See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.
net/publication/323509058
Developing a Problem Statement, Purpose Statement, and Research Questions
for a Qualitative Study on an eLearning Topic
Research · June 2016
DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.27277.23529
CITATIONS READS
0 40,542
1 author:
Dan Ferreira
Northcentral University
60 PUBLICATIONS 55 CITATIONS
SEE PROFILE
Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:
Instructional design and collaborative technologies in academic writing: From theory to practice View project
Designing an Online Collaborative Writing Course View project
All content following this page was uploaded by Dan Ferreira on 02 March 2018.
The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.
1
Developing a Problem Statement, Purpose Statement, and Research Questions for a
Qualitative Study on an eLearning Topic
Statement of the Problem
The general problem addressed in this current study is that teachers are blending new
technological practices with online and traditional face-to-face modes of instruction without
clearly knowing if doing so results in enhanced student learning outcomes. Universities are under
pressure to align their curriculums with nation-wide government initiatives that demand
technological skills in education, which in turn are influenced by the global knowledge economy
(Kakuchi, 2014; MECSST, 2008; OECD, 2015). This situation presents two problems. On the
one hand, most teachers today were educated in an entirely different model; their way of learning
was most likely based on a traditionally brick-and-mortar, teacher-fronted, face-to-face approach
where technological change was not a factor. On the other hand, the ever-increasing global
pressure to conform to the fast pace changes in electronic communications today constantly
renders current practices redundant in a few years time. The fact remains, teachers bear the
burden and challenges to maintain pace with the changes (Gedik, Kiraz, & Ozden, 2013) or risk
being replaced in their profession.
The specific problem addressed in this qualitative case study is that teachers who are
unprepared for effectively integrating technology into their lesson plans may be unwittingly
contributing to the decline of their teaching methods (if not to the demise of their careers).
Research suggests that student voice—in the form of summative and formative assessment—will
not only contribute positively to the teaching-learning process (Al Zumor, Al Refaai, Eddin, &
Al-Rah, 2013) but also remains a resource sorely under-researched (Kim, 2015; Kovanović,
2
Gašević, Joksimović, Hatala, & Adesope, 2015; Kress & Selander, 2012; Shea et al., 2012; Zher,
Hussein, & Saat, 2016). If we are to believe that learning is a holistic collaborative experience
(as suggested by the “community of inquiry” by Garrison & Akyol, 2015) involving a complex
dynamic of reciprocal relationships between teachers and students (Fryer & Bovee, 2016), then
the teaching profession using blended learning practices has much to gain from the reflection of
the learning experiences of its primary stakeholders—the students (c.f. Nummedal, 1994).
A case study is chosen to identify the holistic reciprocal teaching-learning exchanges
between the teachers and the students in the blended learning environments. This qualitative
method is appropriate to analyze the problem because qualitative research is effective for studies
that explore complex interactivity, rely on feedback systems of information, and offer in-depth
knowledge on participants’ conceptualizations of the problem(s) (Krathwohl, 2009). The general
population is foreign and native English speaking language instructors and first- and second-year
Japanese students in a liberal arts college in the metropolitan Tokyo area.
Purpose of the Study
In light of the various aspects discussed so far, the purpose of this qualitative case study
is to understand how teachers in a Japanese tertiary institution effectively implement blended
learning practices that result in enhanced student learning outcomes based on student formative
and summative assessment. Four teachers, two native English speakers, and two Japanese
teachers, teaching English classes in a liberal arts college in Tokyo and their respective students
about 80 students will participate in this study. A qualitative case study design is appropriate for
this study for the following reasons.
3
Qualitative studies are ideal for practicing professionals such as doctors, teachers, and
social workers because the knowledge gained from this form of research is content-specific,
interpersonal, and practical (Krathwohl, 2009). As the main instrument of data collection, the
researcher can learn multiple interpretations of a situation as experienced but the different people
involved; such is the privilege of being close to the source of the data and the theories that
inform the approach (Creswell, 2013). The intent of the study is to understand the decision-
making process of the teachers incorporating blended learning practices and also to learn how the
student feedback on assessment of learning outcomes based on teacher instruction leads to
enhanced learning outcomes.
The study will include one-to-one interviews with students and teachers involving open-
ended semi-structured questions. The intent of the study will be to match efficient use of blended
learning techniques with improved learning outcomes. The population of the research will
involve both native and non-native teachers to widen the perspective of the background of
teaching styles. The student population will be limited to first- and second-year students since
they represent the majority of the students who take compulsory English courses at Japanese
tertiary institutions.
Research Questions
Since the purpose of qualitative case studies is to describe the lived experiences of a
community in particular local, it is hoped the inductive approach will reveal a direction worth
pursuing deeper insights into the problem. That main research question that guides this study is:
Research question: What is the relationship between teachers’ use blended learning
practices and student feedback on learning outcomes in the higher education in Japan?
4
References
Al Zumor, A. W. Q., Al Refaai, I. K., Eddin, E. A. B., & Al-Rahman, F. H. A. (2013). EFL
Students' perceptions of a blended learning environment: Advantages, limitations and
suggestions for improvement. English Language Teaching, 6(10), 95.
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods
Approaches (4 edition). Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Fryer, L. K., & Bovee, H. N. (2016). Supporting students' motivation for e-learning: Teachers
matter on and offline. The Internet and Higher Education, 30, 21–29.
Garrison, D. R., & Akyol, Z. (2015). Toward the development of a metacognition construct for
communities of inquiry. The Internet and Higher Education, 24 IS -, 66–71.
Gedik, N., Kiraz, E., & Ozden, M. Y. (2013). Design of a blended learning environment:
Considerations and implementation issues. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology,
29(1).
Kakuchi, S. (2014, November 21). Not just international but “Super Global Universities”
- University World News. Retrieved May 1, 2016, from
http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20141120233337379
Kim, M. (2015). Korean EFL Students’ Interactional Challenges and Ways to Overcome Them
in Blended Learning. Multimedia-Assisted Language Learning, 18(2), 59–87.
Kovanović, V., Gašević, D., Joksimović, S., Hatala, M., & Adesope, O. (2015). Analytics of
communities of inquiry: Effects of learning technology use on cognitive presence in
asynchronous online discussions. The Internet and Higher Education, 27, 74–89.
Krathwohl, D. R. (2009). Methods of educational and social science research: The logic of
methods. Waveland Press.
5
Kress, G., & Selander, S. (2012). Multimodal design, learning and cultures of recognition. The
Internet and Higher Education, 15(4), 265–268.
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MECSST)
(2008) Educational Guidelines. Tokyo: Ministry of Education, Culture,
Sports, Science, and Technology. http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/shoutou/-
cs/youryou/chukaisetsu/index.htm
Nummedal, S. G. (1994). How classroom assessment can improve teaching and learning. In D.
F. Halpern (Ed.), (pp. 289–305). Changing college classrooms: New teaching and learning
strategies for an increasingly complex world.
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (2015). Skills
outlook 2015: Youth, skills and employability. Retrieved from
http://www.voced.edu.au/content/ngv:68222
Shea, P., Hayes, S., Smith, S. U., Vickers, J., Bidjerano, T., Pickett, A., et al. (2012). Learning
presence: Additional research on a new conceptual element within the Community of Inquiry
(CoI) framework. The Internet and Higher Education, 15(2), 89–95.
Zher, N. H., Hussein, R. M. R., & Saat, R. M. (2016). Enhancing Feedback via Peer Learning in
Large Classrooms. Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Technology, 4(1), 1–16.
View publication stats
