SP_ IRS : Research in Inclusive and
Special Education
Lecture :Data collection
Methods.
Presented By: Mr. S. Kumar
Lecturer Education
• Introduction
• Qualitative/
Quantitative data
collection methods
• Activities
• Conclusion
Presentation Outline
Qualitative Data Collection
Techniques
• Narratives
• E.g. interview transcripts, observational notes,
journal entries, or transcriptions of audio- or
videotapes or as existing documents , records,
or reports
Observations
• Involve carefully watching and systematically
recording what you see and hear going on a
particular setting
• According to Babbie (2004: 282; 2005: 296),
observation is an appropriate method to study
attitudes and behaviors best understood
within their ‘natural setting’. It is natural since
as Creswell (2007) put it that the researcher
tends to do data collection in the field at the
location where participants are experiencing
the issue which is being studied.
• In order for the researcher to arrive at useful
and reliable results, the researcher will collect
data in natural setting by way of observing
what students experience in a particular
situation . The observer will act as a non-
participant.
Observation ____
Date_____________
Time_____________
OBSERVATION OBSERVERS comments
Structured observation
• Typically require the observer to do nothing
else but observe, looking for specific behaviors
, reactions or interactions.
Unstructured or Semi structured
observations
• Allow the teacher researcher the flexibility to
attend to other events or activities occurring
simultaneously in the classroom.
Interview
• An alternative to observing people is to
directly ask them questions. This can be
accomplished in several ways. Interviews are
conversation between the teacher- researcher
and participants in the study.
• Interview guide
Structured Interview
• The researchers begins with an interview
guide consisting of a specific set of
predetermined questions
Semi-structured in-depth
interview
• According to Denzin and Lincoln (2003),
interviews generate useful information about
lived experience and its meanings. They added
that, through interviews the researcher
obtains rich and in-depth experiential account
of an event. This is one of the reasons why this
method is selected because it can obtain real
information based on participant’s real
experiences.
• The in-depth interview method has great
advantages to collect data in research.
Sarantakos (2005) and Angrosino and Perez
(2003) argued that interview method has a
great advantage and valuable where it will
give opportunity for researcher to explore the
insights and perceptions of participants as
well as to observe nonverbal behaviors of
participants during interview.
Reflective journal
• According to Metler (2012) students/ teachers
journal can gain you “sense of students
thoughts, perceptions and experiences”. Any
issues or ideas will be reflected at the end of
each day and noted in the reflective journal.
Reflective Journal will be filled by the researcher and the teachers
• Description of an
Issue:________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________
• Thinking and
feeling_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________
• Commenting__________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
• Planning_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
•
Quantitative Data Collection
techniques
• Numerical
• Anything that can be quantified
Quantitative data collection techniques include
Surveys
Questionnaires
Rating scales
Surveys
• The term surveys refers to a collective group
of quantitative data collection techniques that
involve the administration of a set of
questions or statements to a sample of people
Can be administered verbally
Which then make them a type of interview
Questionnaires
• Surveys that are administered in written form
, where the researcher ask participants to
answer a series of question or respond to a
series of statements and then return their
responses to researcher.
Two types of questionnaires
• Open ended questionnaires
Individuals provide their own responses.
 provides limitless number of responses
For example: What is your favorite subject in
your school ?Here we will get a wide variety of
responses.
Researcher analyses the data by grouping similar
items together and then tallying the number
of responses in each category
Closed response question.
Statement provides the respondent with a
number of choices from which to select
For example: What is your favorite subject
Mathematics
English
Science
Rating scales
• Used when asking individuals to respond to a
set of questions where their response
indicates the strength
• Can be used very effectively to measure
students attitudes, perceptions or behaviors
• There are two types of Rating scales
1. Likert scale
2. Likert-type scale
Likert scale
• Begins with a statement and then ask students
to respond on an agree/ disagree continuum.
• 5- point scale with the 5 points
1= strongly disagree
2= disagree
3= no opinion
4 agree
5= strongly agree
Portion of a Rating Scale Instrument Depicting a Likert Scale
Student Evaluation of teachers when dealing with bullying cases at school.
