Part 2

1. Questionnaires are any written instruments that present (1)respondents with a series of
(2) questions or statements to which they are to react either by writing out their answers
or selecting from among existing answers. It is found to be a relatively popular means of
(3)collecting data. Questionnaires can yield three types of data about the respondent:
(4)attitudinal, behavioral, and factual. The main attraction of questionnaires is their
efficiency in terms of (5)researcher time, researcher effort, and financial resources
Questionnaires also have some limitations. If a questionnaire is ill-constructed, it is likely to
produce (6)unreliable and invalid data When designing a questionnaire, we need to specify
the maximum (7)length of time that the completion of the questionnaire could take. Also,
we need to consider general (8) format characteristics and the issue of anonymity. In terms
of the length, in most cases, a questionnaire should not be (9)more than 4 pages or should
not take (10)more than 30 minutes to complete. In terms of format, an attractive and
professional questionnaire involves the following characteristics: (11)booklet, format,
appropriate density, orderly layout, paper quality and sequences
2. In preparing the interview schedule, the researcher has to translate the (1)explicit
statement into interview questions. When preparing the questions, the researcher needs
to decide on the type of questions to be used and the form in which the responses are to be
(2)absolutely confidential Once the interview schedule has been prepared, it is necessary
that the interview questions are (3)disclosed with a small sample of subjects before being
used. The purpose of piloting is to give the researcher the opportunity to refine the
interview questions by (4) title instruction ,questionnaire items ,additional
information ,final “thank you” questions which may be ambiguous or confusing to the (5)
Part 3
Rewrite research objectives into research questions (apply)
1. This study aims to investigate teachers and learners’ attitudes towards
using songs to teach listening comprehension at high school level
- What are the attitudes of teachers towards using songs to teach listening
comprehension at the high school level?
 -What are the attitudes of learners towards using songs to teach listening
comprehension at the high school level?
2.This study examines teachers’ perceptions of the role of grammar in English teaching at
high school level and techniques they use to teach grammar.
 What are teachers' perceptions of the role of grammar in English teaching at the high
school level?
  -What techniques do teachers use to teach grammar in English at the high school
level?
3.study seeks to find out the reading strategies used by good readers and bad readers
when dealing with academic texts.
 What are the specific reading strategies employed by good readers when
approaching academic texts?
 What are the specific reading strategies employed by bad readers when approaching
academic texts?
 How do the reading strategies used by good readers differ from those used by bad
readers when dealing with academic texts?
4. This study seek to find out the types of motivation students hold towards learning
English and the factors that affect students’ motivation.
 What are the different types of motivation that students hold towards learning
English?
 How do various factors affect students' motivation towards learning English?
5. This study examines the effect of cultural knowledge on students’ reading
comprehension.
 What is the impact of cultural knowledge on students' reading comprehension?
 How does cultural knowledge influence students' ability to comprehend written
texts?
 What are the specific ways in which cultural knowledge affects students' reading
comprehension?
 To what extent does cultural knowledge contribute to students' overall reading
comprehension skills?
 What are the potential benefits or drawbacks of incorporating cultural knowledge
into reading instruction for improving comprehension?
2. Below are some examples of bad research questions. Explain why these research
questions are bad
1. The research question "How many per cent of Spanish interpreters wear designer
jeans?" is a bad research question because it is not relevant to any meaningful research
topic. The question is too specific and does not provide any useful information that can be
used to draw conclusions or make decisions.
2. The research question "What is the relationship between the wearing of rubber thongs
and academic achievement?" is a bad research question because it is not clear how the two
variables are related. The question is also too specific and does not provide any useful
information that can be used to draw conclusions or make decisions. Additionally, the
question assumes a causal relationship between the two variables without providing any
evidence to support this assumption.
3. "Is there a higher power in the universe?" is a bad research question because it is a
philosophical or religious question that cannot be answered through empirical research. It is
not a question that can be tested or measured using scientific methods.
