DIRECTORATE OF DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMME (DDLP) FEDERAL COLLEGE OF

EDUCATION, KONTAGORA,

MARIGA STUDY CENTRE.

NIGER STATE

SCHOOL OF PRIMARY EDUCATION

COURSE CODE: PES 221

COURSE TITLE: RESEARCH METHOD IN PRIMARY EDUCATION (2C)

BY SULEIMAN SANUSI TIJANI

 RESEARCH METHOD IN PRIMARY EDUCATION
Introduction
This course, PES 221: Basic Research Methods in Education is designed
to give you self instruction on the rudiments of educational research
practices and statistical methods. It teaches you how to understand the
research problem, how to select the research problem, the investigations,
data collection methods, analysis, interpretations and how to present the
report. It is comprehensive to help you carry out your project in research
without any encumbrances. The statistical tools which you will need to
present and analyse your research data have been presented in a very
systematic manner so that you can use them with less difficulties. The
various data collection techniques have been explained. With this you
can carry out any research project with ease.

INTRODUCTION
You may have wondered what research is all about. You may have thought about research as
Something exotic not meant for the consumption of the ordinary person. You may have seen
research, just like every other layman, as something which carries with it the aura of activity
usually engaged in by the super-intelligent, and beyond the capability of an average
intelligent person.
Are you among the people who perceive research as an activity which is undertaken with
highly sophisticated equipment, and/or an activity exclusively preserved for the lecturers and
‘Research Fellows’ in the Universities or tertiary institutions?
In this course, you will be presented with a de-mystifying view of research as an activity
which is not far from the routine ritual of all normal thinking human being. You will see
research generally as a process of finding out the answers to a problem. To this effect, you
will appreciate and find it as an activity which is worth doing.
The Concept of Research
Research is the systematic study of materials and sources in order to
establish facts and reach new conclusions. The word research can better
be understood when broken into two and hyphenated. That is, re –
search. According to the Microsoft Encarta (2009), the prefix re –
means again, anew, backward while the word search means to examine
something thoroughly that is to look into, over, or through something
carefully in order to find something. It also means to discover something
by examination -to come to know or find something by examination.
When both words are put together, we see research to mean the
systematic process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting information
concerning a subject matter. Methodology on the other hand is simply
the way, procedure or system of carrying out the research. Thus,
methodology encompasses the principles, philosophical underpinnings
and rationale. Interestingly, Romberg’s (1975) definition is in line with
this view. According to him, the word research has as its stem “search,”
which means ‘look for’ with the prefix ‘re’ which together means ‘to
look for again, more carefully, more exhaustively.’ It then means that
research has to do with carefully searching out or looking for something
in order to understand whatever one is examining.
The Research Process
The research process is simply the procedure or methodology that we
adopt in our research. The process could either be an inductive process
or a deductive process. An inductive process goes from the specific to
the general while a deductive process goes from the general to the
specific. These two processes can be seen as the bottom up process and
the top-down procedures.

