Bir 6024 Qualitative Research Methods: Assessment Answers

Answer:

Introduction

Statement of the Problem 

There is the existence of problem relating to collaborative learning among the students of sixth standard for enhancing their narrative writing. There exists certain challenges regarding the problem that include issues with de-coding, poor comprehension, as well as speed.

In respect of the concerns relating to the issues with de-coding, it can be stated that decoding occurs when children are having the ability for putting sounds to letters and written language. It is common in respect of sixth standard students to struggle when they are meeting the terms that are considered being new or unfamiliar.

In respect of poor comprehension, it can be stated that when a sixth standard student does the encountering of the vocabulary they are not having any knowledge about or are not recognizing because of inaccuate decoding, they are expected to skip forward. The more blanks there is within a text line, the more challenging will it be to make meaning and the more cognitively challenging as well as frustrating the task regarding reading will become (Salend, 2015). This is the reason why weak comprehension will be taking place when a sixth standard student will be struggling with decoding, is having a limited vocabulary or making an attempt for reading a text that is at too high of a level (O’Donnell, 2013).

In respect of the concern relating to speed, it can be stated that the more sixth standard students are reading, the more they are encountering terms that a considered being unfamiliar. As sixth standard students do the expansion of their vocabulary, they do the recognition of more words by sight and there occurs the speeding up of reading (Spector, 2014). However, when speed is considered being an issue, there might be occurring an underlying concern, like slow processing. Reading is regarded to be a task that is cognitively demanding and holds exhaustive information within the mind while continuing to do the processing of text that can exhaust children with slow processing (Taras, 2013).

Background and justification 

Collaborative learning is widely explained as ‘a scenario where two or more individuals will be learning or attempting towards learning something collectively’, and to be more specific as combined solving of problems. There occurs an ambiguity regarding the meaning of collaborative learning that stems from various sources (Janssen, 2013). Primarily, the scale of such communications might be ranging from two individuals to thousands, having varied theoretical tools required for evaluating the communications occuring at various stages. Moreover, the question of what is constituting the aspect of learning is a source of uncertainty (Mastropieri, 2017). Researchers do the using of ‘learning’ for referring to various different kinds of activities.

There is the existence of the problem relating to the effectiveness of collaborative learning within the sixth standard students for enhancing their narrative learning (Tran, 2014). Collaborative learning will be allowing students towards providing explanations relating to their understanding that can assist students in elaborating as well as recognizing their knowledge (Moore, 2014).

Collaborative learning is considered to be important in respect of the sixth standard students regarding the development of their skills, building of trust, learning from peers, engaging in learning, as well as for gaining confidence (Muijs, 2017).

Research Method

In this regard, the data collection method to be used will be comprising of interviews of . students. The sample size of the students will be 35. This section will be including a discussion about the participants as well as the site that will include the setting, the particpants, the events, instrument, the type of data that will be collected.  The sampling technique that is being used here is non-probability sampling technique. This is a sampling method in which the gathering of the samples are done in a method that does not provide every individual within the population similar opportunities of getting selected.

Significance of the research 

The significance of this topic in teaching profession is that it will assist in achieving a goal for which students are required working in a collaborative way. The sixth standard students are affected by this research and they will get benefitted from this research when carried out successfully.

Research Questions

1. What is the effectiveness of collaborative learning among sixth standard students?
2. How will the sixth standard students get affected as well as benefitted from the research?

Purpose of the study 

The purpose of this study is to find out the effectiveness regarding collaborative learning within the sixth standard students for doing the enhancement of their narrative learning. The central concept of the study is associated with the aspect of collaborative learning. The participants of this research will be the 35 sixth standard students within a classroom.

Conceptual Framework 

Figure 1 Conceptual Framework

(Source: Created by author)

Literature Review 

Collaborative learning structures assist in triggerring critical thinking abilities and similarly, students having strong skills related with critical thinking might be considered being better collaborators. Collaborative learning is also associated with metacognition that has been explained most plainly as “thinking about thinking”. Collaborative approaches might be associated with motivation. Motivation is considered being one of the potential mediating methods in which cooperative learning does the influencing of achievement (Adamson, 2014). Peer encouragement might be improving the aspect of task engagement. Collaboration is having a link with a number of key educational outcomes, which includes critical thinking, metacognition as well as motivational aspects (Arends, 2014). Reward structures might also get used by the teachers that are supporting the specific objectives that they are trying to achieve.

