Major topics to be addressed u Types of

Major topics to be addressed u Types of research u Fundamental concepts 1

I. Types of research u Quantitative vs. qualitative A case study A survey study An experimental study 2

A survey study is a study in which a questionnaire is usually used and a relatively large number of subjects are involved. 3

What is a questionnaire? Open-ended questions Any written instruments that present respondents with a series of questions Closed or statements to which they are to react questions either by writing out their answers or selecting from among existing answers (Brown, 2001: 6) 4

II. Fundamental concepts u Variable u Levels of measurement u Operationalization 5

(1) What is a variable? Definition A variable, as its name suggests, is a feature that must vary from person to person or from object to object. 6

What are the variations of a variable given below? u u u u Gender Anxiety Motivation Belief Language proficiency Teaching approach Learning style 7

Level of measurement Qualitative in nature and numbers do not have numeric values u Nominal scale u Ordinal scale u Interval scale An rank order: ranks in a competition The distance between every two consecutive points on a scale is equal. 8

Scaling techniques u Likert scales are widely used in questionnaire design u simple, reliable and versatile u 3, 5, or 7 options form a continuum. 5 options 9

Frequency scale Do you guess the meaning of new words when reading English novels for pleasure? 1 = Never 2 = Occasionally 3 = Sometimes 4 = Often 5 = Very often 10

Degree of agreement scale 1 = Strongly disagree 2 = Disagree 3 = Uncertain 4 = Agree 5 = Strongly agree 11

Semantic differential scale How much do your parents encourage you to study French? Not at all __: __: __: __ Very much They also used a similar method to find out the subject's impressions of French people from France: Interesting __: __: __: __ Boring Brave__: __: __: __ Cowardly Handsome__: __: __: __ Ugly 12

Definition of a variable A variable needs to be defined conceptually and operationally. An operational definition specifies A conceptual definition is aexactly what you have to do in order to measure theoretical explanation that helps something that has been defined conceptually. clarify people’s understanding Such a definition is characterized by of explicitness whichinvestigated. makes possible. Itnot only the variable is also measurement but also evaluation and called a construct. 13 replication.

Communication strategies CD OP Questionnaire items Achievement concerning achievement They can be divided into & avoidance Refer to measures that have strategies and avoidance been taken. Achievement to deal with strategies in strategies vs. avoidance communication problems strategies. four skills Measures taken to solve a problem to reach the original goal Measures taken to avoid solving a problem 14

Tasks for before-questionnaire design u Specify the variable(s) you want to investigate u Define the variable(s) conceptually 15

Research questions u What strategies do Chinese university students use in reading English? u What strategies do Chinese university students use in writing a composition in English? 16

Questionnaire construction contest u Construct a questionnaire to answer the research question given. In addition to a complete questionnaire, you should also include the following information: – Types of information you would like to obtain; types of scaling techniques you would like to employ; the categories you plan to have; types of respondents 17

Questionnaire design contest u A panel of judges (6 tutors + 6 representatives from 6 six classes) u 10 -minute presentation u 10 -minute question-answer section Small Class contest Big class contest 18