Introduction
A method is a way one adopts in doing something. It is an approach
which a teacher adopts to explain a subject matter to a group of pupils.
Methods set the guidelines for the pattern of behaviour which are
expected from the pupils in a learning environment. They are generally
procedures for promoting learning and a good teacher uses it to increase
the effectiveness of the teaching process.
Primary Education, according to the National Policy on Education is
referred to as “the education given in institutions for children aged 6-11
plus”. Since the rest of the education system is built upon it, the primary
level is the key to the success or failure of the whole system. The
teachers in this level of education should be committed and should
utilize various and appropriate methods of teaching appropriately in
order to make learning process comprehensive, vivid and easy. Children
learn with ease with teachers who are kind, friendly, patient, helpful and
allow plenty of activities but at the same time maintain order.
There are many methods of teaching available to the primary school
teacher. A teacher should exhaust each method that can be used to
achieve the objective of the lesson depending on the degree of efficiency
of the teacher. They include: lecture method, project, demonstration
activity method, assignment, games and role-play, questioning, storytelling
and others. Occasionally, one method becomes superior to
another depending on the topic of the lesson. No method is better than
the other rather; the best method to be used at a particular time depends
upon ever changing factors. Some of these factors include the topic to be
taught, period of the year, age and ability of the child, teaching aids,
locality etc. However, it should be noted that any method is worthy of
use if only it will produce the desired result.
Meaning of Research
Many writers have described research in various ways, and according to the type and the
area. We can say that research is the process of arriving at dependable solutions to problems
through a planned and systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of data. You may
have to note that the key words in this description are planned and systematic. It means that
research is considered as a logical scientific thinking. This implies that a study or an activity
cannot be regarded as research unless it is carried into the higher levels of vigorous and
scientific reasoning.
Odiagbe [1999]took a more comprehensive and enlarged coverage at research when he
submitted that research is an investigation, scholarly inquiry ,a scientific study of
phenomenoe, systematic or in-depth study of a sduject undeertaken to discover and establish
fact or scientific laws or to imorove a condition , process or product through observation ,
data collection, data analysis and interpretation .

We can also look at research as a process of seeking answers to hypothetical questions using
scientific methods of inquiry to produce valid information. It means therefore, that when you
use research methods to solve problems, you are more efficient than either trial-and-error
attempts or “short-run” approaches. This is because you will direct all efforts towards a particular
goal based on a sound hypothetical solution.
According to Leedy (1997), research is the systematic process of collecting and analysing
information (data) in order to increase our understanding of the phenomenon with which we
are concerned or interested. He goes on to say that research is not:
• mere information gathering;
• mere transformation of facts from one location to another;
• merely rummaging for information;
• a catch-word used to get information.
In their own definition, Best and Kahn (1995) agree that research is the systematic and
objective analysis and recording of controlled observations that may lead to the development
of generalizations, principles or theories, resulting in prediction and possibly, ultimate control
of events.
From these and other definitions, you have to note that one of the most reliable ways of
ascertaining that decisions are correctly made is to use a scientific approach to arrive at those
decisions. Therefore, research is needed in order to arrive at objective conclusions. Thus, the
use of data to quantify statements and very assumptions with empirical evidence becomes
imperative.
Educational Research
Educational research is implied when research activities are geared towards unravelling
educational problems or bringing about improvement in teaching and learning. According to
Ary et. al. (1972:21), educational research is “the way in which one acquires dependable and
useful information about the educative process”. While Travers (1964:5) says that
educational research is “an activity directed towards the development of an organised body of
scientific knowledge about the events with which educators are concerned”. Do you notice
that the descriptions of educational research above highlight some important concepts? These
concepts include: dependability of the information and its scientific nature; and the fact that
the subject matter of investigation should be of interest to educators.
Ali (1996:1) described educational research as those activities or processes which allow one
to systematically test and/or obtain a body of information, data or knowledge about teaching/
learning or conditions which affect teaching and learning. This means that research in
education is a systematic attempt to define and investigate pertinent problems involved in
teaching and learning. This can take place within or outside the school setting. It can take
place at various levels of education, such as early childhood, primary, secondary or tertiary
levels. You will again note that, implicit in this definition, is that educational research
employs scientific methods to find out how teaching and learning can be improved,
conditions under which knowledge can be tested and verified and the conditions under which
they should occur.In his own definition, Kerlinger (1964) says that educational research is a
systematic, controlled, empirical and critical investigation of hypothetical propositions about the
presumed relations among natural phenomenon.
Education is mainly concerned with the processes which deal with deliberate change in the
behaviour of people through the acquisition of knowledge, skills, attitudes, interests and
appreciation. Therefore, the goal of educational research is to discover general principles on
which interpretations, predictions, explanations and control of behaviour can be based since
educational research is concerned with the study of the problems of teaching and learning. It
means that any research in this area should contribute to some aspect related directly or
indirectly to the teaching-learning situation. Therefore, the topic selected for investigation
should be truly educational, preferably a problematic topic whose findings will add to the
knowledge-bank of education and to lead to some solution of a societal problem.
Characteristics of Educational Research
Earlier in this unit, we have said that mere col ection of facts, whether from reference books,
from readings in the library, from historical documents, from questionnaire or even from the
internet, is not research, unless the information derived from the analysis of the data is used
to solve problem. Based on this, let us look at some characteristics of research.
According to Anaekwe (2002), some of the characteristics are:
(i) Research is Systematic: This means that the steps followed have to be sequential and
logical. The procedures used can be repeated by another research to verify the findings.
(ii) Research is Objective: This means that the findings are reported as they are. The biases,
prejudices, beliefs or interests of the researcher and/or the society are not allowed to
interfere with the research procedure and/or results.
(iii) Research Report is Precise: This is pertinent as the use of vocabulary which is capable
of multiple interpretation is not encouraged.
(iv) Research is Testable/Measurable: Research is not speculative, but quantifiable. It
becomes imperative that data col ected for research must be measurable and tested
against a specified hypothesis.
(v) Research is Replicable/Verifiable: Results or findings of a research can be verified by
the researcher or any other person interested in the findings. This can be done by going
through the data used in the study or the processes involved. The research can be
replicated by re-administering the same instrument or similar instrument of data
col ection to the same subjects or similar group of subjects. This replication can help one
to justify the authenticity or otherwise of an earlier conclusion.
Best and Kahn (1995) gave a summary of the characteristics of research so as to clarify its
meaning. These are:
(i) Research emphasises the development of generalizations, principles or theories
that will be helpful in predicting future occurrences;
(ii) Research is based upon observable experience or empirical evidence;
(iii) Research demands accurate observation and description;
(iv) Research involves gathering new data from primary or first-hand success or using
existing data for a new purpose;
(v) Research is often characterized by carefully designed procedures that apply rigorous
analysis;
(vi) Research requires expertise;
(vii) Research strives to be objective and logical, applying every possible test to validate the
procedures employed, the data colected and the conclusions reached;
(viii) Research involves the quest for answers to unresolved problems;
(ix) Research is characterized by patient and unhurried activity;
(x) Research is carefully reported and recorded;
(xi) Research requires courage.

