Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Methods in Educational Research
Methods in Educational Research
Submitted in April 2009, as part of the requirements for the Ed. D in TESOL
2008-9
PART A
PREAMBLE
In the first part of this assignment, I will explore the nature of three methodologies
used in educational research: the positivistic, the interpretive and the critical
positions. This section will begin with a discussion of the educational scholars
toolkit, including the distinction between methods, theories and approaches, the
pros and cons of quantitative and qualitative approaches, the levels of analysis
issue. This will be followed by a discussion of ontology because it is chronologically
and conceptually prior to the next step, epistemology.
In the second part of the assignment, I will critically assess two papers, reflecting
different paradigms and different ways of conducting educational research.
may choose to study such topics with good intentions and may even hope to
instigate positive change in the lives of participants, the research may instead lead
to further marginalization and oppression of the researched. I was unaware of the
paradigm that guided my research and unaware of being privileged. This is
constitutes one of the main conundrums in educational research:
critical researchers criticize researchers who adopt a positivist perspective,
claiming that their supposed objectivity results in the oppression of research
participants (Habermas, 1989). In line with this argument, Jandt and Tanno state
that "privileged persons (researchers) who speak for the multicultural other can
potentially increase or reinforce oppression" (Jandt and Tanno, 2001: 128).
What is research?
In answer to the question what is research? various definitions may be given with
reasonable confidence, ranging from common assumptions to elaborate definitions
in the realms of academia. Etymologically the term research comes from the
French recherche, which means to survey or to travel through. Ernest defines
research as a systematic enquiry with the aim of producing knowledge (Ernest,
1994: 8). The terms investigation, systematic, data analysis, understanding and
solution give perspective to a rather minimalist definition of research that views it
as an investigation into a problem or a mere means to solve problems. The first
task for the researcher is to formulate a clear and valid research question that is
also relevant and ethical (Wellington, 2000). The target group must be chosen
carefully and the research should be controlled and systematic. One of the first
ethical issues a researcher must address is the recruitment of research participants
and consent is the cornerstone of ethical research. Diener and Crandall believe
this consent comes in various named stages. These are competence, voluntarism,
full informative and comprehension (Diener and Crandall, 1978). In the case of
research in early years practice and education, researchers must obtain informed
consent from responsible adults, or if necessary, the permission of the children
themselves may be sought in order to obtain valid results. (Cohen: 2003).
Selecting the correct paradigm, the adequate methodology and methods which will
allow investigation and the validity of results is equally as important. Since
theoretical questions in education surface from different conceptions and
interpretations of social reality, different paradigms are used to determine the
criteria according to which one would select and define problems in the area of
ones expertises. Crotty posits that researchers also need to answer two central
questions that their researches seek to answer: what methodologies and methods
will be employed and how to justify their choice? (Crotty, 2003:2).
Ontology
Schools and classrooms are intrinsically social entities and as such reveal aspect
of social realities that researchers may interpret differently. The practice of ontology
sets out to describe the basic categories of being, types of entities, their essential
structures, the relationships between entities. Researchers in the social sciences
cannot avoid making assumptions and that these assumptions shape every aspect
of their work (Cohen and Manion, 1994). Ontological assumptions about social
reality focus on whether human beings see social reality as being external,
independent, given or objectively real or instead as, socially constructed
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Epistemology
believe they are totally objective and have no influence on the phenomenon they
are researching. At the other end of the continuum is the interpretive paradigm,
where individuals create their own meanings about the world that is it is socially
constructed. Finally at the extreme end of the continuum is the critical paradigm.
For critical researchers truth is not an objective description of an external reality. All
human perception is value-laden and based on prejudices. The aim of critical
research is to render those prejudices visible and to expose them for discursive
analysis. The notion of truth can be systematically challenged and contested by
critical researchers, which raises a central issue for critical epistemology. Indeed,
how can we know is what we know is true if all truth claims are always challenged?
This issue is somewhat reminiscent of Descartes existentialist quote I am thinking
therefore I am. If for Descartes consciousness provides a source of knowledge
that is superior to the empirical knowledge that is founded on the fallible and
misleading evidence of the senses, critical researchers emphasize reflexivity: the
dilemma of scepticism can only be overcome by remaining open to constant
questioning. At the beginning of my research journey, I have had to reflect upon the
various paradigms and methodological options available and settle on the one(s)
that best facilitate the research in which I am engaging. I define a paradigm as a
coherent belief structure or a lens through which I can view the world.
