Entry #10: Validity and Reliability

Bulls-eye!!! 

A good research provides reliable and valid results. Don't you agree?

So why is it very important for a research to have reliability and validity? Before that, we need to know what is validity and reliability.

Validity is the meaningfulness or usefulness of the specific inferences researches make based on the data they collect.

What kinds of evidence might a researcher collect? Essentially, there are three main types.

• Content-related evidence of validity refers to the content and format of the instrument.
• Criterion-related evidence of validity refers to the relationship between scores obtained using the instrument and scores obtained using one or more other instrument or measures.
• Construct-related evidence of validity refers to the nature of psychological construct or characteristic being measured by the instrument.

Reliability refers to consistency of the scores obtained.

Reliability and validity always depend on the context in which an instrument is used.

Research Proposal is in Progress...

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Entry #9: Variables

Well, that was exactly that came up into my mind when people started talking about variables. I was so confused as I often mixed up the definitions of dependent and independent variables. Then suddenly they came up with extraneous variables, manipulate variables, mediator variables, criterion variables and the list goes on and on. Pheww..

I realised that I really need to open the research methodology bible aka the 'handbook' written by Fraenkel, Wallen and Hyun (2012) and it is very much of help in understanding the elements in educational research.

Through my reading and lecture notes, I found that variable is actually a set of variation and it could be categorical or quantitative.

So what about the other variables mentioned earlier?
Well, to make it clearer to digest, based on my reading, I have concluded that:

independent variable = experimental variable = manipulated variable = treatment variable
dependent variable = criterion variable = outcome variable


What are the moderator, mediator and extraneous variables?

Extraneous variables
In previous entry, I have mentioned about the extraneous variables. The extraneous variables could influence the effect on the dependent variables or other variables that exist. Examples of extraneous variables are genders, the personality of teachers involved, the experience level of the students which could affect learning in the study. One of the way to avoid or control these variables is by holding them constant.

Moderator variables
It is a special type of independent variable. It is a secondary independent variable that has been selected for study to determine whether it affects or modifies the basic relationship between the primary independent variable and the dependent variable. The key word here is modify.

Mediator variables
It is one that attempts to explain the relationship between the two other variables. Mediator variables provide explanation to the relationship between the independent and dependent variables.

Below is the graphic organizer to explain the relationship between the variables.

The other factor could also be the extraneous, mediator or moderator variables.

Below are the examples for independent and dependent variables.

So I guess I won't get confuse anymore and whenever people ask me about variables, I hope I could explain them pretty well and same goes to answering the test :)

Entry #8: Steps in literature review

According to Fraenkel, Wallen and Hyun (2012), there are six steps in literature review

The first step to literature review is to define the problem as precisely as possible. This is because if the problem statement is too broad, it would become too fuzzy in finding the suitable and appropriate general reference. Therefore, the questions of interest should be narrowed down to specific area of concern.

Secondary sources: secondhand information, such as description of historical events by someone not present when the event occurred.

1. encyclopedia of educational research
2. handbook of research on teaching
3. national society for the study of education
4. review of educational research
5. review of research in education
6. subject guide to books in print (current edition)
7. Malaysian Education Blueprint (this could also be considered as the secondary source)

Primary sources: firsthand information, such as testimony of an eyewitness, an original document, a relic, or a description of a study written by the person who conducted it.

1. journals
2. dissertations or thesis

It is very important to put citation in literature review and to paraphrase the sentences in order to avoid plagiarism. Normally, the references and citation in literature review follows the APA style of referencing.

Entry #7: Type of Research

There are various types of research methodologies. However, I'm going to focus on experimental research since it is related to my research proposal.


Below is the conceptual framework or the research design for experimental research.

This design is the randomized pretest-posttest control design.

Two groups of subjects are used, with both groups being measured or observed twice. the first measurement serves as pretest, the second as the posttest. For my research purpose, I will randomly select 60 students from the average proficiency level and these students then will be divided into two groups: 1)experimental and 2) control group.

Test-retest method is used in order to secure the reliability of the findings.

In a research, there are possibilities that the dependent variables or the results would be affected by other variables. The variables which may influence the dependent variables are called the extraneous variables. It is very important to eliminate or minimize these extraneous variables in order to ensure the validity and reliability of a study.
Variables, validity and reliability will be further discussed in other entries.
:)