Thesis

Overview

Thesis is the most commonly performed research type at graduate schools. Through it students seek answers hoping to find implications in a real setting with a few steps: establishing their research questions, illustrating procedures and methods they perform to solve them, and interpreting the results in a very detailed manner. 

Types

▶ Quantitative research

Quantitative research is the systematic empirical investigation of observable phenomena via statistical, mathematical or computational techniques. The most commonly observed quantitative research type at IGSE is an experiment, corelation and survey study.

☆    Examples

- Experiment: Intensive vs. extensive listening: Which is more effective for L2 beginners?
- Correlation: The relationship between collocation competence and writing skills
- Survey: Korean EFL teachers’ attitude toward corpus use

▶ Qualitative research

 Qualitative Research is primarily exploratory research. It is used to gain an understanding of underlying reasons, opinions, and motivations. It provides insights into the problem or helps to develop ideas or hypotheses for potential quantitative research.

☆    Examples

- Action research: Study of teacher-in-role in an L2 process drama for elementary school students
- Ethnography: Language and identity of Korean third culture kids: Trajectories of post-reentry acculturation
- Case study: A case study on intensive English camps: Barriers of English speaking

                       
 ▶ Mixed-method research

Mixed methods research is a methodology for conducting research that involves collecting, analyzing and integrating quantitative (e.g., experiments, surveys) and qualitative (e.g., focus groups, interviews) research.

☆    Examples 

- Group Processes and L2 Situation-specific Motivation: Investigating the Motivational Basis of Cooperative Language Learning

 ▶ Systematic analysis

A systematic analysis is a type of research that collects and critically analyzes multiple research studies, papers or materials (programs).

☆    Examples

- Quantitative: A frequency analysis of English suffixes based on corpora
- Qualitative: Use of V+NP collocations in high school English textbooks
- Literature: Synthesizing research on authenticity in EFL materials
 

 Components  

1. Introduction
2. Literature Review
3. Method
4. Result
5. Discussion

Related Courses

▶  Information Literacy 1 & 2
▶  Introduction to Statistics
▶  Research Methods

*This content is extracted from the IGSE Academic Information Center