Introduction to Education Reseach: Application Week 2

Prompt:

For this Application, submit a general problem statement that:

• Tells the reader what the focus will be
• Describes the educational context
• Explains why the problem is significant

Purpose, Problems, and Problems with a Purpose?!

This week's application sent me in circles as I tried to construct my purpose statement. After completing my initial post to the Week 2 Discussion Board, I thought I had a hold on what I wanted to research, but after reading the comments I received, I began to second guess myself. Then, I looked at some of the blog posts that members of this blogging group posted and I realized I really had NO IDEA what I really wanted to say in my purpose statement!

Alas, I have another rough draft created. With the guidance of McMillan and Schumacher (2008), I finally began to understand the importance of being as specific as possible about what it is that one is researching. " In any well-written problem statement, the reader is not kept in suspense but rather told directly and immediately the general focus, education context, and significance of the problem (p. 52). This is the more direct and detailed version of my purpose statement.

I plan to analyze the effect technology has on secondary students’ ability to reach the goals created by the Partnership for the 21st Century Student Outcome: Learning and Innovation Skills in the specific area of “Creativity and Innovation”.

Who: secondary students

What: who are educated with technology

Why: analyze the effect...on meeting the student outcomes specific to “Creativity and Innovation”

Now, the question is, how do I articulate exactly what the Partnership for the 21st Century Student Outcome: Learning and Innovation Skills in the specific area of “Creativity and Innovation,” is without writing a novel rather than a thorough, concise statement? In order to see exactly what I am talking about please visit:

http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=262&Itemid=120 

Any ideas?

Thank you,

Courtney Clausen

Reference:

McMillan, J. H., & Schumacher, S. (2008). Research in education: Evidence-based inquiry (Laureate custom edition). Boston: Pearson.