Research methodology in TVET

Learning guide 2
 Types of research

• Based on purpose:
– Basic/pure/fundamental research

– Applied research
• Action research
• Developmental /product research
• Evaluative research

• Based on method:
– Historical

– Descriptive
– Experimental

– Online

• Based on approach: qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods

 Basic research
• concerned with theory development and its refinement.
• primary purpose:
– broadening of knowledge and not immediate solution of a problem.
• directed towards evolving new and additional knowledge or
• enhancement of subject matter that involves developing and
testing theories.
• It is usually conducted in the laboratory.
– For example: how did the universe begin?
– What are protons, neutrons, and electrons composed of?
 Applied research
• directed towards practical application of knowledge and
• aims at finding an explanation for an observed problem.
• It can also aim at testing theory to evaluate its usefulness in
education, business, management and the like.
• Aims at solving immediate practical problems.
• The findings help educators to make rational practical decisions
about specific problems.
• Examples: applied researchers may investigate ways to:
– Improve agricultural crop production
– Treat or cure a specific disease
– Improving the energy efficiency of homes, offices, or modes of
transportation
 Action research
• concerned with the solution of a specific problem in local
situation.
• conducted by a person who uses the findings to improve
bothering current situations.
• is popularly used in TVET training systems as it discovers and
identifies a problem in the classroom, or in management of the
training for example and solving it in the same setting.
• Results from action research cannot be generalized.
 Developmental research

• directed to producing new materials, products and devices;

• to installing new processes, systems and services and

• to improve substantially those already produced or installed.
• Examples:
– BPR principle, BSC, KAIZEN, etc are processes for improving service
delivery
– Producing educational technology materials for supporting teaching and
learning
 Based on method
1. Historical
• Gives meaning to events and happenings.
• It aims to arrive at conclusions concerning trends, causes and
effects of past occurrences that may help explain present events
and anticipating future events.
• Most difficult to do well but gives insight to problems that cannot be
gained through any other techniques.
• Focus of this type of research is based on:
– Past events
– Documents or official records
– Recording of testimonies
– accounts of people who are participants and observers of the event.
• no questionnaire or research instruments are used.
• historical research relies upon:
– Primary data and
– Secondary data
 Historical research…contd
• Primary data:
– A record of eyewitnesses or observers words which they have written, or
reported to have been spoken.
– A testimony of their associates and contacts: and,
• Secondary data:
– From books, encyclopedias, almanacs etc.
– As articles published in professional journals, magazines, newspapers, and
other publications.
– As monographs, manuscripts, etc. and
– As other second- hand sources.
– A form documents ( charters, laws, contracts, constitutions, proclamations,
receipts, inscriptions, portfolios, books, diaries, journals, logbooks,
proceedings of meetings and others)
 2. Descriptive research
• concerned with either description and interpretation of existing::
– relationships,

– attitudes,
– practices,

– processes,
– trends, etc. or

– the comparison of variables.

• It does not make attempts to manipulate variables.

 Descriptive research

• Types of descriptive survey:

– 1.Qualitative
• Case studies
• Ethnography
• Historical
• Grounded theory
• Document analysis
• Phenomenological study

– 2. Quantitative
• Surveys

– 3. Correlational research
– 4. Ex Post Facto research
 Case studies
• Intensive and exhaustive or detailed or in-depth study about:
– An individual
– Group of individuals
– An institution
– Organisation
– Agency
– Association
– School
• Data can be gathered from the past and current status of the
subject/s.
• Relatively weak method in making generalisations.
• Observation is primary techniques of gathering information.
– Interviews
– Questionnaire
– Document analysis
 Surveys
• Involves gathering limited data from large number of cases/subjects
inexpensively and easily.
• Obtain data from a population or sample to determine current status
of the population with respect to one or more variables.
• Gather info about variables not about individuals.
• Measure the existing occurrences without inquiring into why it exists.
• Tools for surveys include:
– Questionnaires: widely used and applied for large sample ssize.
– Tests
– Check lists
– Rating scales
– Interviews
– Inventories
– Observations
– Etc.
 Correlational research
• a study conducted to find out if any relationship exists between
variables.
• Used for the purpose of prediction.
• We use measure of correlation to determine the magnitude and
direction of relationship.
– Positive correlation/relationship
– Negative/inverse relationship
– No correlation/relationship
• Correlation coefficient does not signify cause and effect
relationships.
 Ex Post Facto research

• Means “after the fact”.

• Conducted where both the effect and hypothetical cause/s have
already occurred.
• This type of study lacks manipulation of variables:
– We cannot control the independent variables that cause a certain effect

– Such variables like sex, race, intelligence, aptitude, creativity, personality,

socio-economic status, etc. cannot be directly manipulated.
• Example 1: Traffic incidents
• Ex post facto research can also be used instead of an experiment,
to test hypotheses about cause and effect
– Example 2:
• Family violence caused poor school performance.

• Do children who eat breakfast get better grades in school?

