Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
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Type of
Variables Operational Definition Indicators
Variable
1.Condition where students 1. Self-awareness-
Students’ understand the meaning of Likert Scale
knowledge DV memorization is to remember
about and memorize certain words 2. Performance-Based
memorization or a line of sentence. Prior Knowledge
Assessment1
1. Memorization is generally 1. Backward Design
considered as the first step in 2. How many words
understanding (not a substitute the students can
Memorization
IV for it) as it ensures that sacred remember?
approach
knowledge is passed on in 3. How many words
to students
proper forms so that it can be the students fail to
understood later. (Boyle, remember or recall?
2004)
1. Balanced Scorecard
1. (Douglas Brown, 2001) states
Approach
that speaking is literally
Speaking DV defined as to say things,
Skills 2. Harris’s Oral
express thought aloud, and
English Rating
uses the voice.
Scale2
1
https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/priorknowledge/performancebased.html
2
http://funspeaking.blogspot.com/2012/10/harriss-oral-english-rating-scale-frame.html
Age is the interval of time
between the day, month and year
of birth and the day and year of
occurrence of the event upper secondary
expressed in the largest students in the school,
Age DV completed unit of solar time aged between 16 – 17
such as years for adults and years old
children and months, weeks,
days, hours or minutes of life, as Nominal Scale
appropriate, for infants under
one year of age (Gregorian
calendar)3.
Used to indicate the degree of
Speaking
DV accuracy intended in a statement Harris’s Oral English
Competency
or the point of view from which Rating Scale
Level
it is made4.
Table 1: Research Variables for the Study
There are two variables involve in this study namely independent variables (IV), which is
it is a kind of treatment or intervening variable; it can be measured and manipulated, as
presented in the study, the intervention of using memorizing approach intensively. The
other variable, a dependent variable (DV); where it response and observe certain aspects
of the behaviour of an organism that has been stimulated; which are the participants, the
students themselves including their age, their speaking competency level and skills.
3A.1 CONCEPT
The first step in the measurement process is to define the concepts of the study (Edward
Volchok, 2015). A concept is a thought, an opinion, a mental image of a thing formed by
generalization from particular, for example; weight, age, temperature. In this study, the
concept use for Dependent Variables such as the age of the students, the level of speaking
competency and skills and the students’ knowledge about memorization. Throughout the
table above, the researcher indicated the concept to measure the DV during conducting
the study by direct observation and the Nominal measurement level are being used to
measure the variables. The concept is drawn in figure below:
3
Handbook of Vital Statistics Systems and Methods, Volume 1: Legal, Organisational and Technical
Aspects, United Nations Studies in Methods, Glossary, Series F, No. 35, United Nations, New York 1991.
4
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/%25E2%2580%2594_speaking
DIRECT OBSERVATION
The
Students
Number of participants Knowledge about memorization
DV DV
3A. 2 CONSTRUCT
When measuring behavioural outcomes in the social sciences, the personal characteristic
to be assessed is called a construct (Cronbach & Meehl, 1955; Messick, 1995). A
construct is an idea that can be measure to provide a theoretical basis for further studies.
The construct is a proposed attribute of a person that often cannot be measured directly,
but can be assessed using a number of indicators or manifest variables. For the study, the
construct used to measure the level of competency and the knowledge about
memorization is Harris’s Oral English Rating Scale and Performance-Based Prior
Knowledge Assessment.
Instrument is the general term that researchers use for a measurement device (survey, test,
and questionnaire). For this correlational-quantitative study, it is listed in the Instrument
Categories below:
