EDUC 750 Discussion Post Getting a Valid Sample in an Educational Setting

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Dec 6, 2023

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EDUC 750 Discussion Post: Getting a Valid Sample in an Educational Setting Surveying is a vital part of research, but most researchers do not have the means to conduct studies of large groups of people. In order to survey students in these populations, researchers must make generalizations about them through representative samples (Check & Schutt, 2017). When these samples more likely represent the population they are selected from, they are better because the research is likely more valid (Check & Schutt, 2017). There are two distinctions between samples: probability sampling methods and nonprobability sampling methods (Check & Schutt, 2017). Convenience, or availability, sampling falls under nonprobability, which means a representative sample does not occur because it does not follow the process of random selection (Check & Schutt, 2017). Instead, it chooses convenient participants who are easy to find. Even though this can lead to self-selection bias, there are steps one can take to counteract this. First, researchers can broaden their population pool to help prevent bias. One way to begin this solution is by looking at the research from similar studies. For example, one study incorporated the diary method, and they had viewed hypotheses from other studies about how females, English-proficient students, and those with positive views towards learning were more likely to complete the entires with fidelity (Arndt & Rose, 2022). This also influenced those who volunteered in their research and those who actively participated more throughout the journey since most of their data was from female participants. In order to avoid an overpopulation of predictable participants, researchers will need to widen their search to reach more people. I could use my students as an example. Although I teach only ninth graders and have 210 students, five out of my six classes are honors classes, so my sample would not accurately represent the 800 total freshmen in my school if I were conducting a study about using flipped learning with ninth-graders. Instead, I would need to recruit other ninth-graders in my school to include general education, special education, and English Language students into my study pool for more accurate data. Another alternative would be to adjust my pool and expand from just ninth-graders to high school students in general so I could include students of all grades in the school. One way to entice people to participate is to add an incentive for participants upon completion. Research shows that the possibility of active participation nearly doubles when incentives are offered (Herranz‐Zarzoso et al., 2021). A monetary reward may work for college students, but my students are driven by Chick-fil-A and Chiptole lunches, so they could be offered a free lunch upon completion to increase active participation and the diversity of students involved. Galatians 6:9 says, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (The Bible App, n.d.). This verse is one of the main reasons why I believe in giving my students incentives. If nothing else, my scholars are rewarded for their

perseverance and persistence, so I believe offering incentives for research participation is a great idea. Overall, availability sampling is convenient despite its results not accurately reflecting the population it attempts to sample. To reduce the bias, researchers may need to conduct more research through previously conducted students and revamp their plan regarding their sample population. References Arndt, H., & Rose, H. (2022). Capturing life as it is truly lived? improving diary data in educational research. International Journal of Research & Method in Education , 46 (2), 175–186. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743727x.2022.2094360 Check, J., & Schutt, R. (2017). Research methods in education. (Vols. 1-0). SAGE Publications, Inc., https://doi.org/10.4135/9781544307725. Herranz‐Zarzoso, N., Georgantzis, N., & Sabater‐Grande, G. (2021). Self‐ selection bias in a field experiment: Recruiting subjects under different payment schemes. Bulletin of Economic Research , 74 (2), 421–426. https://doi.org/10.1111/boer.12302 The Bible App. (n.d.). Galatians 6: NIV bible: Youversion . Bible.com. https://www.bible.com/bible/111/GAL.6.NIV

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