This talk begins with problem awareness, the starting point of educational research, and explains how everyday experiences, practical challenges in educational settings, policy–practice gaps, and gaps in the literature can be developed into specific and researchable questions. It also discusses how a literature review can help clarify what is already known and what remains unexplored, thereby establishing an academic foundation for the study. The speaker introduces quantitative and qualitative research approaches, as well as research designs such as case studies, action research, experimental and quasi-experimental studies, survey research, and mixed methods, highlighting how different research questions call for different methods and types of data. The talk also presents major approaches to data collection, including interviews, observations, questionnaires, and scales, together with their applications. A central message of the talk is that research questions should determine the research design, which in turn determines how data are collected and analyzed, ensuring coherence among the research purpose, research questions, literature, methods, and evidence. Through practical examples from educational settings, participants are guided through the complete research process—from identifying a problem and reviewing the literature to selecting appropriate methods, collecting data, and building evidence. The talk emphasizes that educational research is not merely the application of research methods, but a systematic process of inquiry that uses evidence to answer meaningful questions.

Implemented by Department of Data Science and Mathematics
Date: 2026/10/01