are frequently exposed to a specific noise
right before a desirable food, they will begin to feel pleasure when they hear the
specific noise alone.
OR
•
It is hypothesised that teenagers are more likely to report positive feelings
towards the sound of a phone alert noise than middle-aged or elderly people.
OR
•
It is hypothesised that when participants are exposed to a specific noise right
before they are given chocolate, they will be more likely to feel pleasure when
they subsequently hear that noise in isolation than participants who go through
the same process but are given cheese instead of chocolate.
EXAMPLE: CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
Choose one of the following hypotheses below and design an appropriate
experiment to test the prediction being made.
•
It is hypothesised that when people are frequently exposed to a specific noise
right before a desirable food, they will begin to feel pleasure when they hear the
specific noise alone. (Appropriate design: repeated measures)
OR
•
It is hypothesised that teenagers are more likely to report positive feelings
towards the sound of a phone alert noise than middle-aged or elderly people.
(Appropriate design: cross-sectional study)
OR
•
It is hypothesised that when participants are exposed to a specific noise right
before they are given chocolate, they will be more likely to feel pleasure when
they subsequently hear that noise in isolation than participants who go through
the same process but are given cheese instead of chocolate. (Appropriate design:
independent groups)
EXAMPLE: OPERANT CONDITIONING
Evaluate the experiment below:
A researcher wished to undertake a study to examine whether reinforcers can improve
the motivation levels of children. The participants will be 25 children, aged between 7
and 9, who are being tutored in reading at Smith’s Tutoring Service.
To create the study, the researcher has instructed the tutors to not reinforce any good
behaviour, effort or work for a period of two months. They are to test the children on
their reading level once a week over this two-month period.
Then, over another two-month period, the tutors have been instructed to reinforce all
displays of good behaviour, effort and work with stickers. They are again to test the
children on their reading level once a week over this second two-month period.
The researchers predict that the children will show more rapid growth in reading ability
over the second two-month period (when being reinforced with stickers) when
compared with the first.
As an incentive for the tutors to faithfully adhere to the program, they will be awarded
a 10% bonus in their salary if they test all of their tutees each week.
MEMORY: STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF DATA
• Experiment on memory lends themselves to the study of statistics
(particularly quantitative data) and are thus a fantastic time to look at
percentage, mean and standard deviation.
Summary of Activities:
Students will complete a series of tasks on short term and long-term memory
tests, using such tests to consider the multi store model, as well as the various
methods for retrieving information from memory. They will then use the data
to understand how to calculate a mean and how to understand standard
deviation.
LONG TERM MEMORY TASK –
ANSWER SHEET
• Follow the instructions and complete your answer in 90 seconds.
• The nominated category is vegetables.
CALCULATING MEAN AND UNDERSTANDING
STANDARD DEVIATION
• Students will be put in two groups.
• Group 1: “Write down as many vegetables as you can” (Free recall)
• Group 2: “Circle all the vegetables in the provided table” (recognition)
• Then, students will calculate the mean for each group.
• The teacher will then determine the standard deviation for both groups,
and they will also be compared and interpreted.
WHAT IS STANDARD DEVIATION?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8kDuV1Alt4
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF DATA
In VCE Psychology students are expected to calculate mean as a measure of
central tendency for a set of data. There is a qualitative understanding that
standard deviation is used to summarise the spread of data values around the
mean. Students should recognise that standard deviation can be useful for
comparing the means and the spread between two or more population
samples, particularly that:
• although data sets may have the same mean they may not have the same
degree of variation, or spread, in the data
• a higher standard deviation represents greater variation, or spread, in the
data set.
Calculations of variance, standard deviation and significance between two
sets of data are beyond the scope of the VCE Psychology Study Design.
WHAT IS STANDARD DEVIATION?
• The standard deviation (SD) is a statistic that describes the typical
dispersion/spread/variability of a group of data around the mean.
• A low SD indicates little spread around the mean.
• A high SD indicates a greater degree of variance around the mean.
AN EXAMPLE
ITEMS BOUGHT AT A 15 ITEMS OF LESS BY CUSTOMERS ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY
Sunday
Items bought
Monday
Items bought
Customer 1
5
Customer 1
12
2
6
2
13
3
2
3
6
4
1
4
7
5
1
5
11
6
2
6
6
Mean (M)
2.8
9.2
Standard Deviation
(SD)
2.1
3.2
AN EXAMPLE
12 FRIENDS ON A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT SELECTED RANDOMLY (6 MALE; 6 FEMALE)
Male
Number of friends
on Facebook
Female
Number of friends on
Facebook
1
289
1
344
2
385
2
437
3
698
3
928
4
216
4
47
5
231
5
405
6
473
6
284
Mean (M)
382
Standard Deviation
(SD)
Predict which group might have a higher standard deviation. Why?