Purposes of Educational Research

Have you noted that in recent times many countries of the world have shown strong concern
for improving the quality and variety of education as wel as access to it? For instance, the
emphasis in some countries is the provision of education to adult citizens or to citizens in remote
local locations i.e. a question of access to education. In some other countries, considerable
interest is on diversification of educational opportunities to take care of students of a broad
spectrum and interest group. This will show you that most countries quite legitimately worry and
show concern about their educational processes and products. It shows the countries’ desires
to have a living, growing and responsive education. These concerns have led to upsurge in
research efforts aimed at identifying viable alternative action among many options. This leads
to the introduction of research-based recommendations designed to improve education even
with insufficient resources.
You are aware that, as a result of strong concern to take education to the doorsteps of the
numerous Nigerians who are remote and educational y disadvantaged, or those who have
been denied access to education as a result of one obstacle, rigid policy etc. or the other and
to remove all boundaries in education, the Federal Government of Nigeria established the
National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) by an Act of the National Assembly. This is
one of such concerns which have evoked invocations of new curricula, new programmes,
changes in actual teaching and learning processes, changes in teachers’ recruitment etc.
Researches in education come with the picture because educational process is a very complex
and evolving one whose every facet must be carefully and systematically investigated,
understood and implemented towards achieving the objectives.
You have noted that one purpose of research is the development of theories by discovering
broad generalizations or principles. This is why Good et. al. (1941) described the chief
purposes to which the services of research can be put to achieve in education to include to:
(i) determine the status of phenomenon, past and preset;
(ii) ascertain the nature, composition and process that characterize educational phenomena;
(iii) trace growth, change and developmental history of persons and issues and objects.
According to Best (1976), when a research becomes applied research, it can take on the
purpose of improving a product or a process of production. It means that it involves the
testing of theoretical concepts in actual problem-situations in industrial settings. In the field
of education, it is interesting to recognise that most educational research is applied research
because it attempts to develop generalizations about the teaching-learning processes and
instructional materials.
Kerlinger (1971) has summarised educational research purposes as concerned with the
development and testing of how students behave in the educational setting.
You have seen that research, in general, is of immense importance in all-human endeavours.
This is why Anaekwe (2002) believes that educational researches have the fol owing
purposes:
(i) to provide training in problem-solving. This is because research involves problemsolving,
and life in itself is full of problems. Therefore, knowledge of research provides
training in problem-solving;

