RESEARCH ON ELT II INSTRUMENTS OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

It is submitted to fulfill Research on ELT II assignment

Compiled by SAYYIDAH BALQIES 2223101112 7B

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT TEACHERS AND TRAINING EDUCATION FACULTY SULTAN AGENG TIRTAYASA UNIVERSITY 2013

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

Qualitative instruments are used in investigative qualitative research. This type of research is different from quantitative research because the researcher is a large part of the process and can be considered one of the qualitative instruments. The qualitative inquirer deals with data that are in the form of words or pictures rather than numbers and statistics. Data in the form of quotes from documents, field notes, and interviews or excerpts from videotapes, audiotapes, or electronic communications are used to present the findings of the study. In this paper, the writer will focus on the instruments of qualitative research which the most common used in qualitative research there are (1) observation, (2) interviews, (3) documents and audiovisual materials.

CHAPTER II DISCUSSIONS

Arikunto (2000:134), stated that data collection instruments are something that can be chosen and used by the researcher in gaining the data so that the activity of the research become systematic. In other words, we can say that a research instruments are as the tools that available for collecting the data.

We can identify and illustrate several different ways in which these types of data can be used in an effectiveness evaluation. We follow with some details of how to select study subjects, analyze the collected data, and ensure good quality data.

According to Merriam (1998) and Bogdan & Biken (1992) as cited in Cresswell (1994), the most common data collection methods used in qualitative research are (1) observation, (2) interviews, (3) documents and audiovisual materials. It was in lite with Marshall and Rossman (2006, pp. 133135) stated that in qualitative research, observation, interviewing, and document or artifact analysis are the most predominant data collection strategies.

a. Observations

MARSHALL and ROSSMAN (1989) define observation as "the systematic description of events, behaviors, and artifacts in the social setting chosen for study" (p.79). Observations enable the researcher to describe existing situations using the five senses, providing a "written photograph" of the situation under study (ERLANDSON, HARRIS, SKIPPER, & ALLEN, 1993). DeMUNCK and SOBO (1998) describe participant observation as the primary method used by anthropologists doing fieldwork. Observational techniques are methods by which an individual or individuals gather firsthand data on programs, processes, or behaviors being studied. They provide evaluators with an opportunity to collect data on a wide range of behaviors, to capture a great variety of interactions, and to openly explore the evaluation topic.

Observation is a basic method for obtaining data in qualitative research and is more than just hanging out. It is a more global type of observation than the systematic, structured observation used in quantitative research. The qualitative researchers goal is a complete description of behavior in a specific setting rather than a numeric summary of occurrence or duration of observed behaviors.

Quantitative observations often use checklists and behavior observation tools developed prior to the observation to record or document observed behaviors. Qualitative observations rely on narrative or words to describe the setting, the behaviors, and the interactions. The goal is to understand complex interactions in natural settings.

Conducting observations involves a variety of activities and considerations for the researcher, which include ethics, establishing rapport, selecting key informants, the processes for conducting observations, deciding what and when to observe, keeping field notes, and writing up one's findings. In this section, these aspects of the research activities are discussed in more detail. When to use observations?

Observations can be useful during both the formative and summative phases of evaluation. For example, during the formative phase, observations can be useful in determining whether or not the project is being delivered and operated as planned. In the hypothetical project, observations could be used to describe the faculty development sessions, examining the extent to which participants understand the concepts, ask the right questions, and are engaged in appropriate interactions. Such formative observations could also provide valuable insights into the teaching styles of the presenters and how they are covering the material.

The advantages and disadvantages of observations

1. Advantages a. Provide direct information about behavior of individuals and groups b. Permit evaluator to enter into and understand situation/context c. Provide good opportunities for identifying unanticipated outcomes d. Exist in natural, unstructured, and flexible setting

2. Disadvantages a. Expensive and time consuming b. Need well-qualified, highly trained observers; may need to be content experts c. May affect behavior of participants d. Selective perception of observer may distort data e. Investigator has little control over situation f. Behavior or set of behaviors observed may be atypical.

b. Interviews As cited on Annabel (2005), Kvale (1996, p. 14) regarded interviews as an interchange of views between two or more people on a topic of mutual interest, sees the centrality of human interaction for knowledge production, and emphasizes the social situatedness of research data.

