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The research
questions posed by the researcher are as follows:

1. Will a
student’s overall reading achievement increase or decrease as their intrinsic
motivation towards reading increases or decreases? 
 2. Will a student’s accelerated reading scores increase or decrease their intrinsic
motivation towards reading?
 3. Does a performance based reward increase or decrease a student’s intrinsic motivation towards reading? 
4. Will a student’s accelerated reading score positively or negatively correlate to their overall reading achievement? 
5. Will the performance based reading reward positively or negatively correlate with a student’s accelerated reading scores? 
6. Will the performance based reading reward positively or negatively correlate with a student’s overall reading achievement? 

In the research
problem presented, there are six possible correlations which are important to
answering the research question: (1) student’s intrinsic motivation towards
reading and their overall reading achievement, (2) students intrinsic motivation
towards reading and their accelerated reading scores, (3) students intrinsic
motivation and the performance based reward; (4) students accelerated reading
scores and their overall reading achievement, (5) students accelerated reading
scores and the performance based reward given as a result of their scores; (6)
the performance based reward and student’s  overall reading achievement. The first three research questions are qualitative in nature and can be examined using surveys, interviews, audiovisual data, field notes, and the students accelerated reading data.  The last three research questions are quantitative in nature and can be examined using descriptive and/or experimental researching techniques. Using descriptive statistics, the researcher can examine correlations among the different variables. For example, the researcher can examine the correlation among students accelerated reading scores and their standardized test scores for reading. Once the researcher establishes statistically significant correlations among variables, a cause and effect relationship can be examined using experimental research. Using experimental research to establish cause and effect relationships among variables will help seal the validity of one’s research. 



 
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When answering
complex research questions, the researcher must dig deep to get a complete understanding of the phenomenon their studying. More importantly, the researcher
must decide the type of research study will work best to uncover certain truths about the phenomenon in question.  The entire body of data collected, not any single statistic calculated, is what ultimately must be used to resolve the esearch problem. There is no substitute for the task the researcher ultimately faces: to discover the meaning of the data and its relevance to the research problem (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010, p. 30). 

The purpose of this analysis is to examine the three main types of
doctoral research: qualitative, descriptive, and experimental research.
Furthermore, the researcher will synthesize how each strand of research could
potentially be applied to the research problem in question: will administering a
reading rewards program increase/decrease a
student’s intrinsic motivation towards reading, and/or increase/decrease a
student’s overall reading achievement scores? 
           
Qualitative research has two common core attributes in common. First, it
focuses on phenomena that occur in a real-world or natural setting, and second,
it involves studying those phenomena in all their complexity. 
Some qualitative researchers believe that there isn’t necessarily a
single, ultimate truth to be discovered, instead, there may be multiple
perspectives held by different individuals, with each of these perspectives
having equal validity, or truth (Creswell, 2009; Lincoln & Guba, 1985).
Other qualitative researchers believe that all inquiry starts out in a
qualitative form (Lauer& Asher, 1988). 

Qualitative research studies typically serve one or more of the
following purposes:
 1. Description: they can reveal the nature of certain situations,
settings, processes, relationships, systems, or people. 
2. Interpretation: they enable a researcher to (a) gain new insight
about a particular phenomenon, (b) develop new concepts or theoretical
perspectives about the phenomenon, and/or (c) discover the problems that exist
within the phenomenon.
3. Verification: they allow a researcher to test the validity of
certain assumptions, claims, theories, or generalizations within real world
contexts. 
4. Evaluation: they provide a means through which a researcher can
judge the effectiveness of particular policies, practices, or innovations
(Peshkin, 1993). Studying student’s intrinsic motivation towards reading is a complex task. Many variables can potentially contribute to increased or decreased student motivation levels and reading achievement. Thus, the researcher aims to “recognize that the issue being studied has many dimensions and layers, and will try to portray the issue in its multifaceted form” during the dissertation defense process (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010, p. 135). 
         
Qualitative research has five common research designs: (a) case studies,
(b) ethnography, (c) phenomenological study, (d) Grounded theory study, and (e) content analysis. While all of the qualitative research designs may be useful,
for the purpose of monitoring student’s intrinsic motivation towards reading, a
case may be one of the best options. A case study involves collecting extensive
data on the individuals (students), programs (accelerated reader), or events
(reading rewards) on which the investigation is focused. These data often
include observations, interviews, documents, past records, and audiovisual
materials (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010, p. 137). Gathering many forms of
qualitative data is vital when presenting a complete and unbiased account of the
case. Thus, the research will use a variety of case study methods as data to
collect, interpret, and report.


