CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY


3.0 Research Methodology

This chapter discusses the method used to obtain data of this research. It is in this chapter that
technique and method used to carry out the research is described thoroughly which includes
research approach, research design, samples, instrument, research procedures and research
analysis.

3.1 Research Approach

There are various types of research approach that can be used in conducting a research.
However, in the context of this paper, a quantitative approach is used to attain data needed as
this is the best approach that seems to fit in with the study of this paper since the all three
research questions in this paper can be answered through a concrete multiple choice opinion
survey in a large number of participants.

3.2 Research Design

This paper will investigate the effectiveness of vocabulary learning through subtitled
authentic video viewing. The research objectives for this paper are to objectively assess
learners ability to increase their depth of knowledge by recognizing and identifying the 5
targeted words appearing in the authentic video, to investigate the effect of subtitling on
vocabulary learning, as well as to determine learners perception of incidental vocabulary
learning through subtitled authentic video. Thus, based on the above written cause, quasi-
experimental research design is adopted in gathering all the pertinence data needed.
3.3 Samples/Sampling Strategies

120 students majoring Health and Science course in UiTM Puncak Alam will be participating
this research. The participants will consist of those from variety of non-English major but are
all taking English lessons in the four main skills of speaking, reading, listening, and writing
apart from their main subjects.
The participants for this research will be of those who are in the first and second semester of
university students, with an average score of MUET Band 2 Band 3.
Therefore, prior to this research, all participants will be streamed into the following four
classes:
A1 (1
st
semester students, band 2 MUET)
A2 ( 2
nd
semester students, band 2 MUET)
B1 (1
st
semester students, band 3 MUET)
B2 (2
nd
semester students, band 3 MUET)
The rationale behind choosing participants who have MUET results of Band 2 and Band 3 is
to help the researcher in trying to put the respected groups in their homogenous state as close
as possible. Thus, only data received from participants fit to this prior characteristic will be
analyzed in the next chapter of this paper.
Also, for the ease of reference of this paper, the four groups above will be referred as:
A1WS and A2WS (With Subtitles)
B1NS and B2NS (No Subtitles)
The rationale of such organizations of the groups will give impact in at least two levels of
understandings in vocabulary learning. However, the differences expected from these groups
would be from the variations of participants reading and listening abilities and years of
learning English that consequently will have indirect effect on data attained.


3.4 Instruments

The following resources will be used for the study of this paper:
An authentic video of Maysoon Zayid: I got 99 problems palsy is just one from
TED Talk (Zayid, 2013) which will be viewed in two different modes; with subtitles
and without subtitles to each respective group.
A suitable modified version of Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (Weche & Paribakht,
1996) for pre-test and post-test.
A multiple choice opinion survey.

3.4.1 Authentic Video Maysoon Zayid: I got 99 problems palsy is just one
from TED Talk

To begin with, TED Talk is a non-profit organization devoted to spreading
ideas in approximately 18 minutes or less of short, compact and powerful talk.
The talk provided are all freely available English- language genuine sharing of
ideas in a video presentations.
Ted Talks are offered under the creative commons license which means it
allows anyone to distribute, reproduce, or display publicly the talks available
in TED. This condition makes it perfect for TED Talk to be used in this paper.
The quality of subtitles in all of the TED talks available is controlled by an
approved professional English transcript which later the transcriptions will be
reviewed by a fluent English speaker.
Thus, this will ensure only the finest input is given to the participants of this
research.
The talk selected from TED for the sake of this research is given by Maysoon
Zayid who suffered from a Cerebral Palsy and thus sharing her challenging
life as a child, a college student, as well as an adult in such interesting, funny,
and positive ways of handling these tribulations. All of which have all the
essential appealing features of connecting the students with positive messages
in going through their life with such positive remarks from Zayid. The link
and transcriptions of this video will be attached together in this paper at the
Appendices section.

3.4.2 Vocabulary Knowledge Scale

The Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS) developed by Wesche & Paribakht
(1996) is used to gauge the depth of learners second language vocabulary
knowledge. It is used largely in research relating to second language
vocabulary learning (Yuksel & Tanriverdi, 2009) and is also a part of tracking
elements for early development of knowledge of precise words in an
experimental or instructional research (Wesche & Paribakht, 1996).

In the case of this research, the Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS) will be
modified to suit the objectives of this paper and thus, the pre-test and post-test
VKS sheets are modified accordingly to its objectives. In the pre-test, all of
the participants will be asked to write definitions of words listed in the VKS
sheet in either Bahasa Melayu or English. This is to ensure that if participants
really know words listed in the sheet, they are able to express and explain it
with difficulties resulting from language barrier.

The modified version of VKS for this research will require participants to
make a self-report on their level of familiarity with the listed targeted word in
a degree of five different levels which are:

1 I have never seen this particular word before.
2 I have seen this particular word before, but I do not know the meaning of
it.
3 I have seen this particular word before, and I sort of know the meaning of
it.
4 I have seen this particular word before, and I know the meaning of it.
5 I have seen this particular word before, I definitely know the meaning of
it and I certainly can use it to construct a sentence.


Meanwhile, in the post-test sheet, the same targeted words will be recycled for
learners identification to test out their level of understandings on certain
words.

3.4.3 Questionnaires

The purpose of questionnaire in this research serves to investigate the
participants perceptions upon incidental vocabulary learning through subtitled
authentic video. The questionnaire will be conducted in English and given in
the same lesson in the treatment video and participants will be asked to make
choices and thus rank the level of theirs agreement and disagreement such as:
'Strongly disagree', 'Disagree', 'Neither agree nor disagree', 'Agree', and
'Strongly agree',

3.5 Research Procedures

Permission upon conducting the research on participants will first be sought after by
researcher to related lecturers of which his/her students will take part in this study.
After that, students will be given approximately 10 minutes to answer questions
provided in the modified version of VKS sheet. Next to that, a treatment video lesson
will be given where TED talk of I got 99 problems palsy is just one will be
shown to participants of group A1 and A2 (WS groups) with the addition of subtitles
whereas, groups B1 and B2 (NS groups) without the subtitles. The duration of the
video is approximately 14 minutes and will be played twice in the lesson. To make
sure that vocabulary learning happens incidentally, participants will be reminded to
watch the video without having to make any notes.
After the video treatment lesson is finished, the VKS post-test sheet will then be
conducted and after that, questionnaire in the form of opinion survey will be given out
and shall be answered by the participants.
To sum up the process of collecting data needed for this research, the following
chronological events are described compactly:

a VKS pre-test
b Video treatment lesson
c VKS post-test
d Questionnaire: opinion survey


3.6 Research Analysis

The data acquired from all of the instruments will then be thoroughly scrutinized of which the
researcher will have to remind herself that any data received from unqualified participants
(MUET Band 4 and 1) will immediately be tossed away as to ensure that data collected is
purely taken from the fit features individuals. The questionnaire will be analysed through
SPSS software and results will be tabulated in a neat arrangement and further clarified in
Chapter 4.