Module 4 - Research
Overview | Big Picture | RQS | Design | R&E | Proposal Steps | Resources
Design
Components of the proposal research design
The ITEST solicitation specifies that the following components must be included in the High-Quality Research Plan section of the proposal.
- Research questions that are appropriately framed and motivated by scholarly literatures relevant to STEM learning, teaching, student interest in and awareness of STEM/ICT careers, broadening participation, innovative uses of technology, and/or strategic partnerships.
- Research questions that are theory-oriented and enhance the ability to explain the relation between the proposal's design and the anticipated outcomes.Specific plans for collecting quantitative and/or qualitative data that can inform the research questions. Such data may include but are not limited to cognitive and social-emotional outcomes, mediating factors (e.g., patterns of engagement, discussion, and affect), characteristics of participants, features of the innovative technologies, and participants' interactions with them.
- Well-defined analytical methods appropriate for drawing inferences from the collected data to address the research questions.
- A description of the research team’s roles and expertise, including their qualifications for working with the target student population and other research participants.
This section describes these components as well as additional components necessary for a high-quality research design.
Different research questions lend themselves to different designs, and you should work with your research methodologist to align your question and your design. This module focuses on elements of research design to include in your proposal but does not include information about how to choose the most appropriate design.
Some designs include:
- Qualitative exploration
- Design-based intervention research
- Correlational analysis
- Quasi-experimental design
- Experimental design
Remember: A single ITEST project may have multiple research questions, each of which requires a different design. You may spend the first two years of your grant iteratively implementing and revising your intervention, and in Year 3 design a pilot study that focuses on student outcomes. In this case, you should explain each design separately. If you are not sure about the most appropriate design for your proposed project, you should consult with an expert in methods to make sure you are designing the most appropriate and rigorous study possible.
Key components of the High-Quality Research Plan section
- Briefly describe what type of design you have chosen and why.
- Research questions. These will build logically from your literature review, as described in the previous tab (Tab 3: RQS).
- Involve your methodologist here in defining the sample criteria. In this section be sure to include the following:
- A description of the sample, including geography, setting (e.g., school, after school), type (e.g., teacher, youth), demographic characteristics
- Total number of students, teachers, classes, and/or schools you plan to include
- If you will have a comparison group, include a description of how the comparison group will be selected, its size, and its similarities and differences from the intervention group
- How you will choose and recruit the sample
- You may need to include a power analysis to demonstrate that your sample will be sufficiently large to answer your research questions. Consult with a statistician with experience in power analysis.
- Data to be collected. In this section include the specific data that will be collected. This can include both specific variables (e.g., student characteristics) as well as specific measures that you will use (e.g., STEM Semantic Survey).
- Although no externally produced instrument will successfully address the unique context of your ITEST project, we strongly suggest you include at least one externally produced instrument that has already demonstrated validity and reliability with a population similar to your sample. You can find instruments online in multiple places, but may want to begin with these:
Additional ideas for measurement and instruments are included in the Evaluation Module. Although the information is in the Evaluation Module, the instruments described there can be used to answer research questions.
- Data collection plan. Provide details about how you will collect the data (e.g., at what time points; incentives, if any; mode of administering instruments).
- Data analysis plan. Ask yourself, “Have I selected an analysis that is appropriate to my research questions and sample?” This section should provide enough detail to demonstrate you have the expertise to do the proposed analysis. Be sure a methodologist reviews your text for accuracy. At least one reviewer will be focused on making sure the analysis plan is strong.
- Limitations and possible challenges. No plan is perfect, and by acknowledging this and demonstrating your forethought, you show that you will be able to handle challenges as they arise.
- Be sure to include in your overall project timeline key tasks to be completed for the success of the research.
Updated text in this section with language from latest ITEST solicitation.
Section is called "High-Quality Research Plan" in the latest ITEST solicitation, and is called that here whenever specifically referencing that section. I'm stetting "design" when it's not the specific section title.