Research Methods Research Participants

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CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY

This chapter describes the research methodology which includes research methods, research participants, research instruments, data gathering technique, data analysis technique, and research procedure.

3.1 Research Methods

The methods in this study were both quantitative and qualitative methods. The data collection involved the numeric information questionnaire and textual information questionnaire and interview, so that the data gathering or the results were presented both in quantitative and qualitative information. In order to collect the information for answering the research problems, a survey was used through distributing questionnaires and conducting interviews. According to Wiersma 1995: 169, “surveys are used to measure attitudes, opinions, or achievements – any number of variables in natural setting”. Furthermore, according to Cohen, Manion and Morrison 2000: 171, “the attractions of a survey lie in its appeal to generalizability or universality within given parameters, its ability to make statements which are supported by large data banks and its ability to establish the degree of confidence which can be placed in a set of findings”. 28

3.2 Research Participants

It is often difficult or even impossible for researchers to study very large populations in a survey. Hence, the researchers need to select a smaller portion, a sample, of the population for study Ary, Jacobs and Razavieh, 2002: 375. The participants of this research were 105 sixth semester ELESP students in the academic year of 20092010 of Sanata Dharma University and 3 lecturers of Sanata Dharma University who teach courses using Internet. In this case, the writer employed purposive sampling. Purposive sampling chooses the participants based on the information that is intended to be acquired. Ary et al. 2002: 169 stated that “in purposive sampling--also referred to as judgment sampling--sample elements judged to be typical, or representative, are chosen from the population”. Hence, a set of questionnaire was distributed to the sixth semester ELESP students in the academic year of 20092010 of Sanata Dharma University since using Internet for academic purposes would be important whether at present or for their coming semesters for accessing information, teaching and learning sources, educational articles, journals, etc. Furthermore, the writer arranged interviews with three lecturers of Sanata Dharma University who teach courses using Internet in order to ask their opinions, solutions, and recommendations regarding to the problems faced by the students in using Internet for academic purposes. 29

3.3 Research Instruments