Structure of the content of an online ESP course

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CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Introduction

The previous chapter focused on exploring the linkages between the ZPD theory and CoI framework, the related literature and the conceptual overview of the study. The current chapter presents and justifies the qualitative methodology used to execute the current study. The research objectives (§3.2) are then presented, followed by the research paradigms (§3.3) of the current study. Then, a discussion of the research design (§3.4) which is based on qualitative methods and case study approach is interrogated. In the research design section, the methodological plan of the current study is explored by looking into different aspects of research design in a qualitative study. The ethical considerations (§3.5) are then discussed, before a conclusion to (§3.6) the chapter is provided.

 Research study objectives

As indicated in earlier chapters of the current study, the primary objective of this study was to investigate effective teaching of an online English course, which is referred to as ESP, in an ODL environment. The objectives of the study were set to:
a) Conduct content analysis of the online ESP material.
b) Investigate interaction in online ESP amongst students, between students and lecturers, amongst lecturers, e-tutors and assessors, and students with materials.
c) Investigate the approach used for an online ESP POE assessment.
The key concepts of this study are online teaching, online learning, ESP, ODL interaction and interactivity, assessment, POE, and e-portfolio. These concepts are crucial as they form part of the objectives of the current study. In addition, the ZPD theory and CoI framework, whose attention is on a participating student and lecturer in a supportive learning environment, also add insight to a study of this nature.

 Research paradigm

In this section, various research paradigms are explored, as well as what it is that characterises these paradigms. The section also includes a discussion of ontology, epistemology, methodology, methods, theoretical perspectives and sources used as these apply to the current study and why these methods were deemed relevant in the current study. According to Tuli (2010), a research paradigm is a set of assumptions about fundamental aspects of reality shared by members of a research community. Consequently, the set of assumptions mentioned here are where researchers work from as they set off to find the ‘truth’ about their study. To get to the ‘truth’ the researcher has to base one’s study on one of the approaches – quantitative and qualitative, or both which is referred to as mixed methods.
As a result, quantitative and qualitative approaches carry different views regarding the role of a researcher and how research should be conducted. Qualitative research, however, is a subjective approach that is used:
for exploring and understanding the meanings individuals or groups ascribe to a social or human problem. The process of research involves emerging questions and procedures, data typically collected in the participant’s setting, data analysis inductively building from particulars to general themes, and the researcher making interpretations of the meaning of the data (Creswell, 2014:32).
In this regard, Creswell (2014:32) defines quantitative research as “an approach for testing objective theories by examining the relationship among variables. These variables, in turn, can be measured, typically on instruments, so that numbered data can be analysed using statistical procedures”. The current study utilises qualitative methods.

Qualitative research in the current study

Based on Creswell’s (2014) description of quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods, and the objectives outlined in 3.1, the current research study viewed the qualitative approach as the most suitable method. This study aims to gain insight on what effective teaching of an online English course within an ODL environment entails.
According to Tolu (2010), qualitative research views the world as constructed, interpreted and experienced by people in their interaction with each other and within the wider social systems. Therefore, in the process of searching for the truth, the researcher involved a group of active participants within a specific environment (ODL) who were affected by the problem identified in the study. In addition, Mackey and Gass (2005) point out that quantitative research focuses more on experimental designs and numbers, while qualitative studies are not experimental and the majority of its data cannot be easily quantified and its findings are interpreted. Therefore, the data gathered in this study fell into the qualitative research method, as it was not based on experiments or quantifiable variables.

