This document discusses data collection tools for classroom-based research. It defines data as information obtained from research subjects. Various tools are described such as tests, essays, anecdotes, diaries, photos, and social media posts. Key considerations for data collection include where, when, how often, and who will collect data. Triangulation of data using multiple tools increases validity. Examples of tools include questionnaires, observation, documentation, interviews, journals, and stimulated recall. Developing Potentially Exploitable Pedagogic Activities allows collecting data through normal classroom activities to benefit students. Research ethics and validity, reliability, usability, and objectivity are also discussed.

1. Classroom-Based
Research EVO 2016
Asli Lidice Gokturk
Saglam &
Kenan Dikilitas
DATA COLLECTION TOOLS FOR
RESEARCH

2. Data entails the
kinds of
information
researchers obtain
on the subjects of
their research
WHAT COUNTS AS DATA?
Can the following be
used as «data»?
Please type your
response in the chat
box

3. Learners’ scores from a test?
Essays written by students?
Anecdodal records?
Teacher diaries?
Jokes and laughter?
WHAT COUNTS AS DATA?

4. CAN PHOTOGRAPHS BE USED AS DATA?

5. HOW ABOUT PARTICIPANTS’ POSTS (TWITTER,
FACEBOOK, GOOGLE+, BLOGS...ETC)?

6. What are data?
Key questions to consider for data collection
Examples of data collection tools
Further considerations for the researcher
Research Ethics
FLOW OF THE SESSION

7.  1. Where will the data be collected? In a classroom? Online?
 2. When will it be collected?
 3. How often are the data to be collected?
 4. Who will collect the data?
KEY QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER FOR DATA COLLECTION
Selection or
design of
research tools
The conditions
under which
they will be
adminstered
instrumentation

8. How much data should be collected?

9. EXAMPLES OF DATA COLECTION INSTRUMENTS
Photo credit: http://www.wikihow.com/Do-Qualitative-Research

10.  Likert scale questionnaires
 choosing a response on a continuum
 easy to use with large numbers of participants
 offer clear‚ numerical data which is easy to analyze
 checklist questionnaires
 checking their actions they do
 open-ended questionnaires
 writing answers to specific open-ended questions
QUESTIONNAIRES
Questionnaires should be complemented with data from other sources through different
tools through triangulation to increase the integrity of the conclusions drawn

11. Numbers may not help you understand the whole picture of your research
focus, so there is need for collecting data that will help you look into the
issue from a qualitative perspective as well.
 uses multiple sources of data to increase research credibility (Davis‚ 1995;
Denzin & Lincoln‚ 1994)
 chooses data collection instruments from a variety of these four categories
 provides different aspects of the research focus
 gives a more comprehensive picture of the issue under investigation
 single or similar sets of data can lead research to misrepresentative
conclusions
WHY TRIANGULATE DATA?

12.  Check if they are really testing what you want‚ and then revise items in the
questionnaire through trialing
 Provide consistency in the questionnaire statements in terms of the coherence
 All questions should be eliciting information in the same directions such positive, or
negative. However, some questions can be asked negatively and reverse coded when
analyzed
SELECTION OR CONSTRUCTION OF A QUESTIONNAIRE

13. a Likert-scale
I believe reading outside the
classroom
1 2 3 4 5
improves my vocabulary knowledge
Develops my reading pace
Fosters my comprehension
Helps me learn about English texts
Checklist
DIFFERENT TYPES OF ITEMS ON A QUESTIONNAIRE

14. Open-ended Both closed-ended and open-ended
OPEN-ENDED& MIX-MATCH 
How do you feel about reading outside the
classroom?
Do you think it can develop your reading
skills? In what ways?
Learning vocabulary in context is
easy/challenging 1.2.3.4.5
because
_____________________________________

15. DEMOGRAPHIC DATA

16. Direct Observation
every aspect of a specific
practice/activity
 students’ reactions in a particular
lesson
 teachers’ classroom management
etc.
Observing can be supported by
 informal talk with colleagues on
______________________________
 informal talk with students on
______________________________
 structured follow up interview on
______________________________
Indirect observation
 tape classes and then analyze the
transcripts
 having the lesson observed by a
co-researcher who has not been
their teacher
 ______________________________
OBSERVATION
Activity:
If you use observation as a data collection
tool, please choose and complete the
following:

17. LIMITATIONS OF OBSERVATION
•Very time consuming
•feeling obliged to teach in the way
expected by the observer rather than
teach the way they would normally do
•There are unobservable things such as
how students or teachers feel about an
issue

18. DOCUMENTATION
Documents and artifacts from
teaching
lesson plans
teaching materials
student work
REPORTS AND INTROSPECTION
Students’ report on
what they do
why they do it
what they believe
what they are or were
thinking
DOCUMENTATION, REPORTS AND INTROSPECTION

19.  “insider” perspective on what is being done and why.
 access to information generated over a long period
 possibility to undertand personal perspectives
KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF REPORTS AND INTROSPECTION
Bear in mind: the participants’ verbal reports highlight estimation of their thoughts, not
what they exactly think

20. Investigating students’
insider perspectives on what
they do and especially why
they do the things they do
Individuals or focus groups
Focus on specific questions
DISADVANTAGES:
takes a lot of time to
conduct‚ transcribe and
analyze
limits the number of
participants who can be
interviewed
INTERVIEWS
Questions should be clear and unambiguous, concise and to the point & should not lead
the interviewee to convey a particular thought

21. Please check the potential
interview questions as to
whether they are leading the
interviewee or not?
1. How did the lesson
improve your reding skills?
2. Did you like the activity?
3. How do you feel about the
task you did?
4. What made the task
difficult?
INTERVIEWS

22. Journals or diaries kept by
students may yield a deep
and quality data set on their
personal perspectives
toward the issue being
researched
They provide researchers a
detailed set of data, but
hard to find such students to
systematically write
Need for follow-up interviews to
clarify unclear points
JOURNALS

23.  an effective way of accessing students’ beliefs and learning practices
 these can be helpful for your instructional decisions; knowing about why they learn
in a particular way
 stories of experiences
 Can you share with me how you feel when you speak in the classroom?
 general stories
 Can you tell us how you learnt grammar in secondary school?
 specific aspects of teaching
 Can you share with me what you do to learn your vocabulary knowledge?
NARRATIVE AND BIOGRAPHIC METHODS

24.  This type of data collection allows us to have a set of data about the actual process of doing
something, what students or teachers do it in particular way and why.
 Teachers or students need to talk about what they are doing at the time of the engagement. For
example,
 Videotape while you
 perform a task
 teach a lesson
 mark a paper
 consult with a student
 do homework
 write an essay
 do listening
 Then watch the video with your students and ask what they think, why they behave in a
particular way
STIMULATED RECALL

26.  The risk of abusing students for taking their time and energy for something they do
not want to contribute
 They may not be gaining any benefits while contributing to your research
 The data they will provide may be lacking reliability on account of this
 Your students should be part of the data collection as co-researchers
 Therefore, we need to develop an alternative way
AN ALTERNATIVE WAY FOR COLLECTING QUALITATIVE
DATA

27.  EP encourages classroom researchers to colelct data in such a way that they are co -
working with the people from whom the data is collected.
 Therefore, it encourages to generate Potentially Exploitable Pedagogic Activities
(PEPAs)
 integrated into the normal pedagogic activities that a teacher normally do.
 aims to benefit students rather than only absuing them as a source of information
 students develop their language skills while they are providing you with data
 students become integral part of your research, which creates a classroom where teachers and
students work together to understand an issue
(See Alwright and Hanks, 2009)
EXPLORATORY PRACTICE (EP)

28. POTENTIALLY EXPLOITABLE PEDAGOGIC ACTIVITIES
(PEPAS)
Verbal data Written data Data from Task Data from Activity & Exercise
Pair-work Diaries Games Tests
Group-work Self-evaluation Projects True & False exercises
Role-play Suggestion box Field trips Jigsaw reading
Consultancy Problem box Vlogs Sentence completion
Discussion Dialogue journal writing Blogging Gap-filling sentences
Interviews Learner-to-learner
correspondence
Self-recording Reading texts about the puzzle
Storytelling Story completion Video-taping
Brainstorming Writing critical incidents Drawing
Self-evaluation Peer feedback

29. • Do data collection tools allow inference of valid
conclusions?Validity
• Do they give consistent results?Reliability
• How easy to use data collection tools? How long?
• Instructions clear? How easy to score? How to interpret?Usability
Objectivity
FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS FOR A RESEARCHER

30. RESEARCH ETHICS