1. Literature Review – search for existing studies, theory and research gaps.
2. Table of Specifications
3. Expert Review – seek revision from the expertise/professionals/senior
4. Item Revision – 1st Pilot Study
5. Pilot testing – to test reliability analysis
6. Distribute Instrument – use data for content validation
Available and
Amendments
Reliable Previous
where applicable 2nd Draft:
Instrument
Studies
Instrument
Instruments
Development
Seek advices from Procedure
Reliability &
Professionals/
Senior Colleagues Validity Analysis
Validity refers to whether we are really measuring the concept that we intended to
measure (Blumberg et.al, 2005). It is also the extent to which the measure gives an
accurate reading of the concept. When developing the observation checklist, the
researcher uses her long experience as a teacher and also depends to the available
literature and previous studies she had reviewed. She also seeks advice from the
professionals in the field to decide its face validity. The professionals and some of the
colleagues agreed to the procedure of developing the observation checklist where the
issues are updated, easy-understandable and valid as well. In the construction of the
number of short sentences to be memorized by the targeted students, the researcher seeks
help throughout her colleague and through samples taken from the internet. The sample
nevertheless, is taken from the reliable sources and it must be below 10 years and was
specifically done in Malaysia. The aims are to ensure the match issues currently faced by
the students and how well the measure correlates with other theoretical constructs. Here,
the construct validity is used, so the researcher can expect the results of her measurement
as predicted because construct validity can be a useful indication of how well the
researcher are measuring the concept. At last, during the short dialogue memorization
session, the researcher develop the dialogue accordingly, depends to the daily routine of a
teenager. In order to convince the students to speak the same response, that is important
to conduct an achievement test. The content validity appropriately fit with the information
the researcher intend to get. It is the extent to which the questions on the instrument and
the scores from these questions represent all possible questions that could be asked about
the content or skill (Creswell, 2005).
The previous topic discussed about the reliability and validity of the study, which
emphasis how well the study should be conducted and how well the instruments being
measured. This topic then, will briefly discussed on the levels of measurement, scale and
scoring used for every variables.
Level of measurement refers to the properties that define the measurement process itself
(Greenstein, 2006). In the study, the researcher classifies the measurement scales used for
each type of variables:
Students’ Knowledge about Memorization
Strongly agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Once the students have answered, numbers are assigned to the responses. For example:
Strongly agree = 5
Agree = 4
Neutral = 3
Disagree = 2
Strongly Disagree = 1
These techniques enable the researcher get the exact responses on how many students
does have the prior knowledge about memorization and how many have no idea at all.
Memorization Approach to Students
2. Determine acceptable levels of evidence that support that the desired results have
occurred (culminating assessment tasks)
What will teachers accept as evidence that student understanding took
place?
Consider culminating assessment tasks and a range of assessment methods
(observations, tests, projects, etc.)
3. Design activities that will make desired results happen (learning events)
What knowledge and skills will students need to achieve the desired
results?
Consider teaching methods, sequence of lessons, and resource materials
The idea in backward design is to teach toward the "end point" or learning goals, which
typically ensures that content taught remains focused and organized. This, in turn, aims at
promoting better understanding of the memorization approach to be achieved by the
students. The teacher is able to focus on addressing what the students need to learn, what
data can be collected to show that the students have learned the desired outcomes (or
learning standards) and how to ensure the students will learn.
(Douglas Brown, 2001) states that speaking is literally defined as to say things, express
thought aloud, and uses the voice. As a teacher, the assessment needs to be carried out as
a measurement on the students’ performance in speaking skills. It is important to measure
the skill as undergoing and continuous process so the teacher could detect any
weaknesses or changes need to be made upon teaching speaking to the students. During
the process of measuring and rating the students’ speaking ability scores, the researcher
decided to use the Harris’s Oral English Rating Scale.
Based on the scale there are five aspects will be measured as in the table modified from
the original Harris’s (1974) below:
Rating
No Criteria Description
Scores
1 Pronunciation 5 Have few traces of foreign language.
4 Always intelligible, thought one is conscious of a definite accent.
3 Pronunciation problem necessities concentrated listening and
occasionally lead to misunderstanding.
2 Very hard to understand because of pronunciation problem, most
frequently be asked to repeat.
1 Pronunciation problem to serve as to make speech virtually
unintelligible.
2 Grammar 5 Make few (if any) noticeable errors of grammar and word order.
4 Occasionally makes grammatical and or word orders errors that do
not, however obscure meaning.
