Research Methods: A Comprehensive Guide to Scientific Inquiry
Define Research
Research is the systematic investigation or exploration of an idea, subject, or topic. It has clearly stated aims that relate to existing knowledge and needs and is conducted within limitations (time, money, and opportunity).
Aims of Research
- Properties – Understand properties of emotion, physiology, cognition, and behavior.
- Relationships – Understand relationships between things in the environment, such as television and aggression.
- Produce Theories – Describe and explain phenomena,
Applied Linguistics: A Comprehensive Guide to Language Learning and Teaching
Applied Linguistics: A Comprehensive Guide to Language Learning and Teaching
Definition: Applied Linguistics is the study of second and foreign language learning and teaching. It is the study of language and linguistics in relation to practical problems. Applied linguistics uses linguistics theory as well as information from psychology, sociology, and anthropology in order to develop its own models of language use, and uses this theory in practical areas. (the Longman’s dictionary). The focus of
Read MoreTransitive Reasoning: Principles, Models, and Decision-Making Theories
The Three Principles of the Linguistic Model Explaining Transitive Reasoning
- Principle of Functional Relationships: Relationships such as subject, predicate, verb, and direct object are stored and retrieved with priority to other marking information.
- Principle of Lexicon: Some bipolar adjectives are asymmetrical, so that some adjectives are neutral with respect to the magnitude of the scale, while others assume one end of the congruence scale.
- Principle of Congruence: Information retrieval is easier
Historical and Contemporary Perspectives in Education and Psychology
Binet and Simons: Pioneers in Intelligence Testing
In 1894, the French government commissioned a study on abnormal children, which led to the development of an intelligence scale by Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon.
Pinel: Advocate for Mental Health Reform
In 1793, Philippe Pinel released patients from mental institutions and advocated for the abolition of corporal punishment and equal treatment for the mentally ill.
Esquirol: Distinguishing Mental Illness
Jean-Étienne Dominique Esquirol distinguished
Read MoreFostering Learner Autonomy: Insights from Educational Thinking in ELT
What Insights Can We Gain from Educational Thinking on Autonomous Learning?
The concept of learner autonomy in English Language Teaching (ELT) draws heavily from educational thinking, particularly the principle of self-determination. Self-determination emphasizes the learner’s (L) capacity for reflection, decision-making, and independent thought. Barrow and Woods describe it as encompassing “the notion of thinking in the sense of reflecting, calculating, memorizing, predicting, judging and deciding”
Read MoreResearch Methods: A Comprehensive Guide for Students and Researchers
Research Methods: A Comprehensive Guide
Problem Statement
A well-articulated problem statement clearly defines the research problem and provides an argument that justifies the need for the study.
Purpose Statement
The purpose statement outlines the specific aim or goal of the study.
Variables
Independent Variables
- Presumed cause or influence
- Causes a change in the outcome of interest
- May be an intervention
Dependent Variable
- Presumed effect or outcome variable
- Variable researchers are trying to understand,