I am planning to conduct a research to investigate students' selection practice of authentic text for their extnsive reading. However, Iam wondering if questionnaires and interviews are the appropriate instruments to use?
I actually need some studies conducted in EFL or ESL context.
Note that students are selecting reading texts and doing their extensive reading outside school.
Hi Azza,
To advise you better on this, other researchers would need to know what your research questions are. I imagine that you want to find out not only what materials the learners choose for extensive reading, but also why they choose these materials. Do you also want to know the difficulties that they have with the materials that they choose?
If you are attempting to answer the type of questions outlined above, I imagine that questionnaires and interviews would be suited to your purposes. I can anticipate two possible pitfalls: One is using leading questions which undermine the reliability of the research by prompting or encouraging particular answers, or unduly constraining the answers that can be given. Another is terminological discrepancy: for example, not all learners will understand text-type descriptors in the same way. The first problem can be avoided by carefully examining for bias all questions used in questionnaires and interviews . The second pitfall can be avoided by explaining and exemplifying terminology as clearly as possible.
Perhaps you can define "authentic text" that would help to clarify want is being measured. I am not sure if this will work, but I did some preliminary research on ESL students using social media but with their interests in mind (e.g., fashion, music, movies, sports etc.). The attached conference paper indicates how the latter can help to improve students' written English that may be helpful for you.
Best regards,
Debra
Conference Paper Social Media in Education: Bringing Your Classroom to Life -...
I think that questionnaires and interviews are the ideal tools for your research purposes. However - as stated above - your specific research questions are of the essence. In a recent study I've conducted with another colleague with similar purposes (use of authentic materials in EFL contexts), you might find some useful guidelines and answers to your questions. Besides, the tools we've already designed might be of importance to you. Please have a look at this:
Abdelhafez, H. A. & Abdallah, M. M. S. (2015). Making It 'Authentic': Egyptian EFL Student Teachers' Awareness and Use of Online Authentic Language Materials and Their Learning Motivation. Journal of Research in Curriculum, Instruction and Educational Technology (JRCIET), An International Quarterly Refereed Educational Journal 1(1), (January 2015), 129-168. Association of Arab Educators, Egypt.
Article Making It 'Authentic': Egyptian EFL Student Teachers' Awaren...
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