Critical paradigm provides this fusion with my personal context in that as an
Algerian Muslim, Trokyst and teacher of which is foundational to both my personal
faith, my political ideologies and professional practice, essentially serves as a
critique of the existing societies of our era.
Methodology
The method, approach or theory that the researcher employs should be matched to
the research question being undertaken just as the tool is matched to the job. If for
example a researcher wants to explore the reasons of academic
underachievement among ethic minority students in the UK at the national level,
quantitative methods might prove quite useful. However if a researcher is
interested in answering the same research question and conducts his study in a
local school with a small number of students, using a qualitative approach could
then be more appropriate.
Beyond the toolkit metaphor, methodology is the philosophy underlying the
procedures and principles in a particular field of inquiry (Crotty: 2003).
Methodology refers to the overall strategy or plan of action for conducting research
(e.g. ethnography, survey research, phenomenological research). Methodology
depends on ontological and epistemological assumptions about the nature of
reality and the best ways of gaining access to that reality. There are differences
between both approaches based on methodological characteristics, procedures
and techniques. Those differences have to do with the way each approach treats
data, the data collection procedures whether their approach is inductive or
deductive and the generalizability and the validity of the findings (Cohen, 2000).
Those differences appear abysmal to Gage (1989) who speaks of paradigm wars
in social research and denounces the dogmatic attitudes of researchers. On one
corner there are researchers who favour the tenets of positivist research and are
critical of research methods that lack the quantification of data, researcher
objectivity and structured data collection techniques and whose findings cannot be
systematically generalized. At the other corner are those who favour the tenets of
interpretive research who are critical of research methods that do not allow
reflexivity, observation, subjectivity and who employ deductive means by which to
test relationships among variables. Somewhere in the middle are those who
embrace the critical paradigm and intend to recast the existing social order and
cultural practice in favour of the silent voices. If traditional researchers see their
tasks as the description, the interpretation or the reproduction of a fragment of
reality, critical researchers acknowledge the role the researchers identity and
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Positivism
The positivist paradigm in social research is the dominant model in the field,
comprising theories that view reality as independent from the observer and
stemming from the Cartesian legacy that mind and matter are separate (Rakow,
1989: 165) that mind is hierarchically superior to matter and can control it.
Positivism is a philosophic system that excludes metaphysical and other nonempirical concerns. ((Wellington, 2000; Cohen, Manion and Keith, 2000). Theorist
researchers, bearing these theoretical assumptions, consider that the world is
stable and organized rationally and that they have the task of measuring data, of
processing information and of proposing the most suitable solution wherever they
identify a problem as there is only one universally acknowledged and accepted
best solution to any problem (Laudran, 1996). The confusion of positivism with
sciences is quite common. If science as a method is intrinsically positivist,
scientists are not necessarily positivist philosophically. Indeed if positivism as a
method demands careful and rigorous evidence-based assertions, positivism as a
philosophy rejects any other method as valid. Literature review on positivism is
likely to focus quickly on the work of several French philosophers of the
Enlightenment (Comte, Condorcet and Saint Simon) .and the Vienna Circle of
philosophers. Positivism and sociology are both coined with August Comte.
Comtes work on the history of sciences and his law of three stages proposed
that sciences go through three stages namely the theological, the metaphysical
and the positive, which are in turn correlated respectively with three different forms
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of social organization based on military, law, and industry (Tashakkori and Teddlie,
1995). Positivists posit that that the social world can be studied and explained in a
scientific manner, and that this is still possible even if ideational factors (meanings,
beliefs ideologies, culture, ideas) play a central role in the social world. The
ideas of the early positivists were pared down and refined by the logical positivists
or the empiricist of the Vienna circle who argue that the world can only be
constructed from information accessed by the senses and that ultimately social
reality is simply that which we can observe. The logical positivists of the Vienna
Circle were scientism's supporters who formulated a Verifiability Principle that
was so exclusive that their own doctrine could not meet the requirements of
"legitimate" knowledge that they established as a rule. Positivists have been
routinely criticized for claiming the badge of exclusivity over objectivity since this
stance privileges the researchers knowledge claims while giving them a universal
acceptance of what constitutes the truth. Positivists believe that there is an
objective real world beyond the individual's body which can be known and
described. All conclusions about reality are based on empirical observations that
can be verified. According to Habermas, traditional science acts as a tool of
domination instead of a way to achieve enlightenment and freedom (Yoshitake,
2004). Specifically, traditional social science removes practical implications from
theory and replaces it with methodological restrictions. Consequently Habermas
argues that social and political theory must be critical. However the positivist
paradigm continues to dominate leading theories and research to social
engineering that controls human beings (Habermas cited in Yoshitake, 2004:
16). The positivist conception of science considers that the goal of science is to
explain and predict observable phenomena, in terms of universal, atemporal and
aspatial laws (Yoshitake, 2004).