Objectivist and constructivist view

Two worldviews that are known to have a strong influence in research are the objectivist and constructivist views (Thomas, 2010). Therefore, there is a natural scientist view and a social scientist view of the world – hence the quantitative approach (objective) and the qualitative approach (subjective). There are broader paradigms that link to the two worldviews mentioned here, i.e. positivism, post-positivism, critical theory, and constructivism (sometimes referred to as interpretivism).
The positivist research paradigm is centred on the experimental approach, maintaining that reliable knowledge is based on direct observation or manipulation of natural phenomena (Tolu, 2010). The post positivism paradigm challenges ‘”the traditional notion of the absolute truth of knowledge and recognizes that we cannot be positive about our claims of knowledge when studying the behaviour and actions of humans” (Creswell, 2014:37). Another type of paradigm, which is critical theory, focuses on ideas in relation to a specific ideology. The last one, which is also my point of interest as its characteristics complement the objectives of the current study, is the constructivist or interpretivist perspective.
The constructivist perspective is viewed as the theory utilised in most qualitative research, as it sees the world as “constructed, interpreted, and experienced by people in their interaction with each other and with wider social systems” (Tolu, 2010: 100).
In this regard, the constructivist perspective fits in the current study as it also sought to explore the subjects’ experiences as they interact within an ODL environment. Creswell (2014:37) also points out that social constructivists believe “individuals develop subjective meanings of their experiences – meanings directed toward certain objects or things”. The goal of the research is to rely as much as possible on the participants’ views of the situation being studied. Based on this view, the constructivist view is considered relevant in the current study. Furthermore, the CoI framework and ZPD theory that underpin the current study also support the constructivist approach. As indicated in Chapter 2, CoI focuses on an environment where students, peers, and lecturers work together to construct knowledge and achieve set outcomes (Garrison, 2013).
As such, the ZPD theory draws on the constructs of assisted learning, where the learning process is not achieved in isolation, but in a supportive environment (Booyse, 2010; Rollnick, 2008). Therefore, the current study relies on the participants and the ODL environment to construct the meanings or the ‘truth’ regarding effective teaching of an ESP course in ODL. Furthermore, Creswell (2014:37) points out that “constructivist researchers often address the processes of interaction among individuals. They also focus on the specific contexts in which people live and work in order to understand the historical and cultural settings of the participants”. The objectives of the current study sought to gain insight on what effective teaching entails by analysing the content of the course under study, investigating interaction amongst the participants, and investigating the approach used in assessment of PoEs within the ODL environment.
In the next section, I discuss the three concepts of ontology, epistemology and methodology. These three characterise the research paradigms mentioned earlier in the current chapter.

Ontology

According to Nieuwenhuis (2007:53), ontology is the ‘study of the nature and form of reality’. Therefore, the ontological views of the quantitative and qualitative methods are based on concepts of objectivity and subjectivity, respectively. While positivists (objectivists) view reality as something out there, interpretivist (subjective) researchers believe reality exists within people (Tuli, 2010). The ontological perspective in the current study can be interpreted within a constructivist/interpretivist view as the current study involves interaction with the participants in their specific setting or environment.

 Epistemology

The second concept that characterises the research paradigms mentioned in this section is epistemology. Epistemology raises questions on the relationship between the knower and what is known, i.e. how do we know what we know, and what counts as knowledge (Creswell, 2014 & Tolu, 2010). Quantitative research operates according to a deductive model of fixed and set research objectives, where knowledge is viewed objectively within the laws of nature – hence all relevant terms are defined and hypotheses are detailed early in the research proposal (Creswell, 2014).
Qualitative research, in contrast, is inductive: it views knowledge as something that is interpreted by individuals and something that may emerge through the data analysis. This means the deductive and inductive nature of these two paradigms draw a line that indicates a researcher’s epistemological perspective. In this case, the researcher’s ontological view guides one in answering these epistemological questions and indicates whether one is part of the knowledge. For example, the laws of constructivism/interpretivism govern the current study’s ontological view. This means that the participants, the setting and the researcher construct the epistemological knowledge within the study.

Methodology

According to Tuli (2010:99),
The selection of research methodology depends on the paradigm that guides the research activity, more specifically, beliefs about the nature of reality and humanity (ontology), the theory of knowledge that informs the research (epistemology), and how that knowledge may be gained (methodology).
Therefore, to gain knowledge on the ‘effective teaching of an online English course in ODL’, I use the qualitative research approach in the current study.

