Chapter 3

METHODODOLPGY

This chapter discusses the research methods used in the study. This includes

research design, information or participation of the study, research instruction,

research locale, and data gathering procedure.

Research Design

This study is qualitative by nature utilizing error analyses. It gives an opportunity

for us to develop rich description that vividly communicate the participants

experience on committing errors in the learners coprpora especially on journal

writing.

It stressed that a qualitative approach allows for rich possibilities and inquiry that

provide a distinct and more complex comprehension of peoples reported

experience and observations that can contribute to the topic of study. This research

design is chosen over quantitative approach because it will provide concise

information on what are the perspectives of internal auditors on professionalism

and accountability (suter2006).

Role of Researcher

In focus group discussion, the interviewer is usually referred to as the moderator’,

and this special name reflects the fact that the researcher’s role vary from one-on-

one interviews. He added that although they still require to raise question during

the session, they need to function more as facilitators of the discussion than

interviewers in the traditional sense. Because the dynamics of the focus group is

one of the unique features of this method, the researcher’s role certainly involves

some group leadership functions, includes making sure that nobody controls the

floor and stands out the even those shyer participants have an opportunity to

express their own perceptive (Doyle, 2014).

………………………………………………….
Research Participants

The informants of this study were the fourteen (14) selected student of UMTC,

seven (7) informants for the individual in-depth-interview, then the 3 females and

4 males, who are willing to interact and open enough to answer all the queries that

given to them were subject to an in-depth interview and seven (7) participants for

focus group discussion, there were 3 females and 2 males participants. A maximum

of seven (7) participants will be enough as this will provide ample opportunity to

identify themes of the cases. Moreover, these students were identify with the help

of their English adviser also recognize them weak in the area of writing. Hence with

this ,the researcher collected information focus ……………….

The logic empower of purposive sampling lies in selecting information-rich cases

for the study in-depth. Utilizing this kind of sampling allowed us to choose

information-rich that was present the phenomenon of the proper use prepositions.

Data Collections
Data collection involved spending considerable time in the setting under study,

immersing oneself in this setting and collecting as much relevant information

possible. The researches must determine and find what will contribute and

available data for that problem. The researcher also use a tool to help them identify

the common errors in preposition with the use of whitesmooke application which

is install in their laptop. This tool can detect erroneous prepositions, grammar and

punctuation, this can also correct the errors committed in the learners corpora b

encoding the text, afterward, with the use of internet connection it will

immediately give the result. The collection data in this particular study have the

patterns of five steps which are as follow, obtaining permission to conduct the

study selecting information and cites purposefully to best understanding the

phenomenon, identifying data from various source, administering the data

collection in a manner sensitivity to individuals and sites(creswell,2008,Gay,Mills &

Airasian, 2006)

It is important that we gain the confidence, trust and support of the participants.

Permission to conduct the study will obtain first and foremost from each student

that they may not answer any of the question and that they would not withdraw

anytime from the interview. Information will be initially contacted personally

through home visitation to inform them of the purpose, procedure, and nature of
the study. Upon consent, each student will be given an information letter and a

letter of explanation before the interview began. The issue of risk and complete

anonymity were discussed with each student and will make clear that all responses

including identity and personal information will be treated with utmost

confidentiality.

Furthermore, each student was informed that the whole course of the interview

will be audiotape, they were also given a copy of full transcript and translation for

their analysis. Each student will be inform that the transcript and translation will

be treated final if no response that received 3 days after the receipt of these

transcript and translation.

The second step is selecting the participants in appropriate sites that will best help

the researcher to understand the phenomenon. In this research study informant

are the students who are studying in UM Tagum college. Each student is given the

choice to set most convenient day and time of interview in the suitable place free

from noise ad distractions. Another aspect of data gathering procedure is

identifying the types of data that addressed the research question and sub question

in the interview guide. There were two open- ended research question formulated

for this study. Each of the two research question has sub-question that had served
as guide question during in-depth interview and focus group discussion with the

students. For the purpose of obtaining the perspective of the participants and

allowing them to share their views, research question to be use must be less

structured and open-ended (Creswell, 2008)

In this study, in-depth interview and focus group discussions approach using an

interview guide is administered to all the students identified through purposive

sampling. According to Creswell, data recording protocol must be used by the

researcher to record information during observation and interviews.

