Eating Issues Plaguing School Children: Data Collection Method Plan
One of the most important steps in creating a research project is the examination of various methods of data collection. Understanding data collection process can help researchers to choose and develop the most appropriate research method to facilitate better comprehension as to the nature and the outcome of a research project. This paper will cover how validity and reliability plays into the process of developing the research study on the relationship between nutrition and school performance and problems associating with creating a data collection plan.
In creating a data collection method, one must realize the various methods that are available whether the type is qualitative or quantitative in nature. The quantitative research method concentrates on application of the experimental design involving pretest posttest of subjects that are randomly assigned to their respective groups (Action Research. 2002). Typically, there is a control and experimental group and the researcher analyzes the data by comparing the results of the two groups. In contrast, the qualitative research method involves accessing existing archival sources within a school, using conventional sources such as questionnaires and surveys, exhibits, portfolios, interviews, rating scales, inventories, and so on. The strength of qualitative research is the researcher's ability to collect data in many ways rather than relying on one particular source. This is known as triangulation (Action Research. 2002).
With the following research project, the goal is to determine whether good breakfast will positively influence math test performance amongst fourth grade children overall. Finding a solution for poor school performance is something all parties involved are interested in. For the purpose of this study, the research sample size will involve four fourth grade classes and as mentioned earlier, individuals will be chosen through random selection. In the end, only 50% of the children from each class will be participating in the project.
