Research traditions

Exercise 1

What major differences do you notice among the following types of examples of research? Do you think the techniques for gathering and analyzing data are similar or different? Why?

Research # 1

A teacher who has noticed that her students have lost interest in writing, decides to start using electronic portfolios. She keeps track of the students’ responses to this new task by writing her impressions on a journal and surveying the students every two weeks.

Research # 2

A teacher wishes to have his students read and interpret a novel by using “mind mirrors”, a technique that facilitates interpretation by engaging the students in a number of activities based on cognitive theory.

Research # 3

A teacher-researcher decides to motivate her students to carry out a series of on-line tasks, by linking the “life” of an e-pet to the completion of the activities. If the students do not complete the tasks appropriately, the e-pet will die.

Research # 4

A teacher-researcher is concerned about a phenomenon called “mute English”, and wishes to try a new activity that involves reading and speaking: acting out the plot of a story by holding a performance competition.

Research # 5

A teacher wishes to compare the level of English of the 150 students from 11th grade at his school, with the CEFR international standards, to find out if they are reaching a B2 exit level.

Research # 6

A researcher wishes to find out if there is a correlation between the results of an international exam such as the IELTS and the socio- economical level of the students who take it.

Research # 7

A group of researchers wishes to find out what are the most common 10, 100, and 1000 words in English to create a “corpus” of words, so that a new textbook can be created to offer students contact with “real life English”.

QUALITATIVEVS

QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

Qualitative research => quality

Explores attitudes, behaviors and experiences through methods such as interviews or focus groups. It attempts to get an in-depth opinion from participants. As it is attitudes, behavior and experiences which are important, fewer people take part in the research, but the contact with these people tends to last a lot longer.

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

is based on

non-numerical data

description approaches techniques

• subjective • concerned with

understanding human behaviors

• researcher is part of the process: the “insider” perspective

• context-dependent• tries to be unique• sample size is not a

concern • focuses on a dynamic

reality, not universal claims.

Case studies

Introspection research

Classroom research

Action research

• observations• field notes• diaries• interviews* •

questionnaires*

Quantitative research => quantity

Generates statistics through the use of large-scale survey research, using methods such as questionnaires or structured interviews. If you have filled in a questionnaire, this falls under the umbrella of quantitative research. This type of research reaches many more people, but the contact with those people is much quicker than it is in qualitative research.

QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

is based on

numerical data

description approaches techniques

• objective • seeks facts or causes of

social phenomena without regard of the individual.

• researcher is separate from the process: the “outsider” perspective

• context-free• strives for generalization• sample size is important • focuses on a static reality in

hopes of developing universal laws.

Descriptive

Exploratory

Quasi-experimental

True-experimental

• statistics • comparisons• scales • interviews* •

questionnaires*

Experiencing case study research

Observing the progress of their children in learning to speak is a

popular pastime for many parents.

Parents who are also linguists have often published their observations

in the professional literature.

Typically, these publications have appeared as case studies based on regular observation and recording of a child’s verbal behavior in learning a first or second language.

Exercise 2

Saying “NO”: Negation in English

PHASES LANGUAGE EXAMPLES

COMMENTS

Taken from “Doing Second Language Research, by Brown & Rodgers