(ii)to provide valid and dependable information, which could be very useful in advancing the
course of educational theories and practices;
(iii) to evaluate educational programmes, activities, practices, resources and methods of
teaching;
(iv) to provide training in understanding of the intricacies and technicalities requisite for
handling research problems in particular and problems in general.
According to Ikekhua and Yesufu (1995), the four-fold purposes of educational research are:
(i) to provide objective evidence to improve school learning;
(ii)to provide objective evidence to improve school learning;
to controvert myths surrounding certain practices and principles in education;
(iii) to change beliefs characterizing practitioners and products of education and the
consumers of the products of education, and
(iv) to help place the work of the school and its agents on a firmer ground with consumers of
education.
You will notice that from the foregoing and from Ali (1996), it is apparent that research has,
as its role in the educational process, several purposes. It provides the hard data and
information which give a clear picture, the true picture, the objective picture about how we
teach and learn as well as what we are doing about schools and schooling. When such a
picture is dispassionately superimposed or interpreted against reality, comparisons of what is
versus what should be and the choices we need for getting to where we want to be in the
process of education become apparent. Therefore, research plays the role of giving us a rich
picture of the process of education.

DATA COLLECTION IN RESEARCH

Data can be regarded as information. It can be given out or taken for the purpose of making
interferences in research. In this case, it may include numerical or statistical results or figures
such as percentages. It may also include verbal materials like newspaper accounts, scholastic
essay etc. we can therefore say that any collection of verbal or numerical information from which
inferences or conclusions can be drawn or analyzed is regarded as data. It means that data can be
quantitative or qualitative.
Any information which comes in numbers, figures, measures or quantities is said to be
quantitative. Where as any information which comes as a verbal description of attribute or
characteristics is regarded as qualitative. So when you have evidences obtained from other
research studies, observations made from the field and laboratory settings, information extracted
from records and documents, score collected from tests of various types etc; you say you have
data.
Remember that you go to the field to collect data for the purpose of using the data carefully
collected from your subject, to test your hypotheses in order to draw your inferences and
conclusions. These inferences and conclusions are about rejecting the hypotheses or supporting
them as away of providing answers to your problem of study. Therefore, the data you collect
and the tools which you use for collecting them must be relevant to your hypotheses and
research design. According to Tolbert (1967) all data gathering devices should be closely related
to the design of the study. You can conveniently describe data collection then, as a research
activity involving the process of gathering relevant information with reference to the stated
hypotheses, variables and design.

THE PROCESS OF REVIEW OF LITERATURE

INTRODUCTION
During the course of a research work, the student is expected to make
use of information gathered from researches done by others. The process
of consulting studies or researches done by other people or done in other
contexts centering on the topic of the student’s interest is called
literature review or review of related literature. In this unit, we shall be
focusing on the process of literature review, its functions and how to
effectively search for literatures.
The Meaning of Literature Review
Literature review simply implies reviewing all relevant studies centering
on the topic of interest. Literature has to do with all the previous
research work consulted in the process of the research work. Hence, to
effectively do this, the researcher might consult journal articles, books,
reports, theses of others, electronic sources and so forth.
It is important to note that the literature review focuses on how to
identify existing work on the area of focus and ‘how to solve the
research problem.’ Not only that, the literature review process helps the

