Professional Documents
Culture Documents
METHODOLOGY
HMEF5093
SEMINAR 1
Introduction
Research Defined
Research Methodology: An Overview
Doing Quantitative Research
Constructs & Variables
Theory and Review of Literature
What is research?
Research is a scientific or systematic process
of steps used to gather and analyze information
to increase our understanding of a phenomenon
(topic or issue)
Examples of phenomena:
What is the motivation level of my students in
learning English?
Can cooperative learning improve the
students performance in Mathematics?
STATUS
STUDY
INTERVENTION
STUDY
Experimental
QUALITATIVE
(Phenomenological Approach)
STATUS STUDY
Case
Study
Survey
Correlational
Causal-comparative
QuasiExperimental
INTERVENTION
STUDY
Action
Research
Ethnography
Generic Qualitative method
Researcher B interviews a
sample of problem students
individually or as a small
group. He interacts with
them and observes their
behaviours. He also
examines counsellors
reports and school report
cards. He records all the
information obtained and
analyses it for patterns that
emerge.
Quantitative Research
Qualitative Research
Philosophy
Positivism:
Knowledge can only come from positive
affirmation of theories through strict
scientific method
Phenomenology
Knowledge is discovered through an open,
unbiased description of experience
Purpose/
Goal
Focus
Design
Structured, predetermined
(Developed prior to study)
Flexible, emerging
(Evolves during study)
Method
Sample
Small, purposeful
Data
Collection
Analysis
Statistical methods
Findings
Researcher
Detached
Immersed
DEDUCTIVE APPROACH IN
RESEARCH
4. Confirm or revise
theory based on the
hypotheses
tested/answers to
research questions
INDUCTIVE APPROACH IN
RESEARCH
4. Formulate and
generate theory based on
rich descriptive data
3. Formulate tentative
hypotheses & gather further
information
1. Conduct observation
(Participant/non-participant)
STEPS IN CONDUCTING
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
Gap-filling Research:
(Generating Research Ideas)
Identify a general research area of interest
Read extensively to identify the GAP to
establish the research problem (RP)
Questions need to be asked:
What has been researched?
What has not been researched?
What needs to be further researched? Why?
Gap-filling research will ultimately lead to Problem-Solving as a
contribution ( Significance of the Study)
Problem-Solving Research:
(Generating Research Ideas)
Conceptualise and contextualise an ecological
problem
Read extensively to find solutions to the
problem in order to establish the research
problem (RP)
Questions need to be asked:
What has been researched ?
Can the ecological problem be solved with currently
available research findings?
If not, why? What needs to be researched?
Comprehension
Performance
Reading
problems
Reading
Comprehension
Reading
strategies
Reading
Activity
Reading
materials
Reading
programme
Reading
assessment
Theories
of visual
learning
Schema
theory
Reading
models
Information
processing
theory
Generating
research
ideas
Comprehension Performance
Reading Material
Reading Activity
Recall
Illustration
Pre-reading
activity
Formulating
Research
Problem
(2)
Class Discussion
Can you make the following statements clearer and
unambiguous so that they can be used as research
problem statements?
The Use of Computer Technology in schools
The leadership style of school principals
The methods of teaching science in primary school
The effects of using courseware X on Mathematics achievement of form
4 students
The leadership style of school principals and its relationship with the job
satisfaction of secondary school teachers
The effects of the discovery learning approach on the science
achievement of Year-6 pupils.
(3)
Examples of Hypotheses
There is no difference in the reading
comprehension performance of Year 4
pupils when they read expository text with
and without illustration?
IMPORTANT:
The decision on which methodology (esp. research
design and method of data collection & analyses) to use
depends the research problem & research
questions/hypotheses
Communicating Results
Thesis/Dissertation/Project
Conferences/seminars
Publications in Journals/Books
Characteristics of Research
Research begins with a problem
Research requires a plan
Research demands a clear problem statement
Research deals with the main problem through
subproblems operationalised as research
questions/hypotheses
Research seeks direction through research
questions/hypotheses
Research deals with facts and their meaning
Dependent Variable
- Cannot be manipulated
Class Discussion
Independent Variables
Dependent Variables
PBM
Teaching
Method
TLM
High
Academic
Achievement
Low
Science
Performance
2 x 2 Factorial Design
PBM
High
Achiever
Low
Achiever
TLM
Conversion
Subject
Type of Reader
Poor
Poor
Poor
Continuous
Poor
Categorical
13
Variable
Good
Variable
16
Good
19
Good
20
Good
Data Types
Nominal data
E.g. % of students who passed/failed a test
Ordinal data
E.g. Ranking scores
Interval data
E.g. Attitude scores, IQ
Ratio Data
E.g. Test scores
Review of Literature
An in-depth account of key works and information available on
a research topic
Sources:
research articles (e.g. Journals)
& academic writings (e.g.
books)
THANK YOU