Research Methods in Psychology Psychology Essay Paper (Essay Sample)

Research Methods in Psychology
Author’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Research Methods in Psychology
Research Question
To what extent does student-directed learning (SDL) affect students’ academic success?
The relationship between self-directed learning and academic success of students has attracted the interests of researchers and education policymakers. However, there is a need to explore the relationship between SDL and academic success for two main reasons. First, there is a general agreement among researchers that technology is increasingly becoming an important aspect and resource in teaching and learning. Rashid and Asghar (2016) reported that in different SDL models, mobile devices and computers not only broaden access to learning sources and all types of information, they also provide an effective way of information delivery to students. However, research on the relationship between SDL and students’ performance in a learning environment encompassed by different forms of technology is inconclusive (Rashid & Asghar, 2016). Second, the “chaos and cosmos created when students are challenged take responsibility for their learning” (Silen & Uhlin, 2008, p. 463) raises the fundamental question related to the role of the teacher in SDL models. The research on the role of the teacher in developing efficient SDL remains inconclusive (McCartney et al., 2016).
Hypothesis
SDL positively affects the academic performance of students
First, even though there is a general agreement that SDL positively contributes to experiences and performances of most students, there is a general scarcity of research to statistically back up the relationship. Second, the proposed hypothesis support the researcher towards developing statistical evidence to respond adequately to the research question.