Descriptiveresearch involves either identifying the characteristics of an observedphenomenon or exploring possible correlations among two or more phenomena (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010, p. 182). The researcher also aims to do both in the research problem presented. There are four descriptive research designs: observation studies, correlational research, developmental designs, and survey research. In observational studies, when human beings are being studied, the focus is typically on a certain aspect of behavior, which can then be quantified in some way. For the research problem in question: : will administering a reading rewards program increase/decrease a student’s
  intrinsic motivation towards reading, and/or increase/decrease a student’s
  overall reading achievement scores; the behavior(s) being studied are students
  reading, their motivation, their test taking ability, and their reaction to a
  performance based reward.

A correlational study examines the extent to which differences in one characteristic or variable
are related to differences in one or more other characteristics or variables. A
correlation exists if, when one variable increases, another variable either
increases or decreases in a somewhat predictable fashion (Leedy & Ormrod,
2010, p. 183). In the research problem presented, there are six possible
correlations which are important to answering the research question: (1)
student’s intrinsic motivation towards reading and their overall reading
achievement, (2) students intrinsic motivation towards reading and their
accelerated reading scores, (3) students intrinsic motivation and the
performance based reward; (4) students accelerated reading scores and their
overall reading achievement, (5) students accelerated reading scores and the
performance based reward given as a result of their scores; (6) the performance
based reward and student’s  overall reading achievement. A developmental design often time involves the researcherstudying how a particular characteristic changes as people grow older, normally through the use of either a cross sectional study or longitudinal study. And finally, survey research involves acquiring information about one or moregroups of people-perhaps about their characteristics, opinions, attitudes, or previous experiences- by asking them questions and tabulating their answers
with the ultimate goal being to learn about a large population by surveying a
sample of that population (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010, p. 187). 
           
Once the researcher has identified correlations between variables, an
experimental design could possibly be used to establish cause and effect
relationships among the variables. In experimental research, the researcher
considers many possible factors that might cause or influence a particular
condition or phenomenon. The researcher then attempts to control for all
influential factors except those whose possible effects are the focus of
investigation (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010, p. 223). In this type of research,
experimenters control for independent and dependent variables. In true
experimental research, the researcher manipulates the independent variable and examines its effects on another, dependent variable (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010, p. 228). Thus, when the research has evolved to the stage of defining cause and effect relationships, experimental research will be used. 
 
In conclusion, a good researcher will incorporate as many types and
designs of research necessary to solve problems. No one research design will
ever be all encompassing. A true researcher must remember that the statistical
values obtained in a research study are never the end of a research endeavor or
the final answer to a research problem- the entire body of data collected is
what ultimately must be used to resolve the research problem (Leedy &
Ormrod, 2010). Thus the research will use all three types of research:
qualitative, quantitative, and experimental, to resolve the research problem:
will administering a reading rewards program increase/decrease a student’s intrinsic motivation towards reading, and/or increase/decrease a student’s overall reading achievement scores?





References

 Creswell, J.W. (2009). Research design:
Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (3rd ed.).
Thousand
  Oaks, CA: Sage.

Lauer, J.M., & Asher, J.W. (1988) Composition
  research: Empirical designs
. New York: Oxford University Press. 

Leedy, P. D., & Ormrod, J. E. (2010). Practical
  research: Planning and design
. Upper Sadle River, New Jersey: Merrill. 

Lincoln, Y.S., & Guba, E.G. (1985). Naturalistic
  inquiry
. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

 Peshkin, A. (1988). Understanding complexity: A gift of qualitative
research. Anthropology and Education
Quarterly
, 19, 416-424. 


 

 
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The purpose of
this  study is to compare the student reading achievement scores of
third graders and monitor their intrinsic motivation towards reading when a
reading rewards program is implemented inside the classroom. 
Student reading achievement scores will be tracked on a yearly basis, and
will be measured by the scores of their state specific end-of-the-year
standardized test. The instruments used to monitor their intrinsic motivation
will be a student reading survey given both before and after implementing the
reading rewards program. The reading tracking program Renassaince Place will be used to monitor student reading throughout the school year. Students will set reading goals for themselves every grading period and the researcher will give an intrinsic reward to each student who meets their reading goal per grading
period. The researcher will then compare the student’s standardized reading test
scores to that of a control group of students of whom the reading rewards
program was not implemented. The researcher will then discuss the data between
the two groups of third grade students in the summary and include any
implications for future research and classroom implementation. 


 
 
 

    Author

    Michael L. Kendrick

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