7. The Methodological Issues

Having decided that the most suitable methodology to employ was that of action research in accordance with the literature and aim of the project, I can mention that the main characteristics involved a cyclical reflective thinking process throughout the entire procedure as well a deep ethical commitment to the study and its participants whose willing collaboration to the project as primary source of information will facilitate its execution and subsequent analysis. Their involvement and exposure through the investigation is another main characteristic forming part of the chosen methodological approach.
Methodology as defined by (Kaplan, 1973 in Cohen, Manion and Morrison, 2003) is to describe and analyze the techniques and procedures used to gather the required data, while shedding light on limitations, constraints and resources.
A qualitative approach to this field of study seems to be the most suitable way of undertaking this investigation, as it will provide me with rich data from the research subjects, through the use of a questionnaire which contents display open-ended questions. This was adopted to facilitate the research subjects with the provision of their own view and experiences in the target language, as well as their understanding of how its use can be increased in the classroom.
The open-ended questions were honed with the purpose to extract information on how we can increase target language use in the classroom via new methods. The information provided will shed light on particular aspects of pedagogy and classroom techniques, to direct future classroom strategies on the field investigated and promote regular use of the spoken language through an established routine.

Many of the questions were addressed in such a manner that students will feel comfortable in giving information based on their feelings and emotions present when they practice the target language within lessons. This is an important factor in revealing their perceptions and attitudes towards the subject and the importance in which they place the acquisition of a new language within their future prospects during and after schooling years. This might also expose changing attitudes in modern languages in particular amongst low ability learners, who have often seen the learning of a language as pointless because of the importance of the English language within the global community, and the commodities of travelling to a new country and expecting its people to communicate in English to facilitate their needs.
Amongst the questionnaire contents a small percentage of the questions were designed to gather data in quantitative form to portray new insights in relation to age and gender. This was done with the purpose to demonstrate differences between boys and girls concerning the known issue that boys have always underachieved in the subject in comparison to their counterparts, as found by Jones and Jones (2001).
Some other questions were directed to discover that if by studying the same language at key stage two, their experiences in the language at such a stage would facilitate further language studies at higher levels such as GCSE and beyond. This followed on to build a clearer panoramic picture on future studies of other languages, with the aim to obtain further information and their opinion in relation to the importance of languages as an important factor to integration and knowledge of other world cultures.
In this case, the data collected for this project using the mentioned method will not suffice to generalise on the wider population due to inherent constraints and present variables that will be inevitably found in relation to the given time to conclude the research findings.
The complexity of the project calls for extended scrutiny and evaluation of attitudes and perceptions before a solid conclusion could be reached.
Along with the use of questionnaires, I also decided to execute semi-structured interviews to facilitate triangulation and the validation of the final findings in relation to the topic addressed. These methods can assist in the departmental evaluation of the data to determine what is happening within the classroom with respect to the use of the target language and therefore plan for future developments within the languages department to establish a routine and increase its use at classroom level.

The questionnaires were piloted within a small group of students and teachers to ensure that the questions contained therein addressed the topic being investigated. The questionnaires were given to the research participants during lesson times to ensure provision of the data as honestly as it could possibly be. This was done considering the age of the participants who are mostly between the age range of eleven and fourteen.
The interviews were also performed within school hours, yet outside the classroom to reduce the potential of background noise or third parties’ interference during the recordings. Informal lesson observations were also concurrently made to cross-reference and determine the totality of the spoken language used during lessons by students. A total of seventy six research subjects agreed to take part in both forms of data collection.

Methods employed:
Methods in social research are described by Hitchcock and Hughes (2003) as ‘ways of proceeding in the gathering and collection of data’ (p.20). Such a definition is clarified by stating that methods are therefore ‘techniques employed to gather data.’ Clough and Nutbrown (2007, p.23), however, state the distinction between method and methodology by defining methods as the essential ingredients of research. Their definition of methodology encircles the term as the grounds or reasons for using a particular recipe.
As mentioned above, the use of questionnaires and interviews were used as data collection methods of action research.
The questions included in the interview are presented in an ascending form in the difficulty scale considering any possible complex answers to the questions posed to be last. These were strategically inserted in such a manner to wind down from the interview process that although performed in an informal fashion, could reveal perceptions, beliefs and attitudes into the field of study. The answers should provide us with new light on effective strategies that work for children aged between eleven and fourteen. It may also point us onto a new direction in relation to what really works for these students. In addition to new strategies the obtained answers could reveal unexpected issues on the acquisition of a new foreign language.

