11.8 Validity

Posted on by Keith Aquilina

In course material, Woodley and Aczel (2011) urge readers to distinguish between validity and reliability.

Reliability is about whether the research can consistently obtain the same results using different methods.

Validity is about whether the methods being used are actually giving the researchers what  they claim such methods do. Campbell & Stanley (1963) stress that validity is the degree to which a study supports its conclusions.  The same authors subdivide validity in a number of ways, of which ‘external validity’, ‘internal validity’ and ‘construct validity’ (see Capaill, 2011).

Trochim (2007) concludes that the ‘theory of validity, and the many lists of specific threats, provide a useful scheme for assessing the quality of research conclusions.’

References

Campbell, D.T. and Stanley, J. (1963) ‘Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for research on teaching’, in Gage, N. (ed.) Handbook of Research on Teaching, Chicago, IL, Rand McNally, pp. 171–246.

Capaill, C. (2011) Validity available from http://cluasacapaill.wordpress.com/2011/04/23/validity/ (accessed 30 April 2011).

Woodley and Aczel (2011) Categorising research methods, available from http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/resourcepage/view.php?id=409226&direct=1 (accessed 25 April 2011).

Trochim (2007) Introduction to Validity available from http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/introval.php (accessed 29 April 2011).

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Published by Keith Aquilina

Currently my professional role is that of Education Officer (Quality Assurance) within the Directorate for Quality & Standards in Education in the Ministry of Education, Malta. After eight years teaching Computing and ICT within a state secondary school, I moved to the Department of eLearning where my role focused on the organisation of national educational events of which the national eLearning awards and conference, Malta Robotics Olympiad and student competitions. In addition to the work within the Department of eLearning, as from 2011 I have taken the role of ICT coordinator within the Directorate for Lifelong Learning where for 5 years, I was involved in the development and organisation of ICT related courses within the directorate’s adult education centres and collaborating entities. In 2012, I completed my Masters studies in Online and Distance Education from the Open University. This blog started off as an online reflective diary for my studies in the Masters in Online and Distance Education with the Open Univeristy. As may be easily deduced, my main interest is in technology, learning and anything in between. Linkedin; mt.linkedin.com/in/keithaquilina/