Introduction to Research Methods in TESOL

1. Introduction to Research Methods in TESOL Desmond Thomas, University of Essex, 2012

2. Useful references • Cohen,L. & Manion,L., 2007, Research Methods in Education, Abingdon: Routledge • Denscombe, M., 1998, The Good Research Guide for Small-scale Social Research Projects, Open U. Press • Gray, D. 2009, Doing Research in the Real World, London:Sage • Grix, J. 2004, The Foundations of Research, Houndmills: Palgrave • Hopkins, D. 2008, A Teacher’s Guide to Classroom Research, Maidenhead: Open University Press • Nunan, D. 1992, Research Methods in Language Teaching, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

3. Why do research? • To add to existing knowledge • To explain existing knowledge • To question or to challenge existing knowledge

4. 2 types of knowledge

5. The Positivist (Scientific) Approach • The world exists independently of our knowledge of it (“The truth is out there”) • Emphasis on observation and verification of empirical evidence • Emphasis on causal relationships and deductive logic • Emphasis on objectivity and the neutrality of researcher and methods

6. The Interpretivist Approach • The world is defined by our knowledge of it (“Truth is subjective”, “Truth is relative”). • Emphasis on describing and interpreting how events occur within context • Theory should be derived from data (inductively) as well as tested through data (deductively) in order to do justice to the complexities of social phenomena • Reflexivity: the researcher is never neutral

7. Two types of research (Gray 2009)

8. Research in TESOL • Ethnographic studies (inc. observation) • Action Research • Discourse/text analysis • Interaction analysis • Case studies • Surveys • Experiments?

9. Which type of approach? • Qualitative or quantitative? • What’s the difference? • Can they be mixed together successfully or not? • Can a data collection method be classified as both qualitative and quantitative?

10. Which data collection methods? • Questionnaires (closed, open-ended?) • 1-to-1 Interviews • Focus Groups • Observation Schedules • Text/Discourse Analysis • Evaluative frameworks • Tests

11. Some key concepts • Validity of claims and evidence • Reliability of claims and evidence • Triangulation of data sources • Ethical standards in data collection

12. Developing a research project • Choosing a topic • Developing research questions • Formulating claims or hypotheses • Engaging with the literature • Planning data collection and analysis • Preparing a detailed research proposal