The purpose of this questionnaire is for you to help teachers to improve. Several statements about how your
teacher deals when students are bullied are listed below. Please circle the number, using code below that
describes how much you agree with each statement. Your response will be anonymous; please respond to
each statement as honestly as you possibly can and by circling only one number for each statement.
1______________2______________________3____________________4________________5
Strongly
Disagree Disagree No Opinion Agree strongly Agree
1. My teacher deals bullying as soon
as its reported or as he/she notices
1 2 3 4 5
2. The bullies are taken to tasks 1 2 3 4 5
3. Both the bullies and bullied parents
are called
1 2 3 4 5
4. My teachers ignores bullying 1 2 3 4 5
5. My teachers supports bullies 1 2 3 4 5
6. My teacher never ever makes
bullying happen in school or in class
1 2 3 4 5
Likert -type scale
• This type of scale, also exist on a continuum,
but something other than extent of
agreement is being measured.
• For a example, a likert-type item might require
participants to respond on a scale that
examines quality (Excellent to poor0
• Frequency of occurrence ( always.... Never)
• Level of comfortable (very comfortable ---not
at all comfortable)
Portion of a Rating scale
instrument Depicting a likert –type
scale
Teacher Assessment of student adjustment to
school
Directions: Please list all students and rate each
student on the eight characteristics listed as
they relate to the beginning of school. Use the
numbered scale listed below. In addition, feel
free to add any comments that would aid in
describing the adjustment of the students
1-------------2--------------3------------4--------------5
Not at Some of all
All the time the time the time
Adjustment indicators
Student
name
Fearful Relates
well to
others
Complains of
illness
Cries
easily
Exhibits self
confidence
frustrated intimidated
Checklists
• A checklist is a list of behaviors ,characteristics,
skills, or other entities that a researcher is
interested in investigating.
• An example of Checklist for Bullying Behavior at
Primary level.
• Bullying Check list
• Students Name:_____________________
• Class:__________
• Date:_______________
Bullied behaviors Observed Not Observed
1.Student is often scared to participate in the class
2. Spends recess time and lunch time alone
3. Is always sad and have a poor self esteem
4. Does not participate in group work
5. Does not interact with students
6. Poor assertiveness skills in the child
7.Physical differences in the child
8. Learning difficulty in the child
9. The child is hyper -active
10. Is the child being laughed at school/class
Tutorial
• Describe what might you see as the benefits
of collecting both qualitative and quantitative
data as part of your research study. Do you
envision any potential negative aspects or
weaknesses associated with collecting both as
part of the same study?
• Why it is important for researchers in general
and specifically for teacher- researchers , to
take measures to ensure the quality of their
collected data?
• Making good sound observations typically requires
some training, or at least practice. Find a location
with numerous peoples and spend 30 minutes of
observation on what you see and hear. Include any
observers comments as you deem appropriate
during your period of observation. After 30 minutes
of observation, reflect on the experience. What do
you think and how did you feel? How could you
improve your observation and note taking skills for
your next observation session?
Workshop
• Think of a topic of your own interest to you and
appropriate for a research study. Develop a semi
structured interview guide for a 15 minute interview
with an individual. Be sure to include in your guide
any optional probing questions. Next, interview
someone using your guide. Next interview some one
using your guide. After wards reflect on your
experience as an interviewer. What did you think,
and how did you feel? How could you improve your
skills for your next interview?
• Using the same topic you identified as before ,
develop a 15 item survey or rating scales that
targets a specific audience. Remember that a
rating scale will use either a Likert or a Likerttype
scale. Administer your instrument to at
least five individuals (within your groups).
Afterward, ask them to provide you with
feedback on the instrument. Reflect on the
process of instrument development and
administration
• Can you think of any existing documents or
records that would support an investigation
of your topic? What are they? How difficult
would it be to gain access to them?
Conclusion
• Qualitative data are narratives appearing
primarily in words
• Observations, interviews journals existing
documents and records
• Quantitative Data are numerical and include
just about anything that can be counted,
tallied or rated
Surveys
Questionnaires
Rating scales/ checklist
35
Looking ahead
MAKING SENSE OF DATA