Efl students awareness and challenges of conducting research at university of foreign languages hue university

HUE UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES TRAN NHA QUAN EFL STUDENTS’ AWARENESS AND CHALLENGES OF CONDUCTING RESEARCH AT UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES, HUE UNIVERSITY MA THESIS IN THEORY AND METHODOLOGY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts, University of Foreign Languages, Hue University THUA THIEN HUE, 2021 HUE UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES TRAN NHA QUAN EFL STUDENTS’ AWARENESS AND CHALLENGES OF CONDUCTING RESEARCH AT UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES, HUE UNIVERSITY MA THESIS IN THEORY AND METHODOLOGY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING CODE: 8140111 SUPERVISOR: ASSOC PROF DR TRUONG VIEN THUA THIEN HUE, 2021 ĐẠI HỌC HUẾ TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ - TRẦN NHÃ QUÂN NHẬN THỨC CỦA SINH VIÊN VỀ VIỆC NGHIÊN CỨU KHOA HỌC VÀ NHỮNG KHÓ KHĂN TRONG QUÁ TRÌNH THỰC HIỆN NGHIÊN CỨU TẠI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ, ĐẠI HỌC HUẾ LUẬN VĂN THẠC SĨ LÝ LUẬN VÀ PHƯƠNG PHÁP DẠY HỌC BỘ MÔN TIẾNG ANH MÃ SỐ: 8140111 NGƯỜI HƯỚNG DẪN KHOA HỌC: PGS TS TRƯƠNG VIÊN THỪA THIÊN HUẾ, 2021 STATEMENT OF ORIGINAL AUTHORSHIP The work contained in this thesis has not been previously submitted for a degree in any university I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, my thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the thesis itself Signed: Tran Nha Quan Date: 10 / 11 / 2021 i ABSTRACT The purposes of this mixed-methods study were to explore EFL students’ awareness of the importance of conducting research at the undergraduate level and challenges faced by students when conducting research were investigated In addition, students’ attitudes towards conducting research, students’ perceived practices of conducting research, including the preparation and institutional support for conducting research The population of the study was EFL undergraduate students studying at the University of Foreign Languages, Hue University The sample consisted of 200 third-year and fourth-year students majoring in English Language Studies and English Language Teaching The data was collected through structured questionnaires and in-depth, semi-structured interviews The results show that EFL students were aware of the importance of doing research at the undergraduate level and showed a positive attitude towards participating in research as student researchers In terms of the EFL students’ perceived practices of conducting undergraduate research, two issues were investigated The first one was the preparation for students’ undergraduate research The findings reveal that the studied EFL students, with or without research experience, were prepared in a variety of ways to conduct research at the university level For students who had the experience of doing research, they received considerable support from their institution, especially from their supervisors, when doing research However, the findings suggest that the reality of conducting undergraduate research does pose some considerable challenges for these students The most frequently encountered difficulties included choosing an interesting research topic, developing a theoretical framework relevant to the research objectives, and identifying research gaps following a review of prior studies These findings imply that, in recognition of the value of undergraduate research, the institution should expand the chances for all students to conduct research during their university years and provide them with more substantial and immediate assistance throughout the research process to assist them in overcoming obstacles and achieving satisfactory outcomes ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I am grateful for the positive learning environment and the valuable opportunity to conduct my thesis with which the school board and the Faculty of English at the University of Foreign Languages, Hue University provided me Second, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to my supervisor, Assoc Prof Dr Truong Vien, who provided me with key considerations throughout the research Without his detailed guidance, invaluable advice, and tremendous support, this thesis would not have been possible I would like him to know how much I value his support Third, I would like to send my sincere thanks to all the lectures of the MA in theory and methodology of English language teaching course in the 2019-2021 academic year at the University of Foreign Languages, Hue University for imparting knowledge and enthusiasm of their respective areas of specification Fourth, I would like to express my gratitude to third- and fourth-year English-majored students from the Faculty of English at the University of Foreign Languages, Hue University for participating in the survey I am especially so thankful to the interviewees who diligently and devotedly worked for the recording of data Without their enthusiasm, the data recording process would have been impossible Fifth, my heart is overwhelmed with gratitude to my friend Le Trong Thai for his technical and spiritual support as well as proofreading the drafts I cannot thank him enough for always helping me during this study Last but not least, wholehearted thanks go out to my family members and my colleagues for always being by my side, encouraging me, being my source of inspiration and motivation to make this happen iii iii List of Tables Table 2.1 Five levels of student participation in research Table 3.1 Items categorized in the questionnaire Table 3.2 Mean Score Interpretation Table 4.1 Types of research that students engaged in Table 4.2 Descriptive Statistics on students’ mean scores of five surveyed categories Table 4.3 One-Sample Test of five surveyed categories Table 4.4 Descriptive statistics on EFL students’ awareness of the importance of conducting research Table 4.5 Descriptive statistics on EFL students’ attitudes toward conducting research Table 4.6 Descriptive statistics on EFL students’ perceived practices of preparation for conducting undergraduate research Table 4.7 Descriptive statistics on EFL students’ perceived practices of institutional support for doing research Table 4.8 Descriptive statistics on student-related challenges of conducting research iv List of Figures Figure 2.1 The Research Process Cycle Figure 3.1 Participants’ English proficiency in Reading and Writing v List of Abbreviations EFL English as a Foreign Language HU-UFL University of Foreign Languages, Hue University RSD Research Skill Development SAR Students as Researchers SPSS Statistical Package for the Social Sciