Data collection methods in educational research:

• Surveys: Questionnaires or online forms used to gather self-reported data from a large number of participants. Useful for collecting attitudes, beliefs, and demographic information.
• Interviews: In-depth, semi-structured or structured conversations with individuals or small groups. Useful for gathering detailed insights, perspectives, and experiences.
• Observations: Participant observation, case studies, or ethnographic research. Useful for studying behaviors, interactions, and contexts in natural settings.
• Document analysis: Examination of existing texts, images, or artifacts. Useful for analyzing policies, curricula, student work, or historical documents.

These methods help researchers gather data to answer research questions, test hypotheses, and explore phenomena in educational settings. By selecting appropriate data collection methods, researchers can ensure robust and meaningful data to inform their findings and conclusions.

Surveys provide breadth, interviews provide depth, observations offer a lived experience perspective, and document analysis provides historical and contextual insight. By triangulating these methods, researchers can increase data validity and reliability, providing a comprehensive understanding of the research topic.