Reflections in Research Proposal - Essay Example

Reflections in Research Proposal of Your Contents Introduction 3 Research Framework 3 Q1: Constructivism and Positivism 4 Q2. Three-Way Relationship in Research 4 Design Frame 5 Implementation of Research Design 6 Paradigm and Positioning of Learning 7 Q3. Classification of Data and Generalisability 7 Q4. Application to Research Proposal 9 Bibliography 11 Introduction This paper is a reflective report that is a follow up on the research proposal that has been put forward to study the challenges of adult ESL learners. This study will provide a critical review of the different ways the core concepts that will be utilised and applied in order to come up with reasonable conclusions in the study. This research will include an application of dominant research concepts and theories that can be used in the study. This will provide a commentary and apply important concepts and important standards that are important and vital in arriving at reasonable conclusions. The fundamental research aim around the proposal is to identify the major social and psychological challenges faced by adult ESL learners and how they come with these challenges. The study is meant to combine qualitative and quantitative research approaches in order to conduct an ontological and epistemological research. Research Framework The qualitative section of the research will involve an attempt to identify the main challenges and issues that come with studying as an adult in an ESL programme. This will be done through the use of questionnaires, surveys and other activities to qualitatively provide some kind of insight into the main issues and problems that these persons encounter in their quest to learn English. The quantitative process will seek to gather data about the age and cultural background of learners and their performance. This will provide averages or regression as well as the correlation between learner backgrounds and their performance in the studying of English as ESL students. The study will include the collection of data from various students in the classroom who can be classified as “adults”. These individuals will be studied and the findings will be evaluated in the context of generalisability and this will form the basis for theorisation of findings. Q1: Constructivism and Positivism Learning is done through conceptual and linguistic constructions that describe social and cultural matters and systems (Hodkinson & MacLeod, 2010). This is because research and learning are two interrelated matters. Hence, they work together to provide concepts and theories in an appropriate framework. From the studies, qualitative research methods often comes with major problems and issues relating to bias and this causes conclusions to come under the shadow of the researcher’s opinion. Hence, the qualitative element and aspect of the research proposal being handled in this study might be influenced significantly by the subjective sentiments of the researcher. On other hand, quantitative research comes with complications in research design and compilation of research approaches. This implies that there must be a lot of time invested in designing the research at hand. These different issues relate to the data collection process and data collection system. However, they also affect interpretation and the formulation of conclusions in various research works and methods. Q2. Three-Way Relationship in Research There are three main elements and aspects of conducting a given research. This includes the design frame which includes the main philosophical and theoretical approach in carrying out the research and conducting the entire research. Then there is the practical aspect which revolves around carrying out the fieldwork and collecting data. And finally, there is the interpretation or the positioning for learning which involves the formulation of theories. These different stages come together to define the main scope and essence of every research. And it is done in such a way that they are interconnected and they all come together to help in forming conclusions in research work. This is because for the proper approach to be employed in evidence-based study and research, there must be critical and thorough collection and analysis of data in order to produce results. Some authorities identify that systematic research is steeped in the use of methods and approaches that reduces subjectivity, error and bias (Evans & Benefield, 2001). In most cases, though these design frames for social sciences and the research into educational matters are restricted to the use of social science methods and approaches. However, Evans and Benefield argue that the scientific method that is used for empirical testing in the natural sciences provide a strong and thorough research and study into matters. Hence, there is the possibility of applying these models “scientific” and “medical models” in conducting research. Design Frame The design frame is about the presentation of a strategy and a system for conducting research and reviewing the strategy for sampling, gathering the data and analysing them (Evans & Benefield, 2001). At this point, the researcher will have the chance to analyse and choose the best way that the research question can be answered. These different approaches and methods available are numerous and the researcher will need to find the most appropriate method and the most important method for conducting research. Evans and Benefield identify that in cases where the approaches chosen are scientific and the research is meant to be social in nature, there is a risk that the research will not answer the research question appropriately. This is normally going to complicate the data gathering process and the research is likely to have challenges and difficulties. However, the problem dictates the right approach that must be used in conducting the research and this will mean that the researcher will have to adopt the best and most appropriate method and approach for conducting the research. Ercikan and Roth argue that the characteristic of the research problem is important and it must be examined for whether the research question and research problem have qualitative or quantitative characteristics. This shapes and defines the framework and paradigm within which the research work will be done for a given subject or matter. The construction of data and the construction of reviews are important and vital for the design because where the construction and formulation of data collection instruments are for a given approach, the approach is likely to change and move towards a given direction rather than another (Ercikan & Roth, 2006). Also, the generalisability of the research and its findings shape the way the research design frames are to be defined. This forms an important and significant aspect of the study and it influences the entire research and process Implementation of Research Design When a research fieldwork commences, there is the implementation of the original plan put together in the research design. However, this often informs practice because there are realities that the researcher encounters which might require that the researcher will have to change the research design and the research process itself (Hodkinson & MacLeod, 2010). Therefore, a researcher will often be forced to make changes and modify the research approach and system that is being put together. Other authorities argue that the in the field of practice, a researcher might have to change