Some scholars suggest that alternative paradigms such as interpretivist and/or
critical perspectives (Yoshitake, 2004) offer solutions to the positivist conundrum.
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Critical paradigm
Unlike positivist perspectives which claim to be objective, critical researchers
acknowledge the role the researchers identity and political standpoint plays in
interpretation. Drawing on Denzin and Lincolns (2005) definition of paradigm (a
basic set of belief that guides researchers), objectivity is a human construction.
Positivist as well as interpretativist and critical researches are based on beliefs and
on human mental constructions that can not be rated in terms of absolute
truthfulness. Unlike positivist perspective which claims to be objective, critical
researchers acknowledge the role of the researchers identity and political
standpoint play in interpretation. According to Bernstein (1978), critical research
aims to improve the human condition by generating awareness and emancipating
the oppressed from their oppression. In line with this argument the topics critical
researchers research must stem from the needs of participants. The central
historical figure of this theory is Jurgen Habermas (who worked at the Frankfurt
School in Germany) who developed an approach of investigation and action in the
social sciences, which could describe the historical forces that restrict human
freedom and provide the ideological justification of those forces (Bernstein, 1978).
Habermas has developed what is arguably the most comprehensive account of
critical social theory. Habermas (1972) argues against scientism: "sciences belief
in itself: that is, the conviction that we can no longer understand science as one
form of possible knowledge, but rather must identify knowledge with science"
(Habermas, 1972: 4). Critical researchers frequently criticize those who adopt a
positivist perspective, pointing out that their supposed objectivity results in the
oppression of research participants (Habermas, 1989). Habermas also argues that
social and political theory must be critical (Habermas, 1989). The critical
researcher aims to uncover social realities and injustices to emancipate individuals
from disempowering practice through political intervention and change.
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Although Grix (2004) contends that critical research can be seen as a combination
of the scientific and interpretive approaches, those who reject the positivist
paradigm often assume that their frequent choice of qualitative methods allows
them to escape many of the oppressive pitfalls of the positivist paradigm. However
any method that enables the researcher to be the possessor of the truth and
knowledge also condones the maintenance of the dominant social order. Indeed in
critical social science, the researcher uses his or her power to frame the research
problem, the questions and the methods and in making these choices, the
researcher also denies research participants power. The critical paradigm aims to
challenge the existing social order and cultural practice in favour of the
underprivileged. Activist research offers a more ethical framework from which to
approach cultural research with minority groups. Critical researchers often take an
activist stance and can be both confrontational and interventionists (Guba, 1990).
Critical scholars profess action as a goal of research (Habermas, 1989). Habermas
also criticizes scholars for failing to move from theorizing to action for the benefit of
everyday people (Bernstein, 1978). He argues: When practical discourse is
eliminated or suppressed, the public realm loses in the classical sense of politics
its political function (Bernstein, 1978:188). Littlejohn (2002) posits that critical
approaches aim to identity power interlay and imbalances between individuals
and attempt to address oppressive circumstances. He identifies three
characteristics that define critical social science. Firstly critical researchers believe
that researchers should understand the lived experiences of people in context.
Second, critical researchers focus on social conditions with the intent of uncovering
oppressive power arrangements. Third, critical social science makes a conscious
effort to fuse theory and action (Littlejohn, 2002: 207).
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In the rich tradition of social research, what one considers the research process
can be conceptualized in many different ways. Regardless of where the researcher
begins, the research process involves ethical issues as well as philosophical
considerations before even starting the process. Moreover the nature of the
research should drive the methodology adopted. Crotty (1998) provides a
framework to justify theoretical perspective, select a paradigm and its subsequent
methodology. At its inception stage of the research process, the researcher should
himself ask the following questions:
Once the researcher starts the research process, the transition from questions to
methods, one would assume would be natural and logical. However do
researchers systematically consciously choose to collect their data in a manner
that best answers their questions? It should be noted that there is no one best
method in educational and social sciences but rather multiple methods all equally
capable of collecting data that would answer a particular research question or test
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This section will compare and contrast the two articles below in relation to
qualitative and quantitative approaches to research focusing on the design and
methods used in each study including sampling, data collection and data analysis.
