CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

 

3.1       Introduction

This study investigates the student drawing skills and learning styles  in the art subject in school. The research methodology chosen for this study contain a number of selected drawing activities in classroom. The following section will describe in more detail on each of the activities in this methodology, in order to develop some recommendations and suggestions for improvement of the study. Mixed method of quantitative and qualitative case study approach is used for the investigation.

3.2       The Research Design

The intention of this chapter is to exemplary the research methodology adopted for the study, which is a case study design. According to Merriam (1988) states that case study is “often the best methodology when understanding is sought in order to improve practice” (as cited in Zeyad, 2004). Case study investigations “can explain the reason for a problem, the background of a situation, what happened and why”.

The study is chosen as the best design method due for its heuristic quality. According to (Zeyad, 2004), a good research  can (1) explain the reason for a problem, the background of situation, what happened, and why, (2) explain why an innovation worked or failed to work, (3) discuss and evaluate alternatives not chosen and (4) evaluate, summarize, and conclude, thus increasing its potential applicability.

3.3       Pilot Study

            Besides this section mention about the preliminary investigations called pilot study that will be conducted by researcher as well as the literature survey. The pilot study is pointed to the process of inducting theory using case studies- from specifying the research questions to reaching closure.

            The Concise Oxford Thesaurus defines a pilot project or study as an experimental, exploratory, test, preliminary, trial or try out investigation. Besides carried our as a trial study, this pilot study also will assist in testing the feasibility, reliability and validity of the design. I will select a number of samples to carry out the pre-test, or in easier words to do exercises  inside a classroom before the actual investigation is done. I then will use the information gathered in pilot studies to refine or improve my research or evaluation procedure being piloted before it is used on a larger scale.

            This internal pilot study will be established through a variety of ways (1) the researcher will approach school directly via headmaster or teachers or management itself to seek permission on conducting the small scale research internally, (2)the researcher will work in classroom with the students  in contributing to the research, and (3)the researcher give three of drawing task :  i) Visual task drawing, ii) Kinesthetic task drawing and Auditory task drawing in the classroom, (4) Researcher will use standard document from Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah to measure the student artwork and give their band and separate into three band : Band 1 (for Auditori), Band 2 (for Kinesthetic) and Band 3 ( for Visual) and  (5) From that outcome researcher will check the drawing development in children by using Victor Lowenfeld stages.

3.4       Population and Sampling

The study will consist of fourteen (14) 8 years old participants so called as the sampling. The sampling strategy chosen is probability sampling which the selection of individuals from the population so that they are the representative of the population that I want to study. The target population of the study area will cover the students of Sekolah Kebangsaan Rumah Barrau, Tatau,Bintulu, Sarawak.

The school has a low number of students which is 74 students, and situated at a sub-urban, specifically a rural area in the district of Tatau, Bintulu, Sarawak. With this type of simple random sampling, I select samples from all student in that school so that they have an equal chance of being selected to the study.

The samples in this study consists of eight  boys and six girls students. These participants are selected to assist in studying the drawing skills among primary student with different learning styles in the classroom. The participants are all the students Sekolah Kebangsaan Rumah Barrau.

Numbers of primary participants selected are tested as sufficient enough to fit with the study design. By calculating the sample size using a sample size formula by Krejcie and Morgan (1970), it is adequate that the number of samples can suit the research very well. For easier access to the calculation of sample size, a web based calculation also had been done using the web calculator at http://www.raosoft.com/samplesize.html .

 

3.5       The Methods of Data Collection

Actually, the method of data collection is made using the normal teaching and learning in the classroom. Researcher  use different methods of learning styles according to a given question by the researcher.

           Researcher will have 3 questions in different areas of the draw (1)  auditory  question (2) kinesthetic question and (3) Visual question in a different session. These questions are made based on the Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah (KSSR) and will be assessed using the Standard Document KSSR Year 2.

          Upon completion of the grant to students, researcher will examine each drawing to determine the student in their stage where according to Victor Lowenfeld Stages (Drawing Development). Students will be carefully whether they really are at the right stage or not.

          Then, researcher will evaluation their drawings using Standard Document KSSR Year 2. They will be assessed and will be provided by the band that suits the band 1, 2 or 3. For this study only tested students in band 1 to band 3 only where if students master the band 1, they are auditory learners, if band 2, they are kinesthetic learners and if they dominate the band 3 then they are Visual learners.

Due to time constraints, I then will be conducting four methods of data collections which are (1) combination of semi-structured and unstructured interviews, (2) participant observation, (3) follow-up questionnaires (see figure 1) and (4) collection of documents with the participants. All gathered information will be recorded for transcribing in data analysis. By using the different methods of data collections, a cross check data will assist in interpretation of data gathered later.

Generally for semi-structured and unstructured interview, close-ended and open-ended questions will be asked in order to allow the participants to create options for responding on the current research topic. Participants can also voice their experiences and perspectives on the research area without boundary. They are free to talk and voice out their opinion in order to make the session is more fun, interactive and meaningful.

The participant observation will allow me to role as the participant observer during the activities being held. But the observational roles can be changed later to suit with the activities conducted. Additional data came from the participant’s responses to follow-up questionnaires developed specifically to obtain answers to new questions raised after the initial interview data had been analyzed. These follow-up questionnaires were also used to clarify initial answers and verify interview findings. Public and private records will be a good source of text data in assisting the study. Permission will be obtained before using the documents.

3.5.1   Instrumentation
            To support data collection in a variety of ways, it will allow the validity of the findings. Semi-structured interviews and unstructured interviews will be conducted to allow respondents to talk about their own perceptions and learning styles of drawing skills and clarify their views in their own words. All interviews will be a digital recorder and then either copied or systematically noted and written afterwards to ensure that all data will take into account.
           With instrument type of behavioral measures, observational data will be collected to ensure that  the learning styles can be explored in situ and also to fight the growing reservations about the reliability of self-report in interviews. It will be collected via a pro forma, which will be completed by hand in situ and then written up afterwards. All texts were read to get an overall sense of the data and an initial code list will be developed and refined to directly relate to the research questions outlined above. The data will then code in terms of few categories and reports will be structured accordingly.

Follow-up questionnaire will be designed to explore the existing level, the benefits and the challenges posed by the learning styles in the classroom, as well as the impact on teaching and learning, curriculum organization and self-activity.     

3.5.2   Protocols

Interview protocols will consist a header of essential information about the interview is all about. The contents of the protocols are numbers of open-ended and close-ended questions, the statement playing role as an “ice-breaker” to the interviewees, ones that address major research questions and probes that clarify and elaborate. Thanking closing comments will be provided at the end of the interview protocols.

While for observation protocols, it will contains the title of the observation, left column of the protocols will be left to record descriptive notes and the right column to record the reflective notes. A picture of the site may be sketched later for better visualization and understanding.

 

 

 

3.6       The Methods of Data Processing/ Analysis

Gathered data will be analyzed using three methods. According to Flick, global analysis was used as a practical method for preparing data for the analytic procedures (as cited in Zeyad, 2004). The aim of global analysis is to “obtain an overview of the thematic range” of the data collected. Then the data were analyzed using content analysis.

The second method is content analysis. It is used to analyze large quantitites of data. Traditionally, gathered interview data will be analyze by using this method. There will be three content analysis techniques used. First is the summary content analysis, second is the explicative content analysis and thirdly is the structured content analysis.

SPSS or Statistical Package for the Social Science is the third method of data processing for the study. Types of test will be using the chi squared that is used for two categorical variables eg. gender and learning styles. A test called chi-square test of independence tests the null hypothesis that there is no association between the two variables will be conducted if applicable.