Interviews provide very different data from observations. The use of interviews as a data collection method begins with the assumption that the participants perspectives are meaningful, knowable, and able to be made explicit, and that their perspectives affect the success of the project. An interview, rather than a paper and pencil survey, is selected when interpersonal contact is important and when opportunities for follow up of interesting comments are desired.

The interview is one of the most widely used and basic methods for obtaining qualitative data. Interviews are used to gather data from people about opinions, beliefs, and feelings about situations in their own words. They are used to help understand the experiences people have and the meaning they make of them rather than to test hypotheses. Interviews may provide information that cannot be obtained through observation, or they can be used to verify observations. For example, observing a teacher in a classroom tells us something about the behavior, but interviewing helps us to put the behavior in context and helps us understand actions and choices. Qualitative interviews might involve one-time interviews with a subject or subjects, multiple interviews with the same subject or subjects, or group interviews or focus groups.

Based on Ary (2010: 438), there are two types of interviews in qualitative research, they are:

1. Unstructured Interviews or Indepth Interviews The structure of the interview follows the extent to which the questions to be asked are developed prior to the interview. At one extreme is the unstructured interview, which is a conversational type of interview in which the questions arise from the situation. It is sometimes described as a conversation with a purpose.

2. Structured Interviews

Questions are usually very specific and very often the interviewee was given a fixed range of answers. Although the questions are structured, qualitative structured interviews differ from quantitative structured interviews. In the qualitative approach, the list of questions is generally more limited in length and most questions cannot be answered with yes or no or limited word responses.

The advantages and disadvantages of interviews

1. Advantages a. Informants can provide historical information b. Allows researcher control over the line of questioning c. Useful when informants cannot be directly observed.

2. Disadvantages a. Provides indirect information filtered through the views of interviewees b. Provides information in a designated place, rather than the natural field setting c. Researchers presence may bias responses d. Not all people are equally articulate and perceptive

c. Documents and audiovisual materials

Qualitative researchers may use written to gain an understanding of the phenomenon under study. The term documents here refer to a wide range of written, physical materials, including what other authors may term artifacts. Documents may be personal, such as autobiographies, diaries, and letters; official, such as files, reports, memoranda, or minutes; or documents of popular culture, such as books, films, and videos.

Documents can be classified into four categories: (1) public records, (2) personal documents, (3) physical materials, and (4) researcher-generated documents. Personal documents are typically first-person narratives and include such items as diaries, letters, home videos, scrapbooks, and more. Although these may be good sources of information about the individuals beliefs and perspectives, they are highly subjective and not necessarily reliable. Physical materials may include many objects, such as equipment, paintings, photographs, and other physical traces. For example, a researcher interested in student pride in a school might document the amount of trash left in hallways and classrooms. Researchergenerated documents are prepared by the researcher or for the researcher by the participants, as in the previous example in which participants are asked to keep a journal or to draw a picture.

The advantages and disadvantages of documents 1. Advantages a. b. c. d. Enables a researcher to obtain the language and words of informants Can be accessed at a time convenient to researcher Represents data that are thoughtful Saves a researcher the time and expense of transcribing

2. Disadvantages a. b. c. d. e. May be protected information Requires the researcher to search out the information in hard to find places Requires transcribing or optical scanning for computer entry Materials may be incomplete The documents may not be authentic or accurate

According to Cresswell (1994) audiovisual materials include photograps, videotapes, art objects, computer software, and films.

The advantages and disadvantages of audiovisuals materials 1. Advantages a. May be an onobtrusive method of collecting data b. Provides an opprtunity for informant to share directly his/her reality c. Creative in that it captures attention visually

2. Disadvantages a. May be difficult to interpret b. May not be accessible publicly or privately c. The presence of an observer (e.g photographer) may be disruptive and affect responses

CHAPTER III CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the instruments of qualitative research are consists of three kinds; which are: interview, observation, also documents snd audiovisual materials. This task meant to give the writer a brief description about kinds of quallitative research instruments. Aso, the writer may use one or more of those instruments in a her research future.

REFERENCES

Ary, Donald, et.al. 2006. Introduction to Research in Education 8th Edition. USA: Wadsworth. Cohen, Louise, et.al. 2007. Research Methods in Education second edition. New York: Routledge. Creswell, John. 1994. Research design : Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. USA: Sage Publication Inc. Arikunto, Suharsimi. (2000). Manajemen Penelitian. Jakarta: Rineka Cipta. Retrieved September 22nd, 2013, from http://samoke2012.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/instrumen-penelitian.pdf