EDCI 8302: Quantitative Research Methods
Instructor: Zhidong Zhang Ph. D.
Telephone: (956) 882-5723
Email: Zhidong.Zhang@utb.edu
Office place: EDBC 2.304
Office hour: by appointment
Time: Wednesday, 6:00 pm –9:00 pm.
Lecture Location: EDBC 1.312
Course Description:
This course is an introduction to quantitative research methods in
education, including survey design, descriptive, experimental, quasiexperimental, correlational, and inferential inquiry. Strengths,
weaknesses, and appropriate uses of these methods of inquiry will be
stressed.
Textbooks:
(1) Muijs, Daniel (2011, second ed.). Doing quantitative research in
ducation with SPSS, Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE (MD)
Support Textbooks:
(1) Wiersma, W. and Jurs S. G. (2009). Research methods in education:
An introduction, New York, NY:Pearson. (W &J)—Chapter One
(2) Aron, A, Aron E. N., and Coups. E. J. (2008).Statistics for the
behavioral and social sciences. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.(A, A &
C (a))—Chapters 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10
(3) Aron, A, Aron E. N., and Coups. E. J. (2009).Statistics for Psychology.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.(A, A & C)(b)—Chapter 10
(4) Weinberg, S. L. and Abramowitz, S. K. (2002). Data analysis for
behavioral sciences using SPSS, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
(W & A)—Chapter 14 and 15.
Reference Books:
(1) American Psychological Association (2001). Publication manual of the
American Psychological Association (5 th Ed.). Washington D.C.: author.
(A)
(2) Nicol, A. M. and Pezman, P. M. (2003). Displaying you findings: A
practical guide to creating figures, posters, and presentations.
Washington, D. C.: American Psychological Association. (N&P)
Purpose:
The purpose of this course is to provide beginning doctoral students with
the understanding and tools needed to conduct various types of
quantitative research. The student begins by developing a conceptual
understanding of the use and practice of quantitative research methods.
By the end of the course, the student will develop a practical approach to
education research and evaluation practices.
Course Objectives:
 Prepares students with the knowledge to design quantitative
research studies that meet standards of rigor and validity.
 Provides students with techniques and guidelines that support
processes of design, data gathering and collection, and drawing
conclusions in quantitative research.
 Assists students to develop skills to make decisions and ask
relevant questions about the results of information provided
through a statistical support package, SPSS.
 Provides students with relevant examples of educational practices
and venues that lend themselves to quantitative research analysis
and interpretation.
 Provides students with common quantitative practices that can be
used to conduct educational research. This may include
determining population composition, sample size, appropriate
statistical, data entry, interpretative, inferential and analytical
techniques, and reporting systems (e.g., charts, graphs, and
tables).
 Provides students with examples of possible design alternatives
such as survey research, experimental, quasi-experimental, and ex
post facto designs.
 Provides students with the ability to choose specific statistical
tests.
 Provides students with experiences to make decisions that tighten
research designs to avoid possible threats to validity; learn about
ways to overcome limitations of a study.

Provides students with examples and opportunities to construct
and evaluate instruments that are valid, reliable, and objective.
Statistical and appropriate methods to ensure validity, reliability,
and objectivity will be discussed.
Course Topics:
 Introduction to Quantitative Research Methods and
Planning a Quantitative Research
 Foundations of Quantitative Research
 Development of Instruments—Achievement Test and
Questionnaires
 Turning Raw Data into Statistical Information
 Inferential Statistics (z test and t test)
 Experimental Research
 Quasi-Experimental Research Design
 Non-experimental Quantitative Research
 Correlation, Regression
 Multiple Regression
 One-way ANOVA
 Two-way ANOVA
 Chi-squared Test and Non-Parametric tests
 Path analysis and structural equation modeling
 Reviewing Quantitative Methods and Writing the Research Report
(Optional)
Course Assignments, Examinations and Evaluation:
Participation ……………………………………………….. 14%
Assignments and analysis ....................................... 66%
Mid-term ................................................................. 10%
Final ....................................................................... 10%
Week One: Aug .24, 2011
Topic: Introduction to the course syllabus; Introduction to Quantitative
Research Methods; Planning a quantitative research.
Reading and Activities: Muijs, D (2001), Chapter one; Wiersma, W.
and Jurs S. G. (2009). Chapter One;
Attendance and Discussion:1point
Assignment one: (3 points)
Write a brief research proposal based on 2.12 of the lecture note 2.
______________________________________________________________________
Week Two: Aug. 31, 2011
Topic: Foundations of Quantitative Research
Reading and Activities: MD’s Chapter 4 and 11; lecture notes
Attendance and Discussion: 1 point
Assignment two: (4 points) A test Split-half Reliability
________________________________________________________________________
Week Three: Sept. 7, 2011
Topic: Instruments—Achievement Test and Questionnaires
Reading and Activities: lecture notes and a questionnaire sample
Attendance and Discussion: 1 point
Assignment three: (4 points) to do analysis of a sample questionnaire
 What does the author want to measure and what potential theories
does the author have?
 If you are requested to re-write the questionnaire, any suggestions do
you have and what research questions do you want to ask?