290
AN EXAMPLE
12 FRIENDS ON A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT SELECTED RANDOMLY (6 MALE; 6 FEMALE)
Male
Number of friends
on Facebook
Female
Number of friends on
Facebook
1
289
1
344
2
385
2
437
3
698
3
928
4
216
4
47
5
231
5
405
6
473
6
284
Mean (M)
382
290
Standard Deviation
(SD)
182.8
290.2
MEAN AND STANDARD DEVIATION
FOR THE TWO GROUPS IN THE LTM
TASK
Group 1 Participant
Number of
vegetables recalled
Group 2 Participant
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
6 etc.
6 etc.
Number of
vegetables
recognised
Mean
Standard deviation
Your teacher will work out the standard deviation for you. You will just need to be able to
outline what the standard deviation represents.
THE SERIAL POSITION EFFECT AND LOFTUS
Activities could build to two more in-depth studies.
• The serial position effect task involves replicating a 2016 study.
• The Loftus tasks requires students to conduct an entire experiment and
analyse the results, having been presented with a prose version of the
task.
• These could be used for SACS such as:
• annotations of at least two practical activities from a practical
logbook
• analysis of data including generalisations and conclusions
SMALL PIECE OF ADVICE ON THE SCIENTIFIC
POSTER
THE SCIENTIFIC POSTER
• I am planning on using PowerPoint with my students for the Scientific
Poster.
• There will be 9 slides, allowing for an A3 print out at the end if need be.
(Though, students will be expected to submit electronically.)
• Students can date each slide as they complete it, and send the relevant
sections as they are completed (for authentication purposes).
• They will be able to use individual slides as we work through practical
activities in class, becoming accustomed with each of the particular
sections of the poster (and, thus, the relevant skills required to complete
each section).
• Google slides can allow you to see the work at any time and gather
information such as when information was added.
Date of completion:
-TITLE
-ABSTRACT
Title:
Abstract:
INTRODUCTION: THEORETICAL
UNDERPINNINGS OF THE
INVESTIGATION
Date of completion:
INTRODUCTION:
-RELEVANT BACKGROUND RESEARCH
-AIMS AND HYPOTHESES/ PREDICTIONS
Date of completion:
Date of completion:
METHODOLOGY
Participants:
Materials:
Procedure:
Date of completion:
SUMMARY OF RESULTS
Date of completion:
DISCUSSION: ANALYSIS AND
EVALUATION OF RESULTS
Date of completion:
DISCUSSION: EVALUATION OF
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
DISCUSSION: THE THEORETICAL RELEVANCE OF
THE RESULTS AND COMPARISON WITH
PREVIOUS FINDINGS
Date of completion:
Date of completion:
-CONCLUSIONS
-REFERENCES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Conclusions:
References and Acknowledgements:
Poster Print Out
POSTER TEMPLATE WITH
INFORMATION FROM THE STUDY
DESIGN
-TITLE
-ABSTRACT
Blue = Information from Page 13 of the study
design.
Black dot points = Key Science Skills from pages
11-12 of the study design
Title (Question
•
under investigation is the title)
determine aims, research hypotheses, questions and predictions that can be tested
Abstract:
(These are ‘entire report skills’ really, but could be emphasises when teaching the
abstract – if you choose to include an abstract)
•
•
use appropriate psychological terminology, representations and conventions for
reporting research, including standard abbreviations, graphing conventions and the
components of a scientific report with reference to inclusion of an abstract, an
introduction and sections for method, results and discussion
use clear, coherent and concise expression
INTRODUCTION: THEORETICAL
UNDERPINNINGS OF THE
INVESTIGATION
• explain how models are used to organise and understand observed
phenomena and concepts related to psychology, identifying limitations of
the models
• distinguish between scientific and non-scientific ideas
• discuss relevant psychological information, ideas, concepts, theories and
models and the connections between them
• identify and explain formal psychological terminology about investigations
and concepts
Introduction: Explanation or reason for undertaking the investigation,
including a clear aim, a hypothesis and/or prediction and relevant
background psychological concepts
INTRODUCTION:
-RELEVANT BACKGROUND RESEARCH
-AIMS AND HYPOTHESES/ PREDICTIONS
• critically evaluate various types of information related to psychology from
journal articles, mass media and opinions presented in the public domain
• determine aims, research hypotheses, questions and predictions that can
be tested
• identify and operationalise independent and dependent variables
• explain the merit of replicating procedures and the effects of sample sizes
in obtaining reliable data
METHODOLOGY
Participants:
•
(see sampling
procedures
dot points)
Procedure:
•
•
Materials:
•
select and use
equipment,
materials and
procedures
appropriate to
the
investigation
•
•
•
•
determine appropriate type of investigation: experiments (including use of control
and experimental groups); case studies; observational studies; self-reports;
questionnaires; interviews; rating scales; access secondary data, including data
sourced through the internet that would otherwise be difficult to source as raw or
primary data through fieldwork, a laboratory or a classroom
use an appropriate experimental research design including independent groups,
matched participants, repeated measures and cross-sectional studies