the design of a research because of one of two things, firstly because the original design might produce results that are not properly generalisable or secondly where the findings will provide misleading results and theories (Bryman, Becker, & Sempik, 2008). Therefore, it is obvious and conclusive that the implementation of the research design is informed by the results and ends that is sought and also by the original design and process. Paradigm and Positioning of Learning The conclusion and end that is sought in a given research is about the logical and the understandability of the findings. This therefore creates a framework for the choice of which method and which approach can be used to study the research and the process. Due to the complication of social and other matters, it is identified that most researchers are moving towards a mixed research process and research system because they provide various findings that can be tested and re-tested to attain results (Hodkinson & MacLeod, 2010; Ercikan & Roth, 2006) Q3. Classification of Data and Generalisability There are numerous views about generalisability and the classification of data. There are issues with objectivity in the two approaches, quantitative and qualitative analysis. This provides the framework for various debates and arguments about the two approaches to conducting research and analysing information to formulate theories. The strengths of various qualitative methods involve the fact that they capture a wider range of possibilities and systems that make you understand a social phenomenon or matter (Hodkinson & MacLeod, 2010). This is because the qualitative research enables the researcher to go deeper into a situation and matter in order to find the conclusions about the situation in such a way and manner that reflects the realities in a unique and specific manner. Ercikan and Roth on the other hand identify that the justifiability of a given approach or method to analysing and evaluating different possibility is about the realities in the situations being studied in the research. Therefore according to them, the characteristics of the phenomenon in the research is the main basis and the main factor that lays the foundation for a given research or study (Ercikan & Roth, 2006). From the argument of Ercikan and Roth, it is clear that the fundamental difficulty and challenge in analysing and evaluating the right research method and research approach is to be done through the challenges and difficulties of the research approach. He identifies that the main challenge to qualitative research is the fact that qualitative research does not include thorough and in-depth evaluation and analysis of concepts and ideas in a given research or study. Quantitative research and quantitative analysis is mainly steeped in the use of mathematical models and the use of tools from the natural sciences (Ercikan & Roth, 2006). This is done through the presentation of different approaches and systems that is done in a way and manner that provides insights into a given phenomenon. However, this is subjected to the competencies and skills of the researcher in evaluating a given situation or phenomenon. On the other hand, Hodkinson and MacLeod argue that the ends in learning and the main objectives that must be sought in a given research informs and directs the approach that is best and most appropriate in generalising information and data. This is because different approaches and different methods of analysing issues and matters lead to different and separate ends that might have diverging consequences and diverging results. Hence, the research approach must be based on the method of learning and the kind of end that is sought in a given research or study. Ercikan and Roth on the other hand argue that there is always the need for a degree of judgment to be exercised in a given research. Hence, the research will have to be done in a way and manner that objectivity is demonstrated in order to ensure that the findings can be seen to be reliable or can be verified in various ways and manners. This requirement gives way to the creation and presentation of transparent rules on how scoring and classification of data will be conducted. This helps to promote a higher degree and level of objectivity. Hodkison and Macleod go further to argue that there is the need for some degree of mixing different approaches, viz qualitative and quantitative research in order to identify good and appropriate conclusions. This is because in most cases, following one approach purely leads to major problems and issues that is tantamount to confusion and other matters that might not be in the best interest of the researcher in question. Hence, there is a general trend towards a less robust method and a less robust approach to conducting research. Q4. Application to Research Proposal The research proposal is meant to use a blend of qualitative and quantitative research and studies. This is because the qualitative research will provide some insight into the issues and matters relating to the challenges that adults go through in carrying out studies as adult students of ESL programs and classes. This is because the study will have to conduct the qualitative research qualitative study as a background in order to gather information and provide an insight into the matter at hand as well as issues relating to it. Based on the background and the preliminary findings, the research will give room for deeper and in-depth analysis and review of information and analysis. This will enable the research to be thorough and address specific matters and do other in-depth queries and enquiries into deeper matters and situations. The research design has been carefully proposed. Hence, there is a general trend towards flexibility and instead of coming up with rigid and firm processes of gathering data and analysing the data, the data analysis instruments have not been designed. This is because at the beginning of the fieldwork, there might be some constraints and this will mean there will be a challenge in defining the best approach. Hence, the research will be flexible and various approaches and various methodologies will have to be postponed until the research is conducted. Also, the reasonableness of the generalisations to be made will provide the framework and foundation for interpreting the findings and the results. In line with this, I do not think there is the need to change anything. Rather, this emergent approach will be maintained throughout the study and it will provide the right framework and the right environment within which realities can be adopted and integrated into the research process so that the best results can be attained in a way and manner that will inform practice and improve learning in a constructive and productive way and manner. Bibliography Bryman, A., Becker, S., & Sempik, J. (2008). ‘Quality criteria for quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research: a view from social policy. International Journal of Social Research Methodology , 261–76. Ercikan, K., & Roth, W. M. (2006). What Good is Polarizing Research into Qualitative or Quantitative. Educational Researcher , 14-23. Evans, J., & Benefield, P. (2001). Systematic Reviews and Educational Research: Does the Medical Model Fit? British Educational Research Journal , 527-549. Hodkinson, M., & MacLeod, F. (2010). Contrasting Concepts of Learning and Contrasting Research Methodologies: Affinities and Bias. British Educational Research Journal , 173-1898. Read More