Hence, in this research study all of the interviews were audiotape transcribed for

the purpose of analysis. To supplement the audiotape, we had also take noted

during the course interview. All the pertinent document that were gathered after

the course of interview were place in a large archive properly labeled for safety

keeping and retrieval purpose.

The importance designing interview protocol period is also emphasized. This

interview protocol summarize the instruction for the whole duration of the

interview, the question to be asked, and the space jot down notes on responses

indeed from the intended from the interviewee. Hence, we prepared an interview
guide with appropriate spaces intended for the jotting down our field notes during

the course o interview

Moreover, Creswell remind qualitative research of the field issues in administering

data collection. He noted that few of these issues are the need to adjust or change

the form of data collection once the researcher enter the field, collection of data

must be limited at the start of the study, one or two interviews at the period so as

to budget the time needed for the remaining data to be collected, and the amount

of energy and focus or concentration required to establish an ample database.

The data in this study were gathered from our one on one interview with the seven

(7) informants and seven (7) participants in focus group discussions. In-depth

interview, each participants was interviewed within one day while group discussion

followed.

Data Analysis

The purpose of qualitative analysis is to interpret the data and the resulting themes,

to facilitate understanding of the phenomenon that will be studied. It is when

confuse with content and analysis which was conducted to identify and describe

results.
Phenomenological data analysis proceed to through the methodology of reduction,

the analysis of specific statement and themes and search for all possible

meanings(Creswell, 2007).

The Researcher need not to be bias and single mindef in analyzing the data; ideas

are good stepping stoes to balance the subjectivity of the ideas. And it is being

pointed out that “Establishing the truth of thing” begins with perception of the

researchers(moustakas,1994).

Contrary to the quantitative method, qualitative approach generates verbal

information rather than numerical values. Instead of using analysis the qualitative

approach utilizes content or holistic analysis and comprehend the research

findings, inductive and not deductive reasoning is to be used. The study used

(Moustaka,1994) approach in analyzing the data. We adopted its major procedural

steps in the process. We began it by determining if the research problem would

best examined using phenomenological approach. In phenomenological approach,

the concern would be on enter subjective and views of the participants, since we’ve

been studying the participations and views or interest of the auditors. This really

fitted to the phenomenological approach. Then a phenomenon of interest to study

was identified. This was followed by recognizing the broad philosophical

assumption of phenomenology(schwandth,2000).

We found out what the experience and the difficulties that the student had

encountered in terms of using proper prepositions or prepositional phrases in

writing essay and how do they handle those experience and what are insights in

those experience . Creswell explained the different philosophical assumptions.

First, is the ontological (the nature of the reality). Seeing thing at what they really

are will up the minds of the researcher. As this intrigues them they will find

evidence for this reality through the perspective and experiences of those lived the

phenomenon.

Second, is the epistemological. It means that how the researcher know what they

know. Then the researcher get to the participants for information with regards to

the topic studied.

Third one is the axiological (the role of values in research). Researcher’ values will

be known a well as their biased of the information that will be gather. The methods

that were being used in the process had been laid.

After that, the data was collected from individual who have experience the

phenomenon through focus group discussion and in-depth interviews. Next was
the phenomenon data analysis: interviewing highlighting (significant statement)

understanding how the participants experienced the phenomenon and developing

cluster of meaning from these significant statement into themes. The significant

statement and themes are then to be used to write a description of what the

participants experienced (textural description) (Manen, 2012).

Lastly from the structural and textural description, we have written a composite

description that present “essence” of the phenomenon called essential, in variant

structural (essence). After transcribing the focus group discussion interview,

statements that relate to the topic were separated into core ideas that reflect into

specific thought. The response of the participants were grouped into major themes

that reflect the various aspect of the phenomenon. The data on focus group

interview were analyzed based on their experience on first question on what are

the common errors in using prepositions in the learners corpora. The transcribed

data that were taken from simulated conversation for query number two “How do

students commit these mistake in using prepositions”. This data in the simulated

conversations was analyzed when used during the conversations in their

workplace.
Trustworthiness

The research had conducted the qualitative research. They put into account the

response of their information. They also carefully consider all the details of the

data. They check all the transcription and the importance of the data that relate to

each other on their themes.