 Methodological assumptions of the research

This section discusses the methodological assumptions utilised in the current study. The set of beliefs that researchers work from as they set off finding the ‘truth’. Moreover, the quest to find the truth leads researchers towards conceptual underpinnings of their research (Nieuwenhuis, 2007). The researcher’s beliefs on the topic of effective teaching of online English in ODL are informed by the literature review undertaken (e.g. Krzanowski, 2014; Velikaya, 2014; Garrison, 2013; Ahmad, 2012; Ngoepe, 2011; Booyse, 2010, Garrison, Anderson and Archer, 2009; Kotze, 2007; Belcher, 2006; Venzke, 2002; Brown, 1997; Johns and Dudley-Evans, 1991; Swales, 1984). These beliefs are based on interaction between students, between students and the learning material, between students and lecturers, and between lecturers, e-tutors and assessors.
Therefore, my beliefs as a researcher are that effective learning and teaching in ODL entails active teaching, learning and interaction amongst participants within a supportive environment. Another belief is that effective teaching happens when students interact with other students, with the learning material and with e-tutors in the ODL environment. The last belief is that effective assessment of e-portfolios take place when the assessors possess the necessary knowledge to assess a specific subject in ODL. In the next section, I discuss the research design of the study.

 Research design

In this section, I discuss the research design of the current study. Yin (2003:20) describes research design as “the logical sequence that connects the empirical data to a study’s initial research question and ultimately to its conclusions”. My research design is based on the qualitative data addressing the research questions and finally leading to the conclusions. The primary research question for the current study as indicated in the previous chapters of this study is: How should an online ESP module be taught effectively in an ODL context?
The secondary research questions are as follows:
How should the content of an online ESP course be structured for successful delivery in an ODL context?
How should interaction take place amongst students, between students and lecturers, amongst lecturers, e-tutors and assessors, and students with learning material in an ODL context?
How should the assessment of online ESP portfolios be conducted in an ODL context?
The type of research design utilised in this study is the case study approach.
Therefore, the case study approach is discussed in depth in the next section.

Case study

Nunan (1992) posits that a major strength of case study design is its suitability for small-scale research of the type often done by teachers. One reason for this may be that individual students, groups of students, and classes are ready made, so to speak, for use as case studies. “Case studies are also usually associated with a longitudinal approach, in which observations of the phenomena under investigation are made at periodic intervals for an extended period of time” (Mackey & Gass, 2005: 171).
In the same line, Yin (2011) states that in case studies, researchers collect detailed information using a variety of data collection procedures with restrictions regarding time and the type of activity they engage in. Although in the current study the data gathering period did not take place over a long period, the few months (three months) utilised to gather data through the use of questionnaires, observations and content analysis makes the current study fall within the case study approach as indicated in Nunan (1992) and Mackey and Gass (2005). The objectives of the current study required the researcher to collect data using qualitative methods and instruments that comprised questionnaires, observation and content analysis schedule.
These instruments were used to obtain data from the sources identified, including the content in the material, interaction between participants, and the approach used in the assessment of portfolios of evidence. Moreover, Mackey and Gass (2005:171) point out, “Case studies generally aim to provide a holistic description of language learning or use within a specific population and setting”. This approach provides detailed descriptions of specific learners (or sometimes classes) within their learning setting. In this regard, interaction amongst participants on the course website was observed during the first semester, in their own environment (ODL).

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Background to the study
1.3 Statement of the problem
1.4 Research questions of the study
1.5 Research objectives of the study
1.6 Research ethics
1.7 Delineation of the study
1.8 Significance of the study
1.9 Definition of concepts
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Review of the literature
2.3 Theoretical framework of the study
2.4 Conceptual framework of effective teaching of ESP
2.5 Conclusion
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Research study objectives
3.3 Research paradigm
3.4 Research design
3.5 Ethical considerations
3.6 Conclusion
CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH FINDINGS AND INTERPRETATION
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Structure of the content of an online ESP course
4. 3 Interaction in an online ESP course
4.4 Assessment of online ESP portfolios
4.5 Conclusion
CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Introduction
5.2 How should the content of an online ESP course be structured for successful delivery in an ODL context?
5.3 How should interaction take place amongst students, between students and learning
material, and between students and lecturers in an ODL context?
5.4 How assessment of online ESP portfolios should be conducted in an ODL context?
5.5 Synthesis of the answers from the research questions
5.6 Main contributions of the study
5.7 Limitations of the study
5.8 Recommendations
5.9 Conclusion
References
APPENDICES
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