Sampling
To make the research data valid to some extent within a cohort of seven hundred and twenty students, I chose a sample above the ten percent line or seventy six participants to give weight to the findings and therefore make the results sounder within such a small scale investigation. Cohen, Manion and Morrison (2003) advise that sampling is to be determined by the size of the total population concerned in the study. In my case, for example, the number of the population involved accounts for a total of seven hundred and twenty students within key stage three, so to define a sample size as a representative figure of the population involved, I would need to choose almost a third or over two hundred students from the population to make my sampling confident and sound (p.94). This, however, is totally unrealistic given the time constraint within which the project is to be concluded. In addition, it is also stated to the contrary of my case that the larger the size of the population the smaller the sampling size needed to represent the proportion of the population involved.

Validity
My involvement as researcher, language teacher and learner poses a threat to the validity of the research in relation to the semi-structured interview. The first step to try to minimise this threat is to remain as neutral and fully aware as possible during the process, to inhibit any contaminating comments, probes or even thoughts on the area of study corrupting the information. To enhance the effectiveness of all data collection methods used, but informal observations, and to minimise the present danger of being biased and therefore render the data invalid; it is of paramount importance to pilot the questionnaires on other classroom professionals and to practice the interview on other language teachers acting as critical auditors. Such a strategy ought to help to limit bias from a range of factors such as misleading, unclear or even inappropriate questions.
I believe that openness and awareness of the entire process is the crucial factor in avoiding any bias.

The use of questionnaires
The aim of using a questionnaire in this study is to serve as the main source of information to be used for triangulation with the interviews and informal observations. Its purpose could shed light on new information concerning attitudes and perceptions that may be gathered through the use of open-ended questions alongside a mixture of few closed-ended questions and one using the Lickert scale to collect information on the their desired frequency of target language use. This survey will also gather further data that display feelings, emotions and beliefs of the participants. Such complex information will also reflect some unique personal values associated to a wider society. The corpus of data used as open-ended questions is similar to the questions asked in the interviews.
 
Validity

The type of language used in the questionnaires is clear, plain English to facilitate access to all questions while increase understanding and decreasing ambiguity. The wording, however, requires to be carefully constructed considering the age range of the population under scrutiny. The task of piloting the survey before its execution is to clarify and ensure that the designed questions are not leading, to minimise the effects of bias.

Leonardo

I will be undertaking qualitative research in an attempt to understand what strategies might be effective in including pupils with AD in mainstream education. My research will be based on the extension of unknown values such as the reaction of child, peers and teachers, and based on known values such as the characteristics of attachment disorder. Therefore, findings will not be produced by statistics or other measurable means.
I will be relying on the teaching staff, parental and peer interview, observations and assessment to complete my research. We will obviously have different aims and perspectives, however, once the data from these different sources is combined a balanced and reliable analysis can be made.

I am aware of the difficulties of qualitative research in that it is generally used for small scale studies because the collection of data is arduous. I appreciate that qualitative research is often deemed to be researcher bias, which is understandable as the researcher is so involved in the process. Also, the findings may not be applicable to other subjects or settings. Bearing this in mind I am still confident that qualitative research will be beneficial in order to assist the child with attachment disorder in our setting. The research is small in scale enabling me to form a better relationship with the subject and his parents. Because I will be in control of the research throughout I will be able to gauge success of classroom strategies and if appropriate such strategies can be amended to facilitate the case study’s progress. There will also be scope to carry out and/or amend the research because I am on site and have immediate access to all involved.

As my research will be qualitative the most beneficial mode of data collection will be the traditional model of action enquiry. This encompasses data collection by observation, questionnaire, interview and assessment.

My research is small scale and will involve the use of both qualitative and quantitative
approaches. I will not adhere to a single methodology but rather a combination of methodologies.
This approach is also recommended by Cohen, Manion and Morrisson (2007)
   ‘Key here is the application of the notion of fitness for purpose. We do not advocate slavish
   adherence to a single methodology in research; indeed combining methodologies may be
   appropriate for the research in hand’ p. 165
In this small scale research, my approach will be systematic. It requires a systematic approach in
the collection of data, analysing and interpreting data.
This research falls in the category of descriptive research as it involves studying the current practices, views and beliefs of LSTs, pupils and teachers. Descriptive research as described by
Best (1970) cited in Cohen, Manion and Morrisson (2007) is concerned with conditions and
relationships that exist; practices that prevail, beliefs, points of views or attitudes that are held;
processes that are going on; effects that are being felt; or trends that are developing. At times
descriptive research is concerned with how ‘what is’ or ‘what exists’ is related to some preceding
event that has influenced or affected a present condition or event’.

I am conducting a small scale research. is 10 questionnaires, 6 interviews and 3 observations adequate?