Different collaborative learning formats 

There exists different ways for structuring the collaborative learning activities. For instance, ‘reciprocal teaching’ format is considered being an interactive process of teaching where the teachers as well as students will be collaborating in respect of the joint text construction (Barkley, 2014). There are also certain particular formats that does the using of different reward as well as task structures for inducing student collaboration. One of them is considered being the format of ‘learning together’. In this format, the students are instructed to assist one another till the overall team did the learning of the material (Bolman, 2017). There is another format considered as the ‘jigsaw’ format, which does the breaking of the academic material that should be learned into segments. In the format of ‘student team learning’ students are working in small, mixed-ability groups for assisting in preaparing each other in respect of quizzes (Chen, 2013). Regarding the ‘team assisted individualization’ format, each student advances at their own pace, but can get assitance from the teammates.

Significance of collaborative learning 

Collaborative learning is considered being an approach that does the encouragement of students in creating groups as well as working collectively in solving a given problem. There are different advantages that learners get when working in a group setting. These are the developing of skills, learning from peers, building trust, engaging in learning as well as gaining confidence (Clark, 2016).

Discussion of conceptual framework

In respect of developing social skills, it can be stated that collaborative learning assists in making students having different backgrounds, race, or up bringing, towards working together. They come together in a setting that might not be possible without collaborative learning. In respect of solving the problem regarding a given project, children are required communicating (Cooper, 2014). They are having the ability to do the hearing of varied opinions as well as learn more regarding various cultural aspects. The methodology of collaborative learning is considered being appropriate in respect of children having difficulties within a social setting (Donker, 2014). In respect of learning from peers, it can be stated that in general, individuals are having various abilities, passions as well as knowledge (Watson, 2014). Within a small collaborative group, when there occurs the raising of a question, different students might be having different answers and children will be able to do the learning of new things from each other, but will be understanding different perceptions as well (DuFour, 2016). In respect of building trust, it can be stated that, for achieving a goal, students are required working collectively. They can function collectively without trusting one another, but in respect of an efficient collaboration as well as for reaching a common objective, they require learning the aspect of trusting one another (Ellis, 2014). In respect of engaging in learning, it can be stated that, within a small group setting, each student is having the scope towards expressing his or her ideas. Having the capability of doing so, as well as being heard can provide the feeling of significance as well as worth. The learning experience gets more enjoyable, and students are interested in learning more (Fischer, 2013). In respect of gaining confidence, it can be stated that, since students are working as a team, they are receiving more assitance, and as a result achieve confidence. Collaborative learning  can support students who are shy in expressing themselves more (Fuchs, 2015).

Methodology

Aim of the Study 

The aim of the study is to explain the effectiveness of collaborative learning within the sixth standard students for enhancing their narrative learning. Collaboration is having a signficant impact on the learning abilities of a student, especially in respect of low-achieving students.

Participants 

The partcipants regarding the research study are the sixth standard students of a school. The students are all within the age group between 10 to 12 years, and are of both sexes . The type of sampling technique that will be used for the study is non-probability sampling technique. This is a sampling method in which the gathering of the samples occurs in a method that does not provide every individual within the population same kind of opportunities for getting selected.

Data collection procedures

The data collection procedure for this study will be interviews. The setting for the data collection procedure will be the school premise where the inteview process will occur. The particpants will be the 35 students who have been selected for the interview process. The participants will be answering to certain questions in the form of interview. The qualitative research instrument that will be used in this study is considered being ‘interviews’. The other qualitative research instruments are considered as ‘focus groups’, ‘observation’ as well as ‘other data-gathering methods’. A brief discussion regarding ‘interview’ as a qualitative research instruments is being provided.

The interview is without any doubt the most common data source regarding qualitative studies. The person-to-person structure is considered being most common, but at times the conducting of group interviews as well as focus group also take place. Interviews are ranging from the highly planned style, where determination of questions are done prior to the interview, regarding the open-ended, conversational structure. Within qualitative research, there occurs the primary use of a highly structured format for gathering of the socio-demographic data.

The types of data that needs to be collected are in the form of interviews. To do the assessment of the student’s viewpoint regarding their ability towards collaboration, the students will be provided with a questionnaire that needs to be completed. The questionnaire will be including questions such as the following,

Research Timeline

Figure 2 Gantt Chart

(Source: Created by author)

Research Budget 

Ethical considerations 

• There is the requirement for ensuring that there is the occurrence to safeguard the privacy of the participants of the research
• Priority needs to be provided in respect of the dignity of the partcipant of the research
• Adequate level of confidentiality should get ensured in respect of the data regarding research
• Any kind of fraud or overstatement needs to be avoided in respect of the aims of research and objectives of research
• All kinds of communications in respect of the research study should get conducted with complete honesty as well as transparency (Hord, 2015).

