THE CURRICULUM STUDY CHAP 3 – METHODOLOGY
OUTLINE IN HANDBOOK Type and design of study & general analytical approach (including justification) Research questions / Hypotheses / Objectives (repetition from INTRODUCTION) Procedure
PROCEDURE Subjects / Participants / Sample – re target and accessible population(s) plus justification Instruments and materials (e.g., outline of unit of lessons, texts, pre- and post-tests, other tests during study, questionnaires, interviews, journal observations, audio and video recordings, etc.) Specific methods / strategies of implementation (cooperative learning, specific teaching methodologies, journals, etc.)
PROCEDURE cont’d Data analysis Coding (where relevant) Basic statistical measures T-tests, correlations, etc. Tabulation of data and verbal summaries of patterns Focus on representatives of the sample and narration of representative or significant characteristics, etc.
TIPS FOR WRITING UP CHAPTER Create an introduction that reminds the reader what your study is about. Focus on the problem you researched and the purpose for which you did so.
Organise your chapter thereafter to present your methodology as clearly and relevantly as possible. The handbook suggests a useful structure in this regard.
Be careful to provide your methods of data analysis for each of your research questions, objectives, etc.
Follow APA guidelines re: Headings Tables Figures Line spacing In-text citations Punctuation
Introduce every heading Introduce every heading. For example, don’t just list your research questions; have an introductory statement.
A USEFUL ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE INTRODUCTION What study is about Purpose of study DESIGN OF STUDY Action study Type of methodology (Qualitative? Quantitative? Mixed methods?) RESEARCH QUESTIONS / OBJECTIVES, ETC
PROCEDURE PARTICIPANTS SUMMARY OF UNIT OF LESSONS Teaching points Teaching/learning strategies Assessments INSTRUMENTS OF DATA COLLECTION Tests? Interviews? A questionnaire? Observation? Other?
METHODS OF DATA ANALYSIS Coding of themes in interview and observation data? Basic statistical measures (e.G., Mean, standard deviation) T-tests? Correlations? Tabulation? Verbal summaries? Selection of vignettes? Narration of significant characteristics of the data?
CONCLUSION recap of main features of chapter, and indication of what next chapter will deal with