PS370 Research Methods in Psychology

Directions: Be sure to save an electronic copy of your answer before submitting it to Ashworth College for grading. Unless otherwise stated, answer in complete sentences, and be sure to use correct English, spelling, and grammar. Sources must be cited in APA format. Your response should be four (4) double‐spaced pages; refer to the “Format Requirementsʺ page for specific format requirements.

For this assignment, you will propose an original research question based on previous research that has been conducted on the topic of self-directed learning by following the steps below.

1.     Read and briefly summarize the following two (2) articles. Each summary should be 1 double-spaced page, including the following:

a.      Purpose

b.     Methods

c.      Results

d.     A short critique of the study (What would you have done differently?)

NOTE: To access ProQuest articles, you MUST first open a Web browser window to the Ashworth College Library; otherwise, you will be denied access to the articles when you click the links. Once your browser is open to the Ashworth College Library, simply click on the link for the article you need to read.

·       Chou, P. (2012). The relationship between engineering students’ self-directed learning abilities and online learning performances: A pilot study. Contemporary Issues in Education Research (Online), 5(1), 33. Retrieved fromhttp://search.proquest.com/docview/1418450323?accountid=45844

·       Orawiwatnakul, W., &Wichadee, S. (2011). A comparison of students’ outcomes in two classes: Business administration students VS communication arts students based on self-directed learning activities. Contemporary Issues in Education Research, 4(5), 23-32. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/868724579?accountid=45844

2.     Using ProQuest, find one (1) additional article related to the topic of self-directed learning. Read and briefly summarize the article. The summary should be 1 double-spaced page, including the following:

a.      Purpose

b.     Methods

c.      Results

d.     A short critique of the study (What would you have done differently?)

3.     Develop a proposed research question, a hypothesis, and describe how you will test the hypothesis. This section of your paper should be 1 double-spaced page.

a.      Based on the previous research that you have read and summarized, develop a proposed research question that you would like to study. Provide two (2) supporting facts from the previous research to justify the need for your proposed study.

b.     Based on the previous research, develop a hypothesis. Provide two (2) supporting facts to justify your hypothesis.

c.      Provide a brief description of the proposed study that you would use to test your hypothesis, identifying the independent and dependent variables.

Grading Rubric

Please refer to the rubric on the next page for the grading criteria for this assignment.