researcher formulate good hypothesis. This might be the reason why the
hypothesis comes immediately after the literature review. It is assumed
that the researcher while reading literatures adjusts the focus of the
research and possibly modifies the questions the research is set to
answer.
In examining relevant materials to the research topic, the onus is on the
researcher to identify and select only relevant materials. The researcher
in the process of reviewing literature is also expected to note ‘gaps’ in
the studies and try to fill such gaps. Various studies, especially empirical
research works have sections for recommendations and limitations of
study. The researcher is expected to use these recommendations and
limitations as basis for understanding the gaps in such studies and try to
fill such gaps in his or her research.
Hence, the researcher is expected to critically analyze the literature,
compare the literature with other studies and come up with a position.
The main crux of the process is to critically examine the basic ideas
already established or researched on in an area. It is important also to
look at the strengths and weaknesses of such studies focusing on the
research problems and objectives. The major importance of reviewing
literature has been described above. There is also a personal importance
to the researcher, it adds to the body of knowledge the researcher is open
to. It is important to note that the process of literature review is not
aimed at amassing summaries of irrelevant researches but at identifying
relevant and useful ones and appraising their strengths and weaknesses
and taking a position whether the researcher conducted the research
well. In appraising researches, one must look at the methodologies, the
analysis and the findings critically. Hence, the researcher is expected to
put the outcome of the review of literature into a coherent whole
pointing out their strengths and weaknesses, shed light on controversial
areas and take a position as to what area of departure should be with
regards to further research. This simply means that the outcome of the
literature review is basically the reason for embarking on a research.
3.2 Functions of Literature Review
What is the purpose of a literature review, what function does it serve in
research work?
According to Akinade and Owolabi (2009), literature review serves the
following functions.
1. It brings clarity and focus to research problem
2. It improves understanding of the research problem
3. It also improves research methodology
Literature review also enables us to do the following.
1. Literature review helps to identify the research methodology
to adopt: Most times, the unskilled researcher meets a roadblock
in the process adopting a research methodology. But during the
course of literature review, the researcher sees previous studies
done in that particular area and also sees the design and
methodology the researchers adopted and why they got the results
they got. This will then guide him in his selection of the
appropriate research method.
2. Literature review increases the researcher’s knowledge base:
Most times, novice researchers enter into an area where they do
not understand. However, literature review helps them have a
good grasp of what the area is all about. Literature review
enlarges their insight into what has been done, theories and
general points of departure with regards to the study. Hence it
gives them deeper insight and broadens their horizon and equips
them with the skill and knowledge base needed to proceed on the
research.
3. Literature review enables researchers to discover gaps to be
filled in literature: This is one of the major functions of the
review of literature. The knowledge gap refers to areas, which
have been unexplored, unresearched, or uncharted in or avoided
by researcher in previous researches. This is done in order for the
researcher to be able to make a significant contribution to
existing knowledge and not engage in over flogging an area of
research. In the process of literature review, the researcher
discovers missing links in research and tries to fill them. This
process equips the researcher with information on how to embark
on his work. It shows what has been researched on in that area,
what is being researched on and what could be researched on.
This then informs the researcher on whether to conduct a study
replicating what has been done already or to conduct a new study
in the same area. This is important in order to avoid a
reinvention of the wheel and duplicating of efforts.
4. Literature review: Some researchers conduct research and later
find out that they have missed citing major researchers in that
area. For instance, it is an anomaly to conduct a comprehensive
research work on linguistic and non-linguistic knowledge and not
mention the Chomskian point of view. It is only through the
process of literature review that such scholars and their
contributions are known.