 How do you connect your research questions to your theoretical
structures/models?
________________________________________________________________________
Week Four: Sept. 14, 2011
Topic: Turning Raw Data into Statistical Information
Reading and Activities: Aron, A, Aron E. N., and Coups. E. J. (a) (2008).
Chpt 1 and 2; Lecture notes session 5; MD’s Chapter 6 (page 111-121).
Attendance and Discussion:1point
Assignment four: (4 points) t test
________________________________________________________________________
Week Five: Sept .21, 2011
Topic: Inferential Statistics
Reading and Activities: Aron, A, Aron E. N., and Coups. E. J. (a) (2008).
Chpt 5 & 6. Lecture notes.
Attendance and Discussion:1point
Assignment five: (4 points) Confidential Interval
________________________________________________________________________
Week Six: Sept. 28, 2011
Topic: Experimental Research
Reading and Activities: MD’s chapter 2 (page 11-22)
Attendance and Discussion:1 point
Assignment six: (4 points)
A critical analysis of the paper, Counting Bones: Environmental Cues That Decrease Food
Intake (Wansink & Payne,2007).
________________________________________________________________________
Week Seven: Oct. 5, 2011
Topic: Quasi-experimental research
Reading and Activities: MD’s chapter 2 (page 23-28);
Attendance and Discussion:1 point
Assignment seven: (4 points)
Hitendra, P. (1998). An investigation of the effect of individual cognitive
preferences on learning through computer-based instruction. Educational
Psychology, 18( 2), 171-182.
Answer the following questions:
1. What is the primary research question that the study addressed?
2. What are the independent and dependent variables in the research
design?
3. What type of design was used in the study to answer the research
questions?
4. What do you think the researchers used the design they selected?
5. What limitations exist for the design used in the research study?
6. What could the researcher have done to improve the research design?
________________________________________________________________________
Week Eight: Oct. 12, 2011
Topic: No
Reading and Activities: No
Examination: 10 points
________________________________________________________________________
Week Nine: Oct. 19, 2011
Topic: Non-experimental research
Reading and Activities: MD’s chapter 3 (page 30-53);
Attendance and Discussion:1 point
Assignment eight: (4 points)
Individual and Social Factors Related to Urban African American
Adolescents’ School Performance by Cheryl L. Somers, Delila Owens
And Monte Piliawsky, 2008, The High School Journal Vol 91 (3) p. 12-24.
Read the study presented above for understanding and analysis.
1. What kind of non-experimental research is this study? Talk about the
rationale referring to the MD chapter and lecture notes.
2. What are the independent variable and dependent variables?
3. Do the conclusions seem warranted?
4. What could be done to improve the research?
________________________________________________________________________
Week Ten: Oct. 26, 2011
Topic: Simple regression
Reading and Activities: MD’s chapter 8 and 9.
Attendance and Discussion: 1 point
Assignment nine: ( 4 points) simple regression
________________________________________________________________________
Week Eleven: Nov. 2, 2011
Topic: Multiple regressions
Reading and Activities: MD’s chapter 8 and 9.
Attendance and Discussion: 1 point
Assignment ten: (12 points) multiple regression analysis
________________________________________________________________________
Week Twelve: Nov. 9, 2011
Topic: One-way ANOVA
Reading and Activities: Aron, A, Aron E. N., and Coups. E. J. (2012). (a)
Chpt 10 (p.314-364); MD’s chapter 10 (page 175-186)
Attendance and Discussion:1 point
Assignment eleven: (4 points) one-way ANOVA
________________________________________________________________________
Week Thirteen: Nov. 16, 2011
Topic: Two-way ANOVA
Reading and Activities: Aron, A, Aron E. N., and Coups. E. J. (b) (2009).
Chapter 10. (P. 370-431).
Attendance and Discussion:1point
Assignment twelve: (7 points) Two-way ANOVA
________________________________________________________________________
Week Fourteen: Nov. 23, 2011
Topic: Chi-square
Reading and Activities: lecture notes
Attendance and Discussion: 1 point
Assignment thirteen: (4 points)
_______________________________________________________________________
Week Fifteen: Nov. 30, 2011
Topic: Path analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM)
Reading and Activities: MD’ Chapter p.225-240
Attendance and Discussion:1point
Assignment fourteen: (4 points) why and how do you use SEM?
________________________________________________________________________
Week Sixteen: Dec. 7, 2011
Topic: No
Reading and Activities: No
Examination: 10 points
________________________________________________________________________
Item
Activity
%
1
Assignment 1
3.0
2
Assignment 2
4.0
3
Assignment 3
4.0
4
Assignment 4
4.0
5
Assignment 5
4.0
6
Assignment 6
4.0
7
Assignment 7
4.0
8
Mid-term exam
10.0
9
Assignment 8
4.0
10
Assignment 9
4.0
11
Assignment 10
12.0
12
Assignment 11
4.0
13
Assignment 12
7.0
14
Assignment 13
4.0
15
Assignment 14
4.0
16
Final exam
10.0
17
Interaction and discussion
14.0
total
100.0