Chapter 3: Research
Methodology
The previous chapter focused on the theoretical framework that
I employed to establish the boundaries of my research and to account for the
debates in literature around the topic of using television for English teaching
and learning. This chapter presents in more detail the research tools that I
used to collect my data. It provides us with information on the research site,
research participants and research techniques I used while conducting my
research.
3.1. Qualitative research
methodology
There are certain common research methods that are usually
associated with collecting and analysing data. In this case, my study is mainly
based on the qualitative research tradition.
In relation to qualitative research, Nunan stipulates that it
is concerned with understanding human behaviour from the actor's own frame of
reference (1992:4). He states that it is close to the data: the `insider'
perspective, grounded, discovery-oriented, process-oriented. Neuman on his part
says that qualitative researchers are more concerned about issues of the
richness, texture, and feeling of raw data because their inductive approach
emphasises developing insights and generalisations out of the data collected
(2000:122). In addition, within the framework of qualitative methods, the
researcher plays a central role in the elucidation and interpretation of the
behaviours observed. Other common features of qualitative research include
context sensitivity and inductive analysis (Best and Kahn 1998). Qualitative
data refer to a detailed description, a deep investigation and understanding of
the informants' experiences, beliefs, feelings, etc. In this case, context
sensitivity means that the findings are placed for example in a social and
temporal context in which the data were collected and thus the data cannot be
generalised to other contexts. By inductive analysis, the researcher identifies
theories or hypotheses from the data.
3.2. Selection of the
research site
The research site is located in the Southern part of the
country, in the Butare Province. This study was conducted at the National
University of Rwanda (NUR) for the following reasons: firstly, the NUR is the
veteran of all higher institutions of learning in the country since it was
founded in 1963, while other institutions were started in the late 1980s and
1990s. Secondly, I decided to undertake my research at the NUR because this is
where I have completed my undergraduate studies. I have also been assistant
lecturer in this university for three years and therefore felt the insights I
got from my Masters programme and research could particularly benefit the
institution in the field of language education.
3.3. Selection of the
population
My sample population was made up of fifty participants all
chosen from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities in the Department of English.
The participants in the research were initially made up of ten lecturers and
forty students at second year English level. Before discussing criteria
followed in selecting my subjects, let me provide first a profile of the
teaching staff in the Department of English. This unit has ten full time
lecturers. While I was conducting my research, four of them were absent from
duty due to several reasons: two were on study leave and two had not showed up
at work for unknown reasons. Hence, I conducted my research with the six
lecturers who were available. As far as students are concerned, it has to be
noted that during the current (i.e. 2004) academic year, the Department of
English at the NUR has had more than fifty registered second year students. I
managed to get in touch with only forty students who were at University within
the time frame I was working in.
The first criterion for choosing my sample population has been
availability and willingness to answer my questions. However, in the selection
of my subjects I had to take into account the requirements of my study which
directed me to purposive sampling. As far as the latter is concerned, Cohen and
Manion (1994:77) explain that the researcher handpicks cases to be included in
his sample on the basis of his judgment of their typicality. The second
criterion has been the fact that the students to be questioned had to be EFL
learners and from the Faculty of Arts in the Department of English. The
representativity of my sample has also been taken into account. The criteria
for selecting lecturers were that they had to be lecturing in the English
Department and involved in teaching English classes.
During the data collection, six lecturers received
questionnaires to complete. After they had responded to them, I decided to
interview some of them in a bid to get supplementary information on their
views. Despite being overloaded by chores in relation to the beginning of the
academic year, four lecturers agreed to be interviewed. Unfortunately, I could
not meet the fourth because shortly before our appointment, he was called to an
urgent commitment. As for students, only thirty out of the forty students in
second year responded to my questionnaire.
| 
