Summary and critique of two research studiesSummary and critical evaluation of two research articles (40 marks)

The articles identified below are examples of current Australian research. They have been selected because they different research methods to investigate a similar topic, the issue of risk and its correlate, safety. We expect the topic will be of interest to all of you, and hope that you will find these papers interesting and engaging to read. We hope they will also provoke you, in that you may have opinions and experiences that are different from the views of the authors and the research participants.

Whilst reading for interest, and agreeing or disagreeing with the research findings, are important first steps in reading research, engaging in the practice of critical teacher-research requires a more thoughtful and careful analysis of research articles. Therefore, in your first read through of each article, you should make some initial notes about your response to the article. After this, you should read the article again, slowly and methodically, addressing and thinking about the questions and guidelines for reading research.

For each of the two articles listed above, use the following questions (see also McMillan, J. H. and Wergin, J. F. (2010). Understanding and evaluating educational research. e-reserve) to write a summary in point form of the key features of the article, and a critical evaluation of the research.

The summary should address the following questions:

•What is the broad area of research, or the research problem, being studied by the author(s)?
•What research question(s) were identified?
•What methods were used to address the research question(s)?
•Where was the study located and who were the participants?
•How were the findings reported?
•What were the major findings as reported by the authors?
•What implications for practice are suggested by the author(s)?
The critical evaluation should address the following questions:

•Is the sample described adequately? What further information did you want about them, and why?
•Is there a clear description of the procedures and methods or measures? What further information did you want, and why?
•What ethical considerations are relevant to this study, and how do you think they were addressed by the author(s)?
•Have limitations been identified by the author(s)? if so, do you agree with these and why?/why not? if not, what do you think are the limitations of the research?
•In what ways does this research challenge or support general or your own long-held beliefs and practice?
•How might the findings of the research be applied in your own practice?
The qualitative article is detailed below and can be accessed from the following link:

Little, H. (2015) Mothers’ beliefs about risk and risk-taking in children’s outdoor play, Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 15:1, 24-39.http://www-tandfonline-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/doi/abs/10.1080/14729679.2013.842178

The quantitative article is detailed below and can be accessed from the following link:

O’Neill, S., Fleer, M., Agbenyega, J., Ozanne-Smith, J., & Urlichs, M. (2013). A cultural-historical construction of safety education programs for preschool children: Findings from ‘SeeMore Safety’, the pilot study. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 38(2), 74–84. http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/fullText;dn=199138;res=AEIPT

Rationale
Summary and Critical Evaluation of Two Research Studies – Finding and selecting relevant research, and developing the ability to think critically about the question, the methods, and the conclusions will help you to make good use of the wealth of research that is available to inform your decisions as educators.
This assessment allows you to demonstrate the degree to which you have met the following learning objectives for this subject:
o evaluate the appropriateness of different research approaches to investigating and addressing problems in early childhood education;
o understand the different paradigms within which research in early childhood education is situated and explain the implications for the research process;
o describe and comment upon current research in early childhood education;
o analyze and critique reports of research into early childhood education / practice;
o identify some research methods useful for educators’ research on their own professional practice;
o understand how research is influenced by political, economic, and social forces in society;
o identify and discuss the ethical issues involved in research in early childhood education
Marking criteria
The following marking criteria will be used for assessment 2:

1. Quality of the summary. (15 marks; 7.5 marks per article)

In order to pass criterion 1, you must show that all required aspects of the assessment task are fully attended to and are completed in detail. You must also provide evidence of your developing appreciation and understanding of research concepts, and present an informed response. Written summaries which do not meet these standards will fail this criterion.

2. Critical Reflection. (20 marks; 10 marks per article)

In order to pass criterion 2, you must provide reflective comments about research issues and concepts, and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the two articles thoughtfully, with honesty, rigour, and responsibility. Reflection should be critical in nature, going beyond simply describing the content of the article. Responses that only include a ‘surface-level’ description which do not critically consider the content of the articles will fail this criterion.
3. Grammar and referencing (5 marks)

In order to pass criterion 3, you must present citations and referencing in accordance with the University’s standard approach, and include references beyond class notes. Failure for this criterion will occur where students depart from the guidelines, implement the guidelines in a haphazard fashion, or do not include references beyond the class notes. Additionally, appropriate English should be used and writing should be coherent and free of grammatical and spelling mistakes. Responses that contain multiple grammatical errors and are poorly organized will fail this criterion.
Presentation
Assessments must be 12-point font, one and one half page spacing. The assessment must also be titled, and pages numbered