3 Make frequent errors of grammar and word order, which
occasionally obscure meaning.
2 Grammar and word order errors make comprehension difficult,
must often rephrases sentence.
1 Errors in grammar and word order, so, severe as to make speech
virtually unintelligible.
3 Vocabulary 5 Use of vocabulary and idioms is virtually that of native speaker.
4 Sometimes uses inappropriate terms and must rephrases ideas
because of lexical and equities.
3 Frequently uses the wrong words conversation somewhat limited
because of inadequate vocabulary.
2 Misuse of words and very limited vocabulary makes
comprehension quite difficult.
1 Vocabulary limitation so extreme as to make conversation
virtually impossible.
4 Fluency 5 Speech as fluent and efforts less as that of native speaker.
4 Speed of speech seems to be slightly affected by language
problem.
3 Speed and fluency are rather strongly affected by language
problem.
2 Usually hesitant, often forced into silence by language limitation.
1 Speech is as halting and fragmentary as to make conversation
virtually impossible.
5 Comprehension 5 Appears to understand everything without difficulty
4 Understand nearly everything at normal speed although
occasionally repetition may be necessary
3 Understand most of what is said at slower than normal speed
without repetition
2 Has great difficulty comprehended? social conversation spoken
slowly and with frequent repetition
1 Cannot be said to understand even simple conversation.
Table 2: Harris’s Oral English Rating Scale
Age
Age is the interval of time between the day, month and year of birth and the day and year
of occurrence of the event expressed in the largest completed unit of solar time such as
years for adults and children and months, weeks, days, hours or minutes of life, as
appropriate, for infants under one year of age (Gregorian calendar). Measuring an age
consists of very minimal requirements, as long as it precise. Nominal level of
measurement is the best way to measure an age. Even the interval and ratio level can also
be used as the measurement for age, but for the study, since the researcher chooses the
upper secondary students in her school to be the participants and respondents and
secondary schools in Malaysia have specific age between 13 – 17 years old. For the upper
secondary students, it consists of teenagers aged between 16 – 17 years old and the total
of the students, boys and girls will be taken from the class teachers, because they keep the
latest information on the students in the students’ profile or in an attendance record.
3A.6 SAMPLE OF INSTRUMENTS
(See Appendix 1 – 3)
The researcher uses a correlational-quantitative research design for her study. According
to Statistics Solution, a virtual dissertation consultation service, within correlational
research, researchers are primarily interested in determining non-causal relationships
amongst variables. More specifically, the correlational research design is a type of non-
experimental study in which relationships are assessed without manipulating independent
variables or randomly assigning participants to different conditions.
Meanwhile, quantitative method used for the study consists of describing the participants
in the study, upper secondary students. The instruments used, such as an observation
forms, a survey and recordings. The procedure used to measure the instruments to the
participants, taken from previous studies or existing theories and the treatment of the data,
or the data analysis plan using the intervention – memorizing.
In the sampling procedure, the researcher must describe the process used to select
participants from the population. In the instrument section, the researcher must cite the
reliability and validity of the instrument used, typically from previous research studies
that have used the instrument. Of course, the researcher must also base their sample
size—typically much larger than in qualitative studies—on the statistical tests selected in
the data analysis plan. Furthermore, the researcher details in the data analysis plan any
pre-analysis data screening, reliability of the scales, and the assumptions that will be
tested for based upon the specific statistical analyses chosen. Lastly, ethical procedures
include informed consent, data storage, and other safeguards.
This research design is selected for the study to determine if there is the correlation
between the students’ knowledge of memorization, speaking level competency with the
use of memorizing approach to improve speaking skills among the students. Additionally,
quantitative research methods produce numerical data that is understandable and can be
easily communicated to the intended audience with very minimal added explanations
required (Shabani Varaki, floden & Javidi Kalatehjafarabadi, 2015).
