June 9 - Method Section and Participants Subsection

After you have stated your hypothesis (if you choose experimental, causal-comparative, or correlational research) or research question (if you choose historical, qualitative, or descriptive research), it is now time to design your method to test your hypothesis or answer your research question. The Method section is composed of four parts. These are the:

1. participants subsection,
2. the instruments (or data collection methods) subsection,
3. the procedure subsection,
4. and the design and analysis subsection. (It would be useful to keep a model paper handy [found on the Blackboard site] as you examine the following information.)

Today, we will be examining the participants subsection. All of you must choose who you will plan to have participate in your research study. In this subsection you must address three parts:

1. Who are these participants that you would use IF you did this proposed study in the future? You must describe background information such as percentages of males and females, percentages of different ethnicities represented, percentages of students on free or reduced lunch services, grade level, size of school, etc. If they are teachers, you will need to also include information such as the above, plus years of experience, degree level obtained, etc. (Please refer to model papers for other types of information that might be useful in your papers.). In some cases you may have to estimate a bit on this since you are in the planning stages. Use your best judgment here based on past experience and/or communication about future classes.


2. How will you choose your sample? In other words, what sampling technique will you use in your study? For many of you, you will use the whole population of your grade-level, whole population of your school, or whole population of your parents. In this case you will note that you will be using the whole population and why. For others of you, you will have a sampling technique that you will need to mention. (There is a PowerPoint on Blackboard concerning this important information.)


3. How many participants will be included in your study? You need to state how many participants you are choosing for participation in your planned study.

After addressing these three parts in your Participants subsection, you will now be on the way to determining what instruments (or data collection methods), what procedures, and what design and analysis you will be using with these participants. Keep in mind, to plan a study, you must have a set of participants. These participants are the same ones that you mention in your hypothesis or research question. They will help you test your hypothesis or answer your research question by participating in your planned study. They will ultimately provide you with data when (or if) you actually complete your planned study someday.