minimise confounding and extraneous variables by considering type of sampling
procedures, type of experiment, counterbalancing, single and double blind
procedures, placebos, and standardised instructions and procedures
select appropriate sampling procedures for selection and allocation of participants
including random sampling, stratified sampling, convenience sampling and random
allocation of participants to groups
understand the role of ethics committees in approving research
apply ethical principles when undertaking and reporting investigations, including
consideration of the role of the experimenter, protection and security of participants’
information, confidentiality, voluntary participation, withdrawal rights, informed
consent procedures, use of deception in research, debriefing and use of animals in
research apply relevant occupational health and safety guidelines while undertaking
practical investigations
Summary that outlines the methodology used in the investigation and is authenticated by
logbook entries. Identification and management of relevant risks, including the relevant health,
safety and ethical guidelines followed in the investigation
SUMMARY OF RESULTS
• work independently and collaboratively as appropriate and within
identified research constraints
• systematically generate, collect, record and summarise both qualitative
and quantitative data
• process quantitative data using appropriate mathematical relationships
and units
• organise, present and interpret data using tables, bar charts, line graphs,
percentages, calculations of mean as a measure of central tendency and
understanding of standard deviation as a measure of variation around the
mean
Results: Presentation of collected data/evidence in appropriate format to illustrate
trends, patterns and/or relationships
Advice for Teachers: all significant results should be stated explicitly in prose form,
including a statement about whether the investigation generated useful results and
whether the hypothesis was supported.
DISCUSSION: ANALYSIS AND
EVALUATION OF RESULTS
• organise, present and interpret data using tables, bar charts, line graphs,
percentages, calculations of mean as a measure of central tendency and
understanding of standard deviation as a measure of variation around the
mean
• recognise the difference between statistics that describe a specific sample
and the use of statistics to make inferences about the population from
which the data were drawn
Discussion:
Analysis and evaluation of primary data
Identification of outliers and their subsequent treatment
Identification of limitations in data and methods, and suggested improvements
Linking of results to relevant psychological concepts
DISCUSSION: THE THEORETICAL RELEVANCE OF
THE RESULTS AND COMPARISON WITH
PREVIOUS FINDINGS
• explain how models are used to organise and understand observed
phenomena and concepts related to psychology, identifying limitations of
the models
• discuss the implications of research findings and proposals
DISCUSSION: EVALUATION OF
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
• use basic principles of reliability and validity in evaluating research
investigations undertaken
• evaluate investigative procedures and possible sources of bias, and suggest
improvements, with reference to identification of potential extraneous and
confounding variables including individual participant differences, nonstandardised instructions and procedures, order effects, experimenter
effect and placebo effects
• determine to what extent evidence from an investigation supports the
purpose of the investigation, and make recommendations, as appropriate,
for modifying or extending the investigation
-CONCLUSIONS
-REFERENCES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Conclusions (conclusion that
•
•
•
provides a response to the question):
determine to what extent evidence from an investigation supports the purpose of
the investigation, and make recommendations, as appropriate, for modifying or
extending the investigation
draw conclusions consistent with evidence and relevant to the question under
investigation
identify, describe and explain the limitations of conclusions, including identification
of further evidence required
References and Acknowledgements:
•
acknowledge sources of information and use standard scientific referencing
conventions
(Referencing and acknowledgment of all quotations and sourced content as they
appear in the poster)
The entire report: should not exceed 1000 words; scientific investigations may be
undertaken in groups, but all work for assessment must be completed individually.
STRESSORS
Content to know
A stressor is any person,
situation or event that
produces stress.
-Label slides – extra information or
key content.
-Keep information concise.
-Use examples and humour (if you
can!) to keep it meaningful.
AIMS FOR THE SESSION
1.
To present you with an overview of the challenges in teaching research
methods, and ways to tackle such challenges.
2.
To offer an analysis of research methods in previous examinations, and
provide an overview of the 2017 examination.
3.
To provide sample extended response answers. (And to go through at
least one of these with you.)
4.
To provide you with resources that will allow you to teach specific aspects
of research methods in a logical sequence. (And to go through some of
these in detail.)
5.
To very briefly show you one way to approaching the layout of the
Scientific Poster.