Population
Secondary schools in Malaysia consist of students with range age between 13 to 17 years
old. It is divided into 2 particular levels; lower secondary and an upper secondary. The
total of students in the researcher’s school is 286 students.
Sample
The researcher considered to choose the sample based on the academic achievement since
they entered the school, without regarding their speaking skills and competency. So,
every student is equally being tested and there should be an exact result in the end.
For this correlational-quantitative study, the researcher gathered all the data for the first
variable, in the seeking on the students’ knowledge about memorization through Likert
Scale Response Anchors. The total of 118 targeted sample populations will provide their
response through the scale and the researcher gathers the information through calculation.
Then, the other data collection procedure is by memorizing a part from a textbook from
check listing on the related issues during observing the students’ response when the Q&A
session conducted. During the Q&A session, the observation undergo by check listing on
the important issues related in an observation forms. A checklist is a list of behaviours,
characteristics, or other entities the researcher is looking for. Either the researcher or
survey participant simply checks whether each item on the list is observed, present or true
or vice versa (Leedy and Ormrod, 2001).
The last, the short dialogue session will be conducted by the researcher, where she set a
class of students with a topic to be discussed, by providing a sample of short dialogues as
a prompt. Then, the students are given a few minutes to memorize the dialogue and try to
paraphrase it into the discussion of the topic. The session will be recorded to get the better
findings based on Harris’s Oral English Rating Scale.
Data analysis is the last step in the study. In quantitative study, the raw data collection
later will be analysed into meaningful data through the available applications. There are
many popular data analysis soft wares or applications available and considerable to be
chosen by the researcher in order to count and analyse her data in her quantitative study
such as Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access and SPSS.
In order to obtain an efficient correlation data analysis, the researcher chooses the
Spearman Rank Correlation analysis. It requires the data to be sorted and the value to be
assigned a specific rank with 1 to be assigned as the lowest value. Moreover, in case of
data value appearing more than once, equal values will be specified their average rank
(Research Methodology.net). Spearman's correlation determines the strength and
direction of the monotonic relationship between your two variables rather than the
strength and direction of the linear relationship between your two variables. The is the
software in Internet that provide free service for the researcher whom use Spearman’s in
order to get the result - https://www.socscistatistics.com/tests/spearman/default2.aspx
SUMMARY
The task explained about the research variables underpinning the study, that later will be
used in order to develop an instruments. The instruments development procedure,
explained about the procedure on how the instruments for each variables are developed;
through previous studies and existing theories. Then, the 1st draft of the instruments will
undergo the investigations by the professionals and senior colleagues, in order to obtain
the reliability and validity of the instruments before it being tested. After several
amendments and developments, then the final instruments carried out, followed by the
measurement, scoring and scaling procedure. Next, the procedure of data collection and
data analysis are explained for clear understanding before the next task begin.
APPENDIX 1 – EXAMPLE OF INSTRUMENT
OBSERVATION CHECKLIST:
STUDENTS’ KNOWLEDGE ABOUT MEMORIZATION
1. Basic Knowledge
Blumberg, B., Cooper, D. R., & Schindler, P. S. (2005). Business Research Methods.
Berkshire: McGrawHill Education. [15 June 2019].
Haradhan Kumar Mohajan. 2017. Two Criteria for Good Measurements in Research:
Validity and Reliability. Annals of Spiru Haret University. 17(3): 58-82 [17 June
2019].
Harris, David P. 1969. Testing English As a Second Language. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Michael Harris and Paul McCann. 1994. Assessment. Handbooks for the English
Classroom. Macmillan Heinemann ELT, Oxford.
https://saidnazulfiqar.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/assessment.pdf [18 June 2019].
Shabani Varaki, B., Floden, R., & Javidi Kalatehjafarabadi, T. (2015). Para-quantitative
Methodology: Reclaiming experimentalism in educational research. Open Review
of Educational Research, 2(1), 26-41. doi:10.1080/23265507.2014.986189
Volchok, E. 2015. OER Link: The Four Levels of Measurement.
file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/LOM_Transcript.pdf [14 June 2019].