Chapter 3 Research Methodology - UC Home

1 Chapter 3. Research Methodology Overview The literature review in Chapter 2 on foreign language curriculum development clearly indicated the importance of combining studies on foreign language curricula with other related fields, particularly the field of curriculum studies. It is these two fields, the field of foreign language curriculum and the field of curriculum development, which provide the underlying principles of the Research Methodology for this thesis. These two fields have given the Research both depth and breadth, while also shaping the design of this Research .

2 This Chapter aims to describe the data collection methods of the Research , and other related issues that were encountered during the data collection process. In this Chapter , six main sections contribute to the description of the Research Methodology . The first three sections represent the three sources of data collection. In each of the three sections, information is given on data gathering and Research procedures. The fourth section is on the limitations of the Research methods applied in the field. Section five deals with the issue of ethical considerations during the data collection process.

3 The last section is devoted to the analytical procedure of interviews and questionnaires. Chapter 3: Research Methodology 150. Nature of the Study This Research is qualitative in nature where the curriculum document is the main focus of the Research . The design of Research methods is related to Research questions and their problems (Hatch & Lazaraton, 1991; Silverman & Seale, 2005). This Research deals with the questions of What? How? and Who?. Questions like these represent the nature of qualitative inquiry Research which aims at describing what is going on in the Research .

4 In contrast to the quantitative approach, the Research question is Why? which explores a comparison between groups or seeks out relationships between variables for items studied (Creswell, 1998, p. 17). This present Research seeks to understand the participants' experiences and its nature is that of an open-ended inquiry rather than one that seeks measurable and observable data where the Research questions are specific and narrow (Creswell, 2005, ). Thus, the nature of this study is intended as a qualitative inquiry.

5 The major concerns of this Research are to explore the meaning underlying the curriculum planning process and curriculum. The "meaning". for Bogdan and Biklen (1992) is a concern essential to the qualitative approach. Bogdan and Biklen (1992) explain that "Researchers who use this approach are interested in the ways different people make sense out of their lives" or their perspectives ( ). The Triangulation of Data The Research design of this study comprises three Research methods. Hatch and Lazaraton (1991) suggest that the multi-method approach adds great value to the Research .

6 Creswell (1998) also states that "the backbone of qualitative Research is extensive collection of data, typically from multiple sources of information." (p. 19). Three methods leading to the triangulation of the data have contributed to the analysis of the new national English language curriculum of Thailand. Hittleman and Simon (2002, ) explain that triangulation is a procedure for cross-validating information. It is a process of collecting information from several sources about the same event or behaviour.

7 Silverman and Seale (2005) hrther explain that the form of methodological triangulation is the use of different methods and sources to corroborate each other. The triangulation in this Research consists of (1) gathering of all documents related to the English language curriculum in Thailand; (2) conducting Chapter 3: Research Methodology 151. interviews with policy makers and curriculum developers of the curriculum; and (3). conducting interviews with school teachers and seeking their completion of questionnaires.

8 However, these three are not equally important. The most important is the English language curriculum documentation. The second most important is the interviews with policy makers. The interviews and questionnaires with school teachers were only an additional source of data for a more broadly based analysis. Figure below shows how all the data obtained from different methods links up in the one analysis. The Curriculum and relevant documents The Analysis of EBS. Interviews and Interviews of questionnaires Policy makers of School and curriculum teachers developers Figure : Triangulation of data Gathering of Documentation The main method is the analysis of the new official foreign language curriculum of Thailand, the "English language standards-based curriculum" (ESB curriculum).

9 Accordingly, that documentation was the main source of information to be fed into the analysis forming the basis of this Research . The documents also included the various pieces of Thai government legislation, Thai national education laws, national educational policies, teacher training materials, supporting documents, job descriptions, organizational charts and follow-up news. The following list shows the main documents for the analysis. Chapter 3: Research Methodology 152. Oficial documents for the analysis 1.

10 English Language Substance and Standards under Basic Education Curriculum 2544 ( 2001). In order to get a more detailed picture of the situation and to expose contradictions which are often hidden, different sources were also used. The additional resources were: Other related documents 1. The 1997 Constitution of the Thai Kingdom 2. National Education Act of 2542 ( 1999), Kingdom of Thailand 3. Basic Education Curriculum 2544 ( ). 4. The manual for English Language Strands and Standards under Basic Education Curriculum 2544 ( 2001).