The first chosen article by Syed (2006) uses a qualitative method to look at the
motivational factors in connection with learning a second language. The second
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Introduction
In the introduction Syed briefly discusses learners motivation and reasons behind
learners attitudes to learning. She points out that while there have been
researches that have investigated students motivation to learn, few studies have
investigated this topic in depth. Those studies have conceptualized motivation as a
general construct. The author identifies two relevant variables (socio-cultural and
psychological) that help to investigate the topic of motivation in academic settings.
Syed frames her research question as follow: What are the motivational
characteristics to learn a heritage language? The present study draws on intrinsic
and extrinsic motivations of University students in state of Hawaii who are learning
Hindi as a second language.
Literature review
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The literature review contextualizes the study and assist in grounding the rationale
of the study. Indeed literature on the topic motivation is thoroughly explored and
the author documents the connections between motivation and two definite
constructs:
(1) Attitudes towards learning language and ethnic identity.
(2) Learning a language and individuals social and cultural identity.
The researcher clearly states that the study utilizes qualitative methodology
suitable to the holistic and emic nature of her inquiry. She wants to data to be
collected from the point of view of those involved rather than pre-conceived
domains.
The research is then conducted using naturalistic inquiry (Lincoln & Guba, 1985)
from an ethnographic perspective as her intention is to create as vivid a
reconstruction as possible of students motivational behaviours. The study is
consistent with Hitchcock and Hughes (1989, as cited in Cohen, Manion and
Morrison, 2000) claim that ethnography involves the production of a list of features
common to a particular group and the description and analysis of patterns of social
interaction. Besides ethnography seems particularly suitable for identifying and
understanding social and cultural norms in classrooms
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Leedy and Ormrod (2001) describe the necessary steps in the ethnography
process: Firstly the researcher has to gain access to a site. Secondly the
researcher must establish relationship with the participants and build trust. Thirdly
the researcher must socialize with everyone involved in the research in order to
identify the key informants in the culture). Reflecting this to this study, data were
collected on site (University of Hawaii) mainly through observations. Each of the
twelve students selected for the study took part in a series of interviews during the
course of one semester. These interviews focused on students motivation to learn.
Teachers were also interviewed on a weekly basis during the course of the
semester and these interviews focused on teaching and learning Hindi. The
interviews were transcribed and coded for the categories of motivation and beliefs.
Other ethnographic aspects were incorporated into the major study: those
additional data sources included analysis of classroom materials, classroom
observation, questionnaires, informal gatherings with students and electronic
message communication.
Syed analyzes the field data using selected principles from grounded theory.
Creswell defines grounded theory research as the researcher attempts to derive a
general, abstract theory of a process, action, or interaction grounded in the views
of participants in a study (Creswell, 2003:14). Grounded theory describes a
method of using empirical data without preconceived theories; grounded theory
research begins with data that develops into a theory. The term grounded also
provides the context of this method while the research requires that the theory
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must emerge from the data collected in the field rather than taken from the
research literature (Leedy and Ormrod, 2001). Creswell (2003) adds that the data
can be obtained from several sources such as interviewing participants or
witnesses, reviewing historical videotapes or records and observations while onsite.
In her study Syed uses a wide range of qualitative methods to collect her data
which includes: classroom observation and classroom materials analysis,
interviews with the students and the teacher. In addition she multiplies social
contacts with the informants. The triangulation of those methods and her
commitment to observe the informants for one semester make the study both
plausible and interesting. .
Analysis of the data begins with a data matrix in which each of the twelve students
was rated in terms of the characteristics of intrinsic motivation to learn Hindi. The
data suggested that there are different types of students: externally motivated
students (e.g. career opportunities) and internally motivated students. From the
data matrix concerning internally motivated students, a second matrix was derived
which represents the main focus of the study. Drawing on internally motivated
students, the analysis suggested that there were three types among the twelve
students. Students learn Hindi for cultural reasons in relation to their sense of
identity while others learn it for linguistic reasons. More interestingly students also
learn it to trace their heritage and transmit it to their children.
As mentioned in the previous section, the data suggested three types of students
among the twelve in this study. The descriptions include aspects of the students
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motivation to learn as well as their beliefs about the nature of Hindi as a taught
language. Syed manages to prove the relevance of her research question by
showing that learning Hindi as a second language is mainly conceptually
motivated. For internally motivated students, a psychologically central belief is that
learning Hindi consists primarily of constructing or developing ones identity.