Research Limitations 

1. Deficit in budget – There might be occurring the inadequacy regarding the deficit in budget in respect of conducting the research study. The dearth in budget might disrupt the research study process.
2. Time shortage – Because of having shortage in time, the research study might be done in a hurried manner and as a result, there might be occuring the skipping of the key sections regarding the research.
3. Respondent’s biased attitude – It might occur that the respondents are not giving the correct response regarding each and every question in the questionnaire because of their prejudiced behaviour in relation to certain aspects concerning the students (Hamayan, 2013).

References 

Adamson, D., Dyke, G., Jang, H., & Rosé, C. P. (2014). Towards an agile approach to adapting dynamic collaboration support to student needs. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 24(1), 92-124.

Arends, R. (2014). Learning to teach. McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Barkley, E. F., Cross, K. P., & Major, C. H. (2014). Collaborative learning techniques: A handbook for college faculty. John Wiley & Sons.

Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2017). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership. John Wiley & Sons.

Chen, X. B., & Kessler, G. (2013). Action research tablets for informal language learning: Student usage and attitudes.

Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2016). E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning. John Wiley & Sons.

Cooper, J. D., Robinson, M. D., Slansky, J. A., & Kiger, N. D. (2014). Literacy: Helping students construct meaning. Cengage Learning.

Donker, A. S., De Boer, H., Kostons, D., van Ewijk, C. D., & Van der Werf, M. P. C. (2014). Effectiveness of learning strategy instruction on academic performance: A meta-analysis. Educational Research Review, 11, 1-26.

DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & Many, T. (2016). Learning by doing. Solution Tree Press.

Ellis, A. K. (2014). Research on educational innovations. Routledge.

Fischer, F., Kollar, I., Stegmann, K., & Wecker, C. (2013). Toward a script theory of guidance in computer-supported collaborative learning. Educational psychologist, 48(1), 56-66.

Fuchs, L. S., Fuchs, D., Compton, D. L., Wehby, J., Schumacher, R. F., Gersten, R., & Jordan, N. C. (2015). Inclusion versus specialized intervention for very-low-performing students: What does access mean in an era of academic challenge?. Exceptional Children, 81(2), 134-157.

Hamayan, E. V., Marler, B., Lopez, C. S., & Damico, J. (2013). Special education considerations for English language learners: Delivering a continuum of services. Philadelphia: Caslon Publishin

Hord, S. M., & Tobia, E. F. (2015). Reclaiming our teaching profession: The power of educators learning in community. Teachers College Press.

Janssen, J., & Bodemer, D. (2013). Coordinated computer-supported collaborative learning: Awareness and awareness tools. Educational Psychologist, 48(1), 40-55.

Mastropieri, M. A., & Scruggs, T. E. (2017). The inclusive classroom: Strategies for effective differentiated instruction. Pearson.

Moore, K. D. (2014). Effective instructional strategies: From theory to practice. Sage Publications.

Muijs, D., & Reynolds, D. (2017). Effective teaching: Evidence and practice. Sage.

O'Donnell, A. M., Hmelo-Silver, C. E., & Erkens, G. (Eds.). (2013). Collaborative learning, reasoning, and technology. Routledge.

Salend, S. J. (2015). Creating inclusive classrooms: Effective, differentiated and reflective practices. Pearson.

Savery, J. R. (2015). Overview of problem-based learning: Definitions and distinctions. Essential readings in problem-based learning: Exploring and extending the legacy of Howard S. Barrows, 9, 5-15.

Spector, J. M., Merrill, M. D., Elen, J., & Bishop, M. J. (Eds.). (2014). Handbook of research on educational communications and technology (pp. 439-451). New York, NY: Springer.

Taras, V., Caprar, D. V., Rottig, D., Sarala, R. M., Zakaria, N., Zhao, F., ... & Bry?a, P. (2013). A global classroom? Evaluating the effectiveness of global virtual collaboration as a teaching tool in management education. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 12(3), 414-435.

Tran, V. D. (2014). The effects of cooperative learning on the academic achievement and knowledge retention. International Journal of Higher Education, 3(2), 131.

Watson, C. (2014). Effective professional learning communities? The possibilities for teachers as agents of change in schools. British Educational Research Journal, 40(1), 18-29.