The trustworthiness of the research studies and finding can be establish by

addressing all Lincoln and guba’s criteria for validity namely, credibility,

transferability, dependability, and conformability. Gay, mills and Airasian defined

credibility as the ability of the researcher to take into account all of the complexities

that present themselves in a study and deal with patterns that are easily explained.

They are able to achieve this criterion by doing the following activities. We, the

researcher do peer debriefing by prompting, listening and recording our insight

through the conduct of the research; they will make persistent observation in the

conduct of in-depth interview and focus group discussion with the students; They

will see to it that their analyses and interpretations had accurately reflected the

documents and recordings. They will employ audio recordings and make interview

notes; They will provide each participants copies of the transcripts and translations

for checking and feed backing, so as to avoid conflicts and contradictions.

 Peer examination or reviewers as asking colleagues, like friends, classmates and

co-researcher to moment on the findings. It was stated that peer examination or

review enhance the validity of study. Peer examination or peer review raise the

quality of the end product of any research and provide a mechanism for rational,

fair and objectives decision making (Jefferson, et al, 2002;as citeed by seidman,

2012).

Member checking is another method where researchers check their findings with

the information n the study to determine if the findings are accurate. All of the

student were given ample to make their review, critique, or input on the copies of

transcriptions we provide days before the interview. They will be sked if the

description are complete and realistic. This phenomenological study will rely on

each student to read the transcript and translation and provide necessary

correction.

Credibility. To institute credibility of the study , the researcher ensured firmness in

the data collection such as the interviews which are directly taken from the

participants and not a craft-up stories. We prefer that all important data were

included reliable person who could help them to analyze the collected data. This

result reliable findings of the study (suter, 2012).

To ensure the credibility of the study, the researcher made sure that they will

perform the following such as having multiple source of data debriefing,

triangulation, and repeated contacts with the participants. Credibility corresponds

with the description of the researchers. Ample times to interview the participants

will be facilitated with the interview question as guide. To be sure, on the processes

and interpretation of the collected data, the researchers will employ peer

debriefing to the dissertation adviser and to someone who is quite familiar on the

complexities of the qualitative researchers. The researchers had concede their

personal biases on the way they communicate with the participants and how the

data will be treated. To check the credibility of the findings and interpretation, we

had go back to the participants and how the data were treated to find out what

they are to convey during the interview (polit, Beck & Hungler, 2006; Sandlowski,

1986: Speziale, 2007).

Confirmability refers to the extent on which the results could be confirmed or

corroborated by others. Another question for conformability, “How can one

establish the degree to which findings of an inquiry are determine by the subject

(respondents) and condition of the inquiry and not the biases, motivations, interest

or perspective of the inquirer?” consider that the key for conformability is the

extent to which the researcher admits his or her own predisposition. There are
different techniques suggested by different authors. Included in here are the

triangulation across researcher and methods, which we used; reflexive journal, and

auditing. Member checking was also form part on testing conformability on our

study. Triangulation across researcher is by collecting data by multiple member of

research team. Since we conducted interview, we did triangulation. They had their

own field note, separately. Before sharing or discussing it to the rest of the

researcher. Since we will unlikely to have the same biases as difference unfold

(Hoberman 2013).

Triangulationover data collection was useful in establishing confirmabilty in this

study the use of audio recordings is being mention earlier. Some authors found this

record to be useful in judging differences in researcher’s field note. Focus group

discussion and in-depth interview were also form part of this triangulation. Also, it

was used in observation on in-depth and group interview in their qualitative

findings. Another technique that other author had used was the reflexive journals.

Journal are reflexive document that were kept by the reseachers in order to reflect

on, tentatively interpret, and plan data collection. It was being mention by an

author on how to asses oneself and how may be affecting the information being

gathered as trying to learn about one’s “personal equation”. In this journal had

helped the researcher to gauge onto what extent the information they will gather
influences, personal opinion and biases about the phenomenon (O’Guinn & Faber.

2013).