4. "How many per cent of Australian students wear thongs to school?" is a bad research
question because it is too specific and does not have any practical or theoretical
significance. It is also difficult to obtain accurate data on such a specific topic.
5. "Does owning a pet improve quality of life for older people?" is a better research
question than the previous two, but it is still not specific enough. It is important to define
what is meant by "quality of life" and what types of pets are being considered. Additionally,
there may be confounding variables that could affect the results, such as the type of pet,
the level of care required, and the individual's health status.
6. "Which national park is the best?" is a bad research question because it is subjective and
cannot be answered objectively. What one person considers the "best" national park may
not be the same as another person's opinion. It is also not clear what criteria would be used
to determine the "best" national park.
Part1. Identify the possible threats to validity in the following studies
a. Two groups of third-year students were to be compared. One group was made of
students who had been willing to spend one-extra hour per day in the language
laboratory while the other group consisted of students who followed the regular syllabus.
The volunteers scored much higher than the regular students on an English proficiency
test at the end of the course. It was concluded that an extra hour a day of language
laboratory was beneficial to the students t
Possible threats to validity in this study are:
 Selection bias: The students who volunteered to spend an extra hour in the language
laboratory may have been more motivated or had better English skills to begin with,
which could have influenced their higher scores on the proficiency test.
 Maturation: The regular students may have improved their English skills over time,
but were not given the opportunity to demonstrate this improvement on the
proficiency test.
 Testing effects: The volunteers may have been more familiar with the format of the
proficiency test, which could have given them an advantage over the regular
students.
 History: There may have been external factors that influenced the results, such as
changes in the curriculum or teaching methods, which were not controlled for in the
study.
To improve the validity of this study, researchers could randomly assign students to the two
groups, control for external factors that could influence the results, and use multiple
measures of English proficiency to ensure that the results are reliable.
a) A study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of a new teaching method
forimproving reading comprehension in elementary school students. The study foundthat
students who received the new teaching method scored significantly higher on
astandardized reading test than students who received the traditional teaching method.
Possible threats to validity in this study are:
 Selection bias: The students who received the new teaching method may have been
more motivated or had better reading skills to begin with, which could have
influenced their higher scores on the standardized reading test.
 History: There may have been external factors that influenced the results, such as
changes in the curriculum or teaching methods, which were not controlled for in the
study.
 Testing effects: The students who received the new teaching method may have been
more familiar with the format of the standardized reading test, which could have
given them an advantage over the students who received the traditional teaching
method.
To improve the validity of this study, researchers could randomly assign students to the two
groups, control for external factors that could influence the results, and use multiple
measures of reading comprehension to ensure that the results are reliable.
b. A researcher wants to know students’ preferences for specific teaching techniques.He
interviewed those who would like to volunteer
There are several possible threats to validity in the given study:
 Selection bias: The researcher only interviewed students who volunteered, which
may not be representative of the entire student population. Those who volunteered
may have different preferences than those who did not volunteer.
 Social desirability bias: Students may have provided answers that they thought the
researcher wanted to hear, rather than their true preferences.
 Small sample size: The researcher only interviewed a small number of students,
which may not be enough to draw accurate conclusions about the entire student
population.
 Lack of generalizability: The study only focuses on one specific group of students,
and the results may not be generalizable to other populations or contexts.
 Interviewer bias: The researcher may have unintentionally influenced the responses
of the students through the way they asked the questions or their own biases.
c. A study of the effectiveness of Vietnamese teachers of English was beingconducted. A
questionnaire in Vietnamese was administered asking the students torate their teachers
on a number of characteristcis. Background information of therespondents such as their
real names, groups and others was asked to fill in.
There are several possible threats to validity in the given study:

 Social desirability bias: Students may have provided answers that they thought
would be viewed positively by their teachers or the researchers, rather than their
true opinions.
 Response bias: Students may have misunderstood the questions or provided
inconsistent responses, leading to inaccurate data.
 Language barriers: The questionnaire was administered in Vietnamese, which may
not be the first language of all the students. This could lead to misunderstandings or
inaccuracies in responses.
 Lack of anonymity: The questionnaire asked for background information such as real
names and groups, which may have made some students uncomfortable or hesitant
to provide honest responses.
 Limited scope: The study only focuses on the effectiveness of Vietnamese teachers of
English, and may not be generalizable to other populations or contexts.
d.A teacher is investigating her students’ motivation in learning English. She interviewed
some good student in the classroom
There are several possible threats to validity in the given study:
 Sampling bias: The teacher only interviewed good students in the class, which may
not be representative of the entire student population. This could lead to inaccurate
conclusions about the motivation of all students in the class.
 Social desirability bias: Students may have provided answers that they thought
would be viewed positively by the teacher, rather than their true opinions.
 Interviewer bias: The teacher's own biases or expectations may have influenced the
way she conducted the interviews or interpreted the responses.
 Limited scope: The study only focuses on the motivation of students in one class, and
may not be generalizable to other populations or contexts.
 Lack of triangulation: The study only uses interviews as a method of data collection,
which may not provide a comprehensive understanding of student motivation udents
in the class
2.Suppose you want to conduct a research studyto find out what makes students in a
specific school want to learn and what puts them off learning You decide to interview a
number of randomly selected students What type of interview would you conduct?Why?
Write down all the questions you might want to ask You can use the following the
checklist to evaluate your question
For this research study, I would conduct semi-structured interviews with the randomly
selected students. Semi-structured interviews allow for a of open-ended questions and pre-
determined questions, providing flexibility for the interviewee to elaborate on their
responses while also ensuring certain key topics are covered.
the following checklist to evaluate your research question:
1. Is the research question clear and focused? –
2. Is the research question specific?
3. Is the research question measurable? –
4. Is the research question feasible?
5. Is the research question important and relevant
By evaluating your research question using this checklist, you can ensure that it is well-
defined, measurable, feasible, and relevant to your research study.
Here are some questions that can be asked during the interviews:
1. Can you tell me about your experiences with learning at this school?
2. What do you enjoy most about learning at this school?
3. Are there any particular subjects or topics that you find interesting? If so, why?
4. What motivates you to learn and engage in your studies?
5. Can you share any examples of specific teaching methods or approaches that have
helped you to enjoy learning?
6. Are there any factors that discourage or demotivate you from learning? If so, what are
they?
7. How do you think the school environment (e.g., classroom atmosphere, teacher-student
relationships) affects your motivation to learn?
8. Have you ever felt unsupported or disengaged in your learning? If yes, can you explain
the situations in which this occurred?
9. Are there any specific resources or tools that you find helpful for your learning?
10. Do you feel that your individual learning needs are addressed in the classroom? Why or
why not?
11. Have you noticed any differences in your motivation to learn based on the teaching style
of different teachers? If so, can you describe these differences?
12. How do you think the school could improve to better motivate students to learn?
13. Are there any extracurricular activities or programs that have positively impacted your
learning experience? If yes, how?
14. Can you think of any other factors or aspects that significantly influence your motivation
to learn?
These questions aim to explore the students' experiences, preferences, motivations, and
barriers to learning, providing valuable insights into what drives their interest in learning
and what hinders it.

3. Select one study among the given research titles below and write appropriate
research objectives and research questions for the study.
1. “A study on using group work activities in teaching English speaking skills for grade 10
students at Hoang Hoa 3 High School
Research Objectives: (chon 1 trong 3)
 To investigate the effectiveness of using group work activities in teaching English
speaking skills for grade 10 students at Hoang Hoa 3 High School.
 To explore the students' perceptions of group work activities in enhancing their
English speaking skills.
 To identify the challenges and benefits of implementing group work activities in
teaching English speaking skills for grade 10 students at Hoang Hoa 3 High School.
Research Questions:
 How does the use of group work activities impact the English speaking skills of grade
10 students at Hoang Hoa 3 High School?
 What are the students' perceptions of the effectiveness of group work activities in
improving their English speaking skills?
 What are the challenges faced by teachers and students when implementing group
work activities for teaching speaking skills?
 What are the benefits of using group work activities in teaching English speaking skills
for grade 10 students at Hoang Hoa 3 High School?
 3. Select one study among the given research titles below and write appropriate
2.“An investigation into tenth grade students’ motivation in learning English
speaking skills at Dong Son 1 High School
Research Objectives:
  To explore the factors that influence tenth-grade students' motivation in learning
English speaking skills at Dong Son 1 High School.
 To examine the relationship between students' motivation levels and their
proficiency in English speaking skills.
 To identify the strategies that can be implemented to enhance tenth-grade students'
motivation in learning English speaking skills at Dong Son 1 High School.
Research Questions:
 What are the main factors that influence tenth-grade students' motivation in learning
English speaking skills at Dong Son 1 High School?
 How does the motivation level of tenth-grade students correlate with their
proficiency in English speaking skills?
 What strategies can be implemented to enhance tenth-grade students' motivation in
learning English speaking skills at Dong Son 1 High School ?
3.“A study on strategies to improve IELTS reading skills for third year Englishmajors at
Hong Duc university”
Research Objectives:
 To identify the current level of IELTS reading skills among third year English majors at
Hong Duc University.
 To explore the challenges faced by third year English majors at Hong Duc University in
improving their IELTS reading skills.
 To investigate the effectiveness of different strategies in improving IELTS reading
skills among third year English majors at Hong Duc University.
 To recommend appropriate strategies to improve IELTS reading skills for third year
English majors at Hong Duc University.
Research Questions:
 What is the current level of IELTS reading skills among third year English majors at
Hong Duc University?
 What are the challenges faced by third year English majors at Hong Duc University in
improving their IELTS reading skills?
 What are the most effective strategies to improve IELTS reading skills among third
year English majors at Hong Duc University?
 How can the identified strategies be implemented to improve IELTS reading skills for
third year English majors at Hong Duc University?
4 “A study on strategies to improve IELTS reading skills for third year Englishmajors at
Hong Duc university”
Research Objectives:
  To identify the current level of IELTS reading skills among third year English majors at
Hong Duc University.
 To explore the challenges faced by third year English majors at Hong Duc University in
improving their IELTS reading skills.
 To investigate the effectiveness of different strategies in improving IELTS reading
skills among third year English majors at Hong Duc University.
 To recommend appropriate strategies to improve IELTS reading skills for third year
English majors at Hong Duc University.
Research Questions:
 What is the current level of IELTS reading skills among third year English majors at
Hong Duc University?
 What are the challenges faced by third year English majors at Hong Duc University in
improving their IELTS reading skills?
 What are the most effective strategies to improve IELTS reading skills among third
year English majors at Hong Duc University?
 How can the identified strategies be implemented to improve IELTS reading skills for
third year English majors at Hong Duc University?
4.“A survey on difficulties in learning English listening skills of the third-year English
majored students at Hong Duc university”
Research Objectives:
 To identify the difficulties faced by third-year English majored students at Hong Duc
University in learning English listening skills.
 To explore the factors that contribute to the difficulties in learning English listening
skills among third-year English majored students at Hong Duc University.
 To investigate the effectiveness of current teaching methods in improving English
listening skills among third-year English majored students at Hong Duc University.
 To recommend appropriate strategies to improve English listening skills for third-year
English majored students at Hong Duc University.
Research Questions:
 What are the difficulties faced by third-year English majored students at Hong Duc
University in learning English listening skills?
 What are the factors that contribute to the difficulties in learning English listening
skills among third-year English majored students at Hong Duc University?
 How effective are the current teaching methods in improving English listening skills
among third-year English majored students at Hong Duc University?
 What are the most effective strategies to improve English listening skills for third-year
English majored students at Hong Duc University?