Research+Methodology

Figuring out an approach is not exactly an easy question to answer. From readings and glancing and skimming and moving from article to article and such the question: “How do I approach the problem?” could require weeks, years, days, et cetera. Dr. Baylen explained that “’What’ questions tend to look at impact or cause & effect -- so you end up with more quantitative data” where as “‘How’ questions tend to look at the process or possibilities -- so you end up with more qualitative data. Allows one to speculate and do some theory building.” In order to collect data that would successfully approach the problem, the research seems to require a mixed method approach. Johnson and Christensen (2008) defined mixed research as “the class of research studies in which a researcher mixes or combines quantitative [the what factor] and qualitative [the how factor] research approaches and techniques into a single research study” (p. 441). First one must return to the problem: What affect would Web 2.0 applications have on High School student’s writing through collaboration and how would the use of these new virtual applications prepare such students for their college English classrooms? In order to answer the question student reflections on their own learning and how Web 2.0 applications would affect such learning and of course teacher input on the quality of student work based upon the use of Web 2.0 applications would be needed. For this approach – based upon data gathered from subsequent readings – one would have to turn to the questionnaire or survey to look at students’ attitudes towards writing and if Blogs or Wikis have positively changed such attitudes. As Johnson and Christensen (2008) explained, “Researchers use questionnaires so that they can obtain information about the thoughts, feelings, attitudes, beliefs, values, perceptions, personality, and behavioral intentions of research participants” (p. 170). In the process of research Johnson and Christensen (2008) explained that when collecting data researchers must “decide how they are going to collect there empirical research data. That is, they decide what methods of data collection (tests, questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, observations, secondary existing data) they are going to use to physically obtain research data from their research participants” (p. 201). And even more importantly, researchers “should mix methods in a way that provides complementary strengths and nonoverlapping weaknesses” A safety net of sorts covering all aspects and providing “multiple sources of evidence” (p. 201). This, of course, makes me wonder why the majority of articles I have read and the subsequent research of such articles depend upon one form of data (questionnaires, surveys, or observations). Why is this? Looking at the research problem I plan to use a mix of questionnaires, surveys, and/or observations for one aspect (how Web 2.0 applications would affect student learning through collaboration) and pre/post tests to measure – using a standard rubric for evaluation – actual increase or decrease of student writing. The concern of course deals with variables and subjectivity – the researcher is hoping that methods used how control these variables will materialize in another discussion. In order to gain a subjective as well as an objective perspective on student writing the researcher will be using a Pre and Post survey looking specifically at the use of Blogs or Wikis and the usefulness of such Web 2.0 applications in collaboration. The researcher will also use a modified Advance Placement English Literature and Composition prompt as well as a rubric to measure growth or lack thereof.
 * Methodology**