Member checking was also used in this study to measure conformability. They

were done by summarizing the respondents’ answer and ask them if it is the idea

or the message that they want the researcher to comprehend.

Dependability is an assessment of the quality of the integrated process of data

collection analysis, and phenomenal explanation. Dependability certifies that the

research findings are consistent and repeated. (Lincoln & Cuba 2012) question

“how can one determine whether the findings of an inquiry would be repeated if

the inquiry were replicated with the same (or similar) subject ( the respondents) in

person and context. People and context gradually change. This argument appears

to disregard the dependability of the findings, which are not going to happen (Ary,

Jacob,& Razavieh, 2002).

Dependability now pointed out that it is about time and change process rather than

to stability and similarity as reliability issues are in positivist inquiry (Wallendorf &

Belk, 2013). They have also enumerated and techniques on how to asses

dependability. These techniques are dependability audit in which rew materials

and resulting inferences are given to an external auditor. And the other two are the

observation over time and explanation of change (Lincoln &Cuba, 2012).

In this techniques, we revisit the site in which we conducted the research on order

to asses if there are change that affects the phenomenon being studied. There

techniques being cited by different authors may not be applicable in our study since

we are given only short period time. But this does not mean that this study was not
dependable. We had still apply the traditional way to address the dependability

which is to be transparent in the methods that they are using, report it in details so

that future research may able to get an idea from this study.

Transferability is the degree to which the findings of this inquiry can apply or

transfer beyof the bound of the project. Transferability was also defined as the

research’s belief that everything is context-boudn” (Lincoln and Cuba 1985).

To address transferability in the study, a comprehensive descriptive data are going

to be collected by conducting in-depth interview and focus group discussion with

the student. The researcher will include an appendix about several of the data

analysis documents used to give answer to the research question in order to gain

access to the possible inquiry. Comparison of similar and differences of a given text

to other context to make judgment about fittingness with other context possible.

Ethical Consideration

Ethical concern greatly affects qualitative research. In order to have an ethical

research, the researcher obtained consent from each of the participants on their

study, the students. They asked studens to sign a written informed consent

document (Fraenkel & Wallen, 2006)

The purpose of interview must be stressed and clearly explained to all the

informants. Hence, we explained properly the purpose of conducting in in-depth

interview and focus group discussion to all the students if this study and that all

data that the researcher gathered must be solely for the purpose of the study. The

researcher will be truthful and straightforward to all the students by telling the

objectives if this study, that their participation is voluntary in nature, they could

refuse to answer any of the question and they would withdraw from the interview

anytime they want to (Mark, 2005). The research will follow ethical standard in

conducting by(Boyarzis; 1998, Mack,et al,. 2003), these are the following: respect

for person beneficencs, justice, consent and confidentiality.

Respect for person needs an obligation of the research not to exploit the weakness

of the research participants. Self-sufficiency was avoided in order to maintain

friendship, trust, and comfidence among the participants and the researcher.

Consent is another most important way of showing respect to reasons during

research. This id to tea ll the participants became aware on the purpose and

objectives of the research study that they are going to involve, written consent

provided the in-depth and focus group discussion. Of course, they were informed

on the result and findings of the study (Creswell, 2012).

Beneficence requires a commitment of minimizing of risk to the research

participant rather than maximizing the profit that are due to them. Anonymity of

the interviewee had been kept in order not to put each participant into risks. At all

times participants will be protected ( Bricke & Green, 2012)

Confidentiality towards the result and findings including the safeguard of the

participants, coding system was being used. In other words, the participants’

identify will be hidden, all materials including videotapes, encoded transcript,

notes, and other should be destroy after the data were being analyzed. Since, the

research used the participants’ journal and essay writing. Students we will hide

identity of the students (Maree & Van Der Westhuizen, 2015)

Justice requires a reasonable allocation of the risks and benefits as result of the

research. It is very important to acknowledge the contributions of all the

participants as they generally part of the success of the research. They must be

given due credits in all their accomplishments. They were not able to spend any

amount during the interview since it is a researcher’s duty to give the needs of the

respondents. We were hoping through this study, they could provide the answer

for the following question in the said study (Bloom and Crabtree, 2016).