HMEF5103/JAN2010-F/FA

PART A INSTRUCTIONS: 1. THERE ARE THREE (3) QUESTIONS IN THIS PART. 2. ANSWER TWO (2) QUESTIONS ONLY. Question 1 a. How do research problems in qualitative and quantitative research differ? [4 marks] b. Findings from qualitative methods are not well-suited for generalisation to the entire population. Discuss this claim. [2 marks] c. State in your own words what you understand by ethnography and grounded theory. [4 marks] [TOTAL: 10 MARKS] Question 2 a. Drawing from your readings, what are the various observational techniques used by qualitative sociologists? [6 marks] b. Discuss TWO (2) advantages and TWO (2) disadvantages of field research. [4 marks] [TOTAL: 10 MARKS] Question 3 If you are conducting qualitative research using interviews, one of the most important things to focus on is creating good questions. a. Name THREE (3) aspects you would want to avoid when preparing your interview questions. [6 marks] b. Describe TWO (2) families of codes that may be used in qualitative data analysis. [4 marks] [TOTAL: 10 MARKS]

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PART B INSTRUCTIONS: 1. THERE ARE THREE (3) QUESTIONS IN THIS PART. 2. ANSWER TWO (2) QUESTIONS ONLY.

Question 1 Describe a research question and present a qualitative research design which you think would be feasible for a Masters thesis or project. Comment on the strengths, weaknesses, and

practical aspects of the design. [TOTAL: 15 MARKS]

Question 2 While most researchers believe that good sociological studies will incorporate both qualitative and quantitative methods into their practices, each methodological approach provides very different types of information. Using your knowledge and understanding of both qualitative and quantitative research methods, address the following questions: a. Name FIVE (5) general differences between qualitative and quantitative research methods? Make sure you outline the major goals of both. [10 marks] b. How do both methods complement one another? [5 marks] [TOTAL: 15 MARKS]

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Question 3 Refer to the transcript below. It is based on an interview between a researcher and a school headmistress. TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW Q1 A : : How long have you been teaching? I have been teaching for almost 30 years. I have been teaching the Malay language for 20 years and then served as a headmistress for 5 years now. Q2 : Wow, that is a really long time in the education field. Have you taught Malay language before? By the way, I think it is wonderful to have the opportunity to interview you for my research since you are so experienced in this field. So, can you describe the level of the students in terms of their Malay writing in this school? A Q3 : : Their writing level is poor and the reason . Yes, I understand what you mean, so, in your experience as a Malay language teacher for 25 years, am I correct? Yes? So, do you find that most of the students use translation when writing in Malay? A : Yes, most students find it easier to translate what they want to say from Chinese to Malay when they are writing Malay essays, which does not benefit them in any way. Q4 A : : Is it also because they dont use Malay language at home? Most of the students in this school come from Chinese- or English-speaking backgrounds. They hardly use Malay language at home. Their foundation for Malay is not good. At present, the level for Year 1 Malay is higher compared to what they learn in kindergarten. Hence, most students struggle when they are in Year 1. Q5 A : : So, how do you teach your students, considering all these problems? Usually, I provide them with examples before asking them to do specific tasks, such as constructing new sentences. I think that students must first understand the necessary vocabulary before learning to write essays. Q6 A : : I think that is so time consuming, dont you think so? We must be patient when teaching them to write in Malay. It is futile to ask students to write straight away when they dont understand most of the vocabulary. Teachers should always explain the vocabulary to the students before they start writing anything. 3

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Q7 : Yes, I agree with you but I think most teachers cannot do so due to time constraints as there are too many workbooks that students have to complete. A : Yes, we are always racing against time. Teachers must be smart to plan their lessons beforehand. Q8 : How do you test the students understanding after you have explained all the required vocabulary? A : I will ask questions after my explanation and I will take note of their facial expressions. Most of the time, their facial expressions will indicate whether they are listening and whether they understand what you are saying or not. Q9 A : : Yes, that is true. So, do most of your students understand you? Only about half the class actually understand what I am saying when I teach and converse in Malay. Q10 A : : What language do you usually use when teaching Malay? I mostly use the Malay language, but I sometimes use Chinese language to explain some of the vocabulary, especially ones that are hard to understand. Q11 A : : Ok, I think that is all for my interview. Thank you very much for your time. You are welcome.

a.

With reference to qualitative data collection, describe TWO (2) problems with the interview. [6 marks]

b.

Identify THREE (3) questions that should not have been asked by the researcher, giving a reason for each question you choose. Rewrite these three questions to demonstrate good interviewing techniques. [9 marks] [TOTAL: 15 MARKS]

QUESTION PAPER ENDS HERE