Using quantitative and qualitative methods to study the content and effects of curriculum materials

Abstract

Curriculum materials are a widely used educational resource that can affect teachers’ instruction and students’ learning. This chapter situates curriculum materials research in the literature on students’ opportunity to learn. It describes three main areas for curriculum materials research-their adoption, implementation, and effects. Drawing on both quantitative (systematic content analysis and alignment investigations, large-scale teacher surveys, and quasi-experimental analyses of state longitudinal data) and qualitative methods (interviews, case studies), the chapter offers specific suggestions for conducting this research and expanding it to the study of supplementary, technology-based, and other non-traditional curriculum materials.