5. Literature review enables the researcher take every view into

consideration in embarking on the research: Literature review
also assists the researcher in looking at the research from all the
sides and not having a one sided view of the research area. It
gives the researcher a panoramic view of an area. This is not to
say that researches are done considering every view. It simply
means that during the process of literature review, the researches
done within that particular area are examined. This gives the
reader of such papers, studies or articles an idea that the
researcher has taken into consideration a wide range of
perspectives before embarking on the present study. It gives the
reader the impression that the researcher knows what he is doing.
6. Literature review sheds more light on the theories
surrounding a particular research area: There are theories that
are in journals and may never be published in textbooks. There
are some that may never become prominent even if published but
these theories might be known to have been formulating by
experts at different times. Therefore, it is expected that one
review relevant theories surrounding his/her area of interest to
acquaint oneself with present knowledge in that particular area.
7. Literature review enables the researcher in the choice of
research topic: Literature review enables a researcher choose a
topic for research and modify the one that may have been chosen.
This is because in the process of reviewing literature, one will
definitely come across an area of the research where the
researcher made recommendations, stated limitations of the study
and suggestions for further studies. In making suggestions for
further studies, the researcher points out what needs to be done in
further research. In the limitations, he points out limiting factors
in the process of the research. These points could be used as areas
of departure in forming a topic for research.
8. Literature review enables the researcher decides on whether
to continue with the research or not: This points to the
avoidance of duplication of efforts. Most researches people want
to conduct have been earlier conducted and at times, they have
been done with better designs and methodologies than what we
want to apply, hence, the need to review literature to see what has
been done and what has not been done. Once this is done, the
researcher decides to either continue with the work or leave the
topic if it has been done better elsewhere.
9. Literature review enlarges the information, ideas and
Concepts relevant to the research: Literature review enables the researcher to extend the
knowledge base of the study. The
researcher’s knowledge base is broadened through the process of
literature review. The review also sharpens the focus of the
knowledge the research is set to communicate. Literature review
makes a particular research rich in information and broadens the
scope of the study.
3.3 Searching for Sources for Literature Review
Akinade and Owolabi (2009: 64) noted the following as some of the
sources for literature on a research problem:
Books
Journals
Projects, dissertations and thesis
Periodicals
Indexes and Abstracts
Encyclopedia
Internet.
1. Books: The importance of books lies in the fact that most
theories used in theoretical reviews are found in books. This
simply means that books contain an interpretation from the book
author’s point of view, studies done in a particular area.
Moreover, books are written in simple everyday language, which
most people are conversant with. However, it is also important
for the researcher to make use of firsthand sources of information
like journals and periodicals.

2. Periodicals and Journals: Periodicals are collections of articles.

These can be newspapers, magazines or journals. Periodicals are
published within periods such as weekly, monthly of bi-monthly
and so forth. Periodicals are a rich source of information. For
instance, newspapers constantly have new reports, magazines
have brief authoritative and concise articles and Journals are
scholarly references that contain research outcomes by experts in
journal’s area of focus. The information in journals is contributed
by seasoned experts and is a rich source of information for the
researcher since it contains longer articles, which are results of
qualitative or quantitative researches. The interesting fact about
periodicals is that any new research invention, theory, idea or
concept is first published in periodicals.
3. Projects, Dissertations and Thesis: Previous researches done by
students in various levels – B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D. are other rich
sources of information for researchers. However, it is important

to note that some of these sources are replete with

methodological errors which should be avoided. Hence, students
are advised to examine these works critically before using them.
4. Indexes and Abstracts: The researcher can also examine
abstracts and indexes as sources of information for literature
review. Indexes are compilations of titles of research articles
published in several journals within a period. The index contains
author’s name, paper title, year of publication, journal title and
page number while an abstract is a collation of summaries of
research articles, conference proceedings, theses, and so forth. It
contains the summary of the research background, research
problems, research methodology, findings, conclusions and
recommendations, the researcher’s name and affiliations,
publication type, page numbers and so forth. It is important to
note that there are electronic sources or databases for abstracts
like ERIC and MEDLINE databases.
The above information can be obtained from libraries. These libraries
could be public or private libraries. In addition, government ministries
could be a major source for obtaining information. For instance, the
Ministry of Information has a research and statistics department where
all the information that has to do with any form of communication
within the country is easily accessible.