CHAPTER 5

Highest or lowest figures and implications are repeated

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
Stated using past tense
Evolve from findings
CONCLUSION
State in general terms what is true about the investigation
Drawn from conclusions
RECOMMENDATIONS
Suggested improvements/topics for research

RESEARCH DESIGN

• Heuristic
• Describe observable behavior
• Explain how they occur
• Presented in respondent perspective
• Discovery and description
• Rich descriptions of complex phenomena

BRIAN MITTMAN
Qualitative Research = describing, understanding, and explaining
complex phenomena
HYPOTHESIS TESTING

QUALITATIVE • How and Why questions

RESEARCH Case studies • Real-life context
• Distinctive situation

Structured • Documentation of meetings

observations of • Observation of daily tasks or routine
meetings • Observation of group dynamic
Content analysis
• Reviewing and examining written info
of documents
Collection and
analysis of other
archival, • Previously collected info (secondary data)
administrative and
performance data

• Specific issues
• Interaction among members
Focus groups
• Often combined with quantitative approaches
(e.g., surveys)
 Cognitive
• One-on-one interviews
interviews
Mail and
• Postal or electronic mail
telephone surveys

• Can be heuristic AND deductive

• Existing data
• Preconceived hypothesis
• No manipulation
• Seeks “what is”
• Provide info for general basis
• Used for topics with large number of factors

Emphasizes on the discovery of ideas and insights that may affect the
development of generalizations, principles, or theories
(Best & Kahn 1988).
TOOLS
Surveys and
DESCRIPTIVE • Large group or number of respondents
questionnaires
RESEARCH
Self-reports • Language status of learner
• Writing assignments
Language tests • Communicative classroom activities
• Elicit specific data
Observations • Gather identified data
STEPS
1. Identify the problem
2. Define number of respondents
3. Decide on data gathering method
4. Gather data
5. Organize and analyze data

• Hypothesis-driven
• Always analytic in nature
• Can truly test hypothesis
EXPERIMENTAL • Thorough analysis of variable factors
RESEARCH • Manipulates and controls variables
• Determines which treatment is most effective

CONTROL – removal of any variable that might influence performance of

dependent variable
 MAJOR COMPONENTS
Control group
- Base group
POPULATION
Experimental group
- Receives treatment
Independent variable; used to test/achieve
TREATMENT
desired effect
X – Experimental treatment
MEASUREMENT
O – Effects of the treatment
OR OBSERVATION
R – Random grouping of respondents
SINGLE GROUP DESIGNS
One-spot case
One group; treatment + post test
study
One-group pre-
test-post-test One group; pretest + treatment + post test
Design
Series of observations and measurements before
Time-series Design
and after a treatment
CONTROL GROUP DESIGNS
Static-Group
Experimental vs Control group comparison
comparison
Two random groups; pretest + post test
Pretest-Posttest
Control group
Randomized subjects