 3. Experimental research
• Controls the whole research process except for the Ivs.
• Ivs are thought of as the cause of an effect.
• The variable that is manipulated is referred to as:
– Independent variable

– A treatment variable

– A cause variable
– Predictor variable

• The outcome or effect variable is called the:

– DV (dependent variable).
– Predicted variable

• This is the only type of research that can really ascertain the cause and effect
relationships.
• Identifying the dependent and independent variables.
 Examples

• A study investigated the difference in grammar performance between

high school freshmen students taught by two different methods.
– (a) What is the independent variable in this study?
– (b) What is the dependent variable?

• In a study designed to determine the effect of varying amounts of sleep on

the learning of mecatronics, identify the following:
– a. What is the independent variable?

– b. What is the dependent variable?

• The effect of motivation on achievement.

– Independent variable

– Dependent variable
 Features of exptal research

• At least two groups:

– 1. Experimental group ( is exposed to the influence of):
– a factor,
– An intervention or
– Treatment
– 2. Control group ( is not exposed to):

– any type of treatment or

– intervention.

• At least two variables:

– Independent and
– Dependent variables
 Experimental research designs

• Weak/pre- experimental research designs:

– Design 1: One -shot design

– Design 2: One group pretest-posttest

– Design 3: Static-group comparison

• True experimental designs:

– Design4: Pretest-posttest control group design
– Design 5: Posttest only group design

– Design 6: Randomized Solomon four-group design

• Quasi-experimental designs:
– Matching only design

– Time series design

 Design one: One-shot design

• Consists only one group.

• This group exposed to treatment (X).
• After some time, the group is post-tested (O).
• No control group.

• No random assignment of subjects

• Example : giving training to this group of students for a limited
amount of time.
Contd…
 Design 2: One group pretest-posttest

• Only one group.

• No control group.
• No random assignment of subjects to the exprtal group.
• Pre-test is given.

• Post-test is also given after treatment.

• Result of pre-and post-tests will be compared.
• Example:
Contd…
Contd…
 Design 3: Static-group comparison

• Contains two groups.

– One experimental and
– one control groups.
• The experimental group is exposed to treatment.
• No treatment for the control group.
• Both groups post-tested.
• To find out the effect of treatment, the results of the two groups
are compared.
– Experimental Group X O1
– Control Group O2
• Example: wheat seed splited into two equal parts.
– Split one is exposed to normal conditions: soil, warmth, water and light
and no other factors.
– Split two is exposed to the same conditions as above but with the addition
of fertilizer.
 True experimental designs
Design 4:pretest-posstest control group design
• There is random assignment of subjects in the two groups
– Experimental Group R O1 X O3
– Control Group R O2 O4

Example: cooperative learning using 1 to 5 grouping and its effect on

students’ achievement.

This design cannot control the effect of the pretest.

 Design 5: posttest only group design
• Control and experimental groups.
• Participants are randomly assigned in the two groups.
• Here, no pretest for the two groups.
• The experimental group receives intervention.
• The design looks the following:
– Experimental Group R X O1
– Control Group R O2
Design 6: randomized Solomon four group design
Contd…
Contd…
Contd…
Contd…
Contd…
 Quasi-experimental designs

• No random assignment of subjects

• Experiment in the natural setting but variables are isolated,
controlled, and manipulated.
Types..
Contd…
Design :Contd…
Example
Advantages
Disadvantages
 Comparison of qualitative and quantitative research
Quantitative
• Purpose: to study
relationships, cause and effect
• Design: developed prior to
study
• Approach: Deductive; test
theory
• Tools: use preselected
instruments
• Sample: use large sample
• Analysis: statistical analysis of
numeric data
Qualitative
• To examine a phenomenon as
it is, in rich detail
• Flexible, evolves during study
• Inductive: may generate
theory
• The researcher is primary
data collection tool
• Use small samples
• Narrative description and
interpretation
 Quan and qual research
Quan
• Research proposal: extensive,
detailed and specific in focus and
procedures, written prior to data
collection, hypothesis stated
• Data: Statistical, Counts, measures,
Quantifiable coding,
Operationalized variables,
Quantitative
• Techniques or methods:
– Experiments, survey research, quasi-
experiment, structured interview, data
sets
• Relationship with subjects
– Short term, distant,
– stay detached,
– subject as researcher.
Qual
• Brief, not extensive in LR, general
statement of approach, Often
written after some data have been
collected.
• Descriptive, People’s own words,
Personal documents, Official
documents and other artifacts, Field
notes, Photographs
• Observation, reviewing various
documents and artifacts, open-
ended interviewing, participant
observation 
• Intense contact,
– emphasis on trust,
– equalitarian,
– subject as friend.
 Quan and qual research

Quan Qual
• Instruments and tools: • Instruments and tools:
– Inventories, Questionnaires, – Tape recorder, transcriber,
– Computers, scales, test scores, – The researcher is often the only
instrument
• Data analysis:
• Data analysis:
– Occurs at conclusion of data
collection – Models , themes, concepts,
– Inductive, constant comparative
– Deductive
method,
– Statistical
– Ongoing
• Limitations/problems of the • Limitations/problems of the
approach: approach:
– Controlling other variables – Data reduction difficult
– Validity – Reliability
– Obtrusiveness – Time consuming
– Reification – Difficult studying large populations
 4. Online research

• Researchers can collect data via the Internet.

• Types of online research:

– Market research

– Web page survey

– Email survey

– Online focus group

– Tracer studies

– Online interviews
• Skype
• Video
• Twit