However the sample size is small resulting in reduced generalizability. In addition
the study covers only one state (Hawaii) and one academic institution (The
University of Hawaii) and only two classrooms. Syed seems to assume that
threats to validity and reliability can be erased by focussing exclusively on the rich
collection of data and by meticulously reporting them. Instead those threats could
have been attenuated by bringing to attention the importance of validity and
reliability through the piece of research (Cohen, 2000). I believe that Syeds rigid
application of preconceived classification to report the qualitative data may hinder
the chance of the study to be used in other academic settings. Indeed I wonder if
the study could be reproduced in other academic settings, using a different
heritage language and a different profile of participants.
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The purpose and the rationale for writing this paper are clearly expressed in a
carefully crafted abstract. The abstract provides a succinct overview of the
research conducted as well as its objectives, the hypotheses tested, the methods
used, the statistical analyses of the data, its results and conclusions. The overall
purpose of the study has been stated early within the abstract as the opening
sentence begins by pointing the lack of empirical evidence that teachers
motivational strategies can enhance students learning. The purpose of this study is
twofold:
To determine the potential interaction effect between teachers motivational
strategies and to test their effect on students motivational and learning behaviours
in academic institutions .The substantive objective of the study is to test that
hypothesis in order to provide empirical data on the effectiveness of teacher
strategies. The authors frame their research questions as follow: How teachers
motivational practices (TMT) affects their students motivated learning behaviour
(SML)?The answer to this question, though answered in relation to a study that
involves of over 1300 Korean students, is intended to have universal applications
to other English as a Foreign language programs in other settings and in other
countries.
Introduction
Creswell states that introductions in quantitative studies are usually formatted in a
third person point of view, which sets an impersonal tone also helps to create a
sense of objectivity and distance between the researcher and the subject
(Creswell, 1994: 43). Reflecting this to the research study the use of the pronoun
we in the introductory paragraph not only tend to overstress the role of the
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researchers but also hinder the objectivity of the study. The introduction presents
previous background research based on motivation that builds up a good
foundation of research sources on the same topic.
Literature review
The introduction includes a mixture of the literature review and provides meaningful
accounts of previous researches. In grappling with the subject of motivation in the
foreign language classroom the authors use 25 references in their study; therefore
the literature used to contextualize the study is replete. As Creswell points out:
A hallmark of quantitative research is a substantial literature review in a separate
section at the beginning of the study. The literature plays a major role in two ways:
justifying the need for the research problem and identifying the direction of the
study. (Creswell, 2002: 53)
The literature review clearly identifies the direction of the study and offers a
detailed overview of previous researches on the topic of motivation such as
motivational strategies and their potential relevance in language educational
programmes.
The justification of the study element is also given careful consideration.
Technically they justify their research by the classic claim that there is a relative
absence of research on the relevance of motivational techniques in language
classrooms. The literature review indicates that there is a lot of interesting and
challenging work going on in language motivation research. However the authors
of the study suggest that there are only two relevant published studies and
reference one of the co-authors (Drnyei). The name Drnyei is redundant in the
literature review: his name is quoted nine times in a list that comprises twenty five
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references. Besides the fact that Drnyei designed the MOLT is stressed upon on
several occasions in the study.
Although the researchers use a mixture of quantitative and qualitative data, the
research is based on a positivist assumption and is mainly grounded on
quantitative methodology which includes extensive numerical data. Any scientific
method presupposes ontology. From the ontological perspective, this study is
realistic: Realist ontologies view reality as an external objective phenomenon,
existing independently of human consciousness (Guba and Lincoln 2000, Richard,
2003; Tashakkori and Teddlie, 1998). The researchers seem to believe that
motivational characteristics can be described by asking a large sample size of
students to respond to specific statements on specially constructed questionnaires.
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Appendix 1
Study I: Research in the interpretive tradition In Drnyei and Schmidt (2001), pp.
127-147.
Notions of self in foreign language learning: a qualitative analysis.
Zafar Syed, Military Language Institute, Abu Dhabi, UAE. .
Available online at : http://books.google.co.uk/books?
id=tqTpcQ0Qp4C&dq=MOTIVATION+AND+SECOND+LANGUAGE+ACQUISITION++
+Zolt%C3%A1n+D%C3%B6rnyei+and+Richard+Schmidt+(+%E2%80%A6
Appendix 2
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