ESM641�RESEARCH METHODS� IN EDUCATTION

Assignment

Video A & B

Dr Kim Teng Siang

kskim2007@gmail.com

h/p: 0124661131

HEMM1123 / EER1130 Educational Research

Overview (70%) / (60%)

Part 1 (15%) – 4 pages

• This assignment is intended to develop your ability to read an academic article critically.

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• Read the article:
• Teachers’ Teaching Reading Strategies at Public Elementary Schools in Haripur District

By

Assad Ur Rehman, Kifyat Khan, Ajila Almas, Maslawati Mohamad and Nurul Huda Ismail

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• Analyse the research article using the following suggested guidelines. You may discuss issues not addressed in the questions.

Guidelines

• Research Area and Theory
• What is the purpose of the study?
• What are the research questions(s) and / or hypotheses that guided the research?
• What are the variables that are investigated?
• What is the theory that underpins the study?

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• Review of Literature
• brief description

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Methodology

• Explain the research method employed for the study
• How is the sample selected?
• What are the data collection instruments used in the study?
• What, if anything relating to the methodology would you do differently and why?

Findings

• What are the main findings of the study?
• Discuss briefly

Discussion and Conclusion

• What do the authors say about the findings of the study?
• What conclusions do they make?

Abstract

The growing importance of English as an international language globally demands the students in Pakistan to be proficient in English especially reading skills. Thus, the objective of the study was to identify which reading strategies were taught by the English teachers to elementary pupils. In order to achieve the research objective, quantitative research design was employed in this study. Data were collected through random sampling of 100 teachers from 50 public schools which offer English as a subject using a set of questionnaires. The data were analysed using SPSS. The data are presented in percentages and frequency.

Research

Area,

Purpose,

variable

Metho-

dology

The major findings indicate that the majority of the teachers have many problems in teaching English reading strategies to elementary students. It is hoped that the findings could help the education department officers in developing a suitable module to conduct training for elementary English teachers. Such measure is vital in order to improve the teaching capabilities of the English teachers in teaching reading strategies as to enhance the pupils’ reading comprehension.

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Keywords: Teaching Reading, Elementary Level, Reading Strategies, English Teachers

Conclusion

&

Discussion

Findings

Guidelines

Research Area and Theory (1/2 page)

•  What is the purpose of the study?

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• What are the research questions(s) and / or hypotheses that guided the research?

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• What are the variables that are investigated?

• What is the theory that underpins the study?

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Review of Literature (1/2 page) �(Done by the Author in the article)

Brief description

• Theories involved and discussed
• Articles or findings quoted
• How the review of findings (and methodologies) quoted help in building the present research - describe clearly
• (Give your views about whether these reviews were sufficient, relevant and clearly beneficial)

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• Explain the research method employed for the study

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• How is the sample selected?

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• What are the data collection instruments used in the study?

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• What, if anything relating to the methodology would you do differently and why?
• (Do you agree with the ways they did?)

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Methodology ( 1 page)

Findings (1 page)

• What are the main findings of the study?
• Discuss briefly

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Discussion and Conclusion

• What do the authors say about the findings of the study?
• What conclusions do they make?

(Do you agree with their conclusions? Give your reasons)

Part 2 (10%) – 2 pages

• Write a short essay titled: “Ethical Considerations in Educational Research”
• focusing on the following:
•  
• What is an ethics?
• Importance of ethics in educational research
• Examples of ethical issues in educational research
• Give you opinion

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What is an Ethic?

• a set of principles and practices that provide moral guidance in a particular field.
• Webster’s dictionary = conformance to the standards of conduct
• of a given profession or group. Such standards are often defined at a disciplinary level though a professional code of conduct, and sometimes enforced by university committees.

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• Even if not explicitly specified, researchers are

still expected to be aware of and abide by general agreements shared by

the scientific communities about the acceptable and non-acceptable

behaviours in the professional conduct of science.

Importance of Ethics in Research

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• Search and refer to internet sources
• (Give your opinion about this in your research)

Examples of Ethical Issues in research - find and give your examples (while

explaining your opinion)

Part 3 (12%) – 3 pages

• You have been appointed to lead a research team assigned with the task of finding the reasons why students having completed secondary school do not want to continue studying for a certificate, diploma or bachelor’s degree. The team has decided to conduct a survey involving students in the final year of secondary schools in the state of Selangor in Malaysia (or any state / province in your country).
•  
• Suggest THREE research questions that will guide data collection.
• Explain how you plan to draw the sample of students using stratified sampling.
• What demographic variables would you include in the survey?
• Suggest the types of statistics you would use to analyse the data.

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a) Suggest THREE research questions that will guide data collection.

• What is the main focus or purpose of the

survey?

• What variables could be included in the

survey?

• What possible subgroups can be the variable

in this research?

(refer to Topic 2.3 for how to write a proper research questions)

b) Explain how you plan to draw the sample of students using stratified sampling. What subgroups would you include?

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• What are the possible subgroups in the sample? Eg. Ethnic groups
• How stratified sampling can be done on these subgroups? (refer to Topic 6)

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e.g. Stratified sampling

• Variable = ethnic groups
• ensure that individuals with certain characteristics or groups are included in the sample to be studied.
• the proportion of students randomly selected to fill each of the groups of the sample is the same as the population

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• (Sample size of 1000 consists of 450 Malay, 300 Chinese and 250 Indian)

45%

Malay

25%

India

30%

Chinese

45%

Malay

25%

India

30%

Chinese

25%

India

30%

Chinese

45%

Malay

Population, N=1,000,000

Sample, n=1000

d) Suggest the types of statistics you would use to analyse the data.�

• Discuss based on your research questions
• If can be just descriptive only using percentage or frequency about how widespread the problem is
• If comparing the differences of the problem between subgoups, then using t-test or Anova

ESM641�RESEARCH METHODS� IN EDUCATTION

Assignment

Video B (Part 4-5)

​

Dr Kim Teng Siang

kskim2007@gmail.com

h/p: 0124661131

Part 4 (13%) : 4-5 pages

• A geography teacher conducted a study to test the effectiveness of video clips in teaching 14 year old secondary school students on climate change. She identified an equivalent group of students who were taught using the chalk method (without video clips). She taught the group using video clips while her colleague taught using the chalk and talk method to students from intact classes.

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Part 4 (13%) : 4-5 pages

• At the end of the experiment which lasted for 5 weeks, students from both groups were given a statistics test and the scores were compared (see Table above)

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1. Why do you think the researcher selected a quasi-experimental design?
2. State TWO (2) null hypotheses for the study.
3. Briefly discuss FOUR (4) threats to the internal validity of the experiment.
4. Explain any TWO (2) techniques that the researcher could use to ensure the two groups are equivalent in ability
5. What can you conclude from the study?

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a) Why do you think the researcher selected a quasi-experimental design and not a true design?

- refer to Topic 4 & 5

- e.g. need to use intact groups like classes

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b) State TWO (2) null hypotheses for the study.

-e.g. “There is no significant different in statistics achievement between …”

(refer to Topic 2)

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c) Discuss FOUR (4) threats to the internal validity of the experiment.

- refer to Topic 4 & 4.1

e.g. What happen during the interval of the experiment (5 weeks)?

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Extraneous Variables are Threats to �internal validity of an Experimental Research

i) Time Interval (Fig. 4.4, pg 9)

Time Interval

PreTest

PostTest

- History

- Maturation

- Instrumentation

- Testing

ii) Other Threats to Interval Validity

• Mortality
• Selection Bias
• Regression to the Mean

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iii) Subject-Experimenter Effects

All these threats need to be controlled (or cancelled)

in an experiment

How?

a. By having a control group in the design

Experimental Group

Experimental Group

Control Group

Control Group

Intervention 1

(Treatment 1)

Pretest

Posttest

Effect

Intervention

+ Extraneous factors

None from Intervention

+ Extraneous factors

By comparing the effects between Experimental and Control groups, we can cancelled out the effects due to extraneous factors in the experiment

Same Extraneous Factors

Intervention 2

(Treatment 2)

b. Random Assignment To Enhance �Internal Validity

Experimental Group

Experimental Group

Control Group

Control Group

Intervention 1

(Treatment 1)

Pretest

Posttest

Effect

Intervention

+ Extraneous factors

None from Intervention

+ Extraneous factors

b. Randomly assigned to Group

c. Ensure both groups are equivalent

By randomly assigned and having equivalent groups at the starting of the experiment, we ensure that both groups are the same before the intervention

Intervention 2

(Treatment 2)

d. Explain any TWO (2) techniques that the researcher could use to ensure the two groups are equivalent in ability

A) Matching

B) Holding One or More Variables

Constant

C) Including an Extraneous Variable in

the Research Design

D) Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA)

- statistical control

- refer Topic 4 & 5

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e) What can you conclude from the study? �We need to analyse the data statistically. � - refer your Statistics course or Topic 9� - use suitable statistical test to test the difference � in means�

Are these means really different or different due to chance

in sampling?

Part 5 (20%) – 5-6 pages

Attitude Towards Banning Use of Social Media Among Children Less than 16 Years of Age

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• Design a SIX (6) item attitude scale to measure the above.
• Use a 5-point Likert scale:
• 1 Strongly Disagree
• 2 Disagree
• 3 Undecided
• 4 Agree
• 5 Strongly Agree

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• Write a short Report focussing on the following [You decide on the format]:
• Purpose of the attitude scale and what is being measured
• Explain how you selected each item – 3 negative items & 3 positive items
• Briefly describe how you would ensure that the attitude scale measures what it is supposed to measure.

• Attach your attitude scale

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Before you design the scale �“ Attitude Towards Banning Use of Social Media ”, you need to know the

Purpose of the attitudinal scale?

What Attitudes to be Measured? (Not Factors or why)

• Like / Dislike the banning
• Support banning or not
• Relief / Burden
• Recommend others to do so or not
• Feel privacy is invaded or not
• Other suitable indicator /behaviour

(find any other suitable indicators for this attitude

Through your readings and referencing)

Convert each of these Indicators/Behaviour into Statement

• E.g. attitude of support to the banning

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Reasons for the selection for these items

(Explain your selection for each item)

– 3 positives,

-- 3 negatives

(e.g. I support strongly the banning of social media among children less than 16 years of age.

• My conviction to protect the welfare of the children from social ills.
• It is convenient for me
• Find value / benefit in doing it

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• How to ensure this attitude scale measures what it is supposed to measure? Discuss briefly.

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• Refer to topic 8 (about validity of an instrument)
• Discuss some measures to ensure this validity:

e.g.

• reviewing this instrument by an expert in this field
• Refer to results from relevant research
• More statement in the scale etc

FORMAT

• Format for the assignment:
• 12 New Times Roman font
• 1½ spacing
• Submit online to MyPLS all the SEVEN Parts in ONE FILE.
• Do not copy and paste from the internet or from the learning materials. If you do, MARKS WILL DEDUCTED.
• Use the Cover Page.
• Name the file as ESM641_StudentID_YourName

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Thank You