This session

commences at
7.30 pm.
Research Methodology

Lecture 3
Let's Review
Main Purpose of
Research

Generate new
Knowledge
Characteristics of Research

Systematic Valid

Reliable Empirical

Controlled Scientific

5
 Types of Research

 Testable HYPOTHESIS is
formulated.

Observations are made.

e ar c h
e R e s c h)
u c ti v e s e a r
D ed s t in g R
Data earei s T e
collected.
ot h s
(Hy p
Data are analyzed.

Hypothesis is accepted or rejected.

7
 No formal hypothesis.
A case/ research area is
e a r c h
selected. e R e s r c h)
c t iv e se a
Indu i ld in g R
Data are i s B u
collected.
o t he s
(H y p
Patterns emerging from data are
identified.

Conclusions/Hypothesis are drawn.

8
 Types of Research

 Selecting a Problem
Interest/ Which field? Which sub-
knowledge discipline?

Level of Past experience /

expertise Qualifications/ Future
aspirations

Availability of Easy access

data 10
Identify a broad field or subject area of
interest to you

Dissect the broad area into subareas

Select what is of most interest to you

Form a Problem

Make the Problem Specific

11
 Formulating Problem, Title,
Objectives, Research Questions

12
 Title Effect of online teaching on
development of Geography knowledge

Variables Online teaching, Geography

knowledge

Objective Investigate the effect of online

teaching on geography knowledge
h e r .
ceffect of online teaching
Is there
te a
an
Question graphy
ge o on geography knowledge?
m a
Ia There is an effect of online
Hypothesis teaching on geography knowledge. 13
 Title Effect of online teaching on
development of Geography knowledge

Variables Online teaching, Geography

knowledge

Objective Investigate the effect of online

teaching on geography knowledge
Is there an effect of online teaching
Question
on geography knowledge?
There is an effect of online
Hypothesis teaching on geography knowledge. 14
 Title Effect of online teaching on
development of Geography knowledge

Variables Online teaching, Geography

knowledge

Objective Investigate the effect of online

teaching on geography knowledge
Is there an effect of online teaching
Question ng
on d i on geography knowledge?
r e s p
cor There is an effect of online
Hypothesis teaching on geography knowledge. 15
Proposition Online teaching increases
geography knowledge.

An increase in number of
Hypothesis online sessions causes an
increase in their geography
marks.
16
 r abl e
easu
l ear ,m
ble c
Varia

Proposition Online teaching increases

geography knowledge.

ati on
onal iz
per ati
O
An increase in number of
Hypothesis online sessions causes an
increase in their geography
marks.
17
 Title
obl em
m P r
Deri ve fro

Objectives

Research Questions
 Effect of bilingual instruction on students'
Title performance at the GCE (A/L)
Examination

Investigate a relationship between

Objective medium of instruction and
performance at the GCE (A/L)
Examination

Is there a direct relationship

Research between medium of instruction and
Question performance at the GCE (A/L)
Examination?
 Investigate a relationship between
medium of instruction and
Objective performance at the GCE (A/L)
Examination

Investigate a relationship between

Specific medium of instruction and
Objective 1 performance in Biology paper at GCE
(A/L) Exam

Investigate a relationship between

Specific medium of instruction and
Objective 2 performance in Physics paper at GCE
(A/L) Exam
Tell me a suitable title,
objective, hypothesis & Can you
research questions for contribute?
your research.

22
Analysis based on Analysis based on
test scores interview data

Which is Qualitative & which is

Quantitative?
Identifies errors, attempts to Counts the total
classify them (as verb errors, number of errors and
preposition errors etc), errors of verb forms and
analyze patterns in verb find the percentage
errors, explain patterns
B
A
er r o r s
a t i c a l
g r am m
n al y ze e n t s
er s a f st u d
sear ch r ou p o
o r e by a g
Tw m ad e

Which is Qualitative & which is

Quantitative?
Can you explain the
difference?
 Qualitative or Quantitative
•Subjective and open to
interpretation; (opinion)
•Qualitative Research
•Objective: hypothesis testing
(fact)
•Quantitative Research
 Qualitative or Quantitative
•Numerical analysis, data
collected, classified, and then
computed -using statistical tests
•Quantitative
•Cannot be quantified;
Explanatory
•Qualitative
 Qualitative or Quantitative
•Small data, unrepresentative
samples (interview; classroom
observation)
•Qualitative
•Large, representative samples -
can be generalized
•Quantitative
 Qualitative or Quantitative

•Exploratory ; why a certain

phenomenon occurs.
•Qualitative
•Conclusive
•Quantitative
 Qualitative or Quantitative
•Findings not applicable on the
general population
•Qualitative
•Findings applicable on the
general population
•Quantitative
 Qualitative or Quantitative?
•Open-ended questions,
interviews
•Qualitative
•Closed questions,
measurements, surveys,
experiments
•Quantitative
 Qualitative or Quantitative
•Researcher may not know what
he is looking for in advance
•Qualitative research
•Researcher knows in advance
what question he is trying to
answer
•Quantitative research
•
 Qualitative or Quantitative
•Hypothesis Testing
•Quantitative
•Hypothesis formulating
•Qualitative
 Qualitative or Quantitative

•Predetermined structure
•Quantitative
•Flexible
•Qualitative
•Data collected under controlled
conditions
•Quantitative
•Data collected under natural
settings
•Qualitative
 Can you?

Describe difference between Qualitative

Research and Quantitative Research
Research Tools
Other Data Collection Tools

Use of mechanical devices

Depth interviews

Projective techniques

Content-analysis
 Content Analysis
Analysing the contents of
documentary materials
(Printed/Spoken)

Inferences about
Writer/Speaker
Language
Attitudes of Speakers/Writers
Structured Texts (survey
comments, essays of
students, news, books)

Unstructured Texts
(transcriptions, focus
group interviews, Recordings
conversations) (Audio/Video)
Advantages; mail the
questionnaires to
respondents
 Advantages; mail the questionnaires to
respondents

•low cost - even when the

population is large
• widely spread geographically
•free from the bias of the
interviewer
•Respondents; time to give
well thought out answers
•large samples
•results more reliable
Disadvantages: Mailing the questionnaires

•low rate of return

•If respondents are educated and
cooperating; OK
•the control over questionnaire may
be lost once it is sent. (inflexible)
•ambiguous replies or omission of
replies
 Questionnaires

•Subjective Questions or
Objective Questions
 Likert scaling technique

•"Effect of grammar instruction on

development of writing
competence”
•How do you rate the effect of Formal
grammar instruction on development of
writing ability.
•Vey high
•High
•Moderate
•Satisfactory
•Little
•How do you rate the attractiveness of
the new geography textbook?
•Vey high
•High
•Moderate
•Satisfactory
•Little
 Likert Scale
The textbook

Attractive 1 2 3 4 5
Covers the
syllabus 1 2 3 4 5

Organized from
simple to complex 1 2 3 4 5
 Ajith Nimal Kamal Mala Mean
Value
Textbook is 2 3 2 2 2.2
attractive
Textbook covers 4 3 4 5 4
the syllabus

Textbook is 4 5 5 5 4.9
organized
 Interviews

Structured Interviews
Unstructured
Interviews
Semi-structured
Interviews
Depth Interviews
Compare &
Contrast Survey
method &
Experiment
method
 Survey method & Experiment method

•Surveys; descriptive research

• but experiments; experimental
research studies
•Survey; larger samples
•but experimental studies - small
samples
•Surveys ; describing, recording,
analyzing and interpreting.
Researcher does not manipulate the
variable.
•But Experimental research; a
systematic and logical method for
answering the question- deliberate
manipulation
•In an experiment, the researcher
measures the effects of an
experiment
•Surveys; an example of field
research
• experiments; controlled research.
•Surveys; hypothesis formulation and
testing the analysis of the relationship
between non-manipulated variables.
•But Experimentation -a method of
hypothesis testing; test the hypothesis
and confirm or disconfirm it
•Experimentation- most powerful
method for discovering new
knowledge.
•ultimate purpose; generalize the
variable relationships
•may be applied outside to a
wider population
•Surveys; sample ; method of
data collection - observation, or
interview or questionnaire.
•But in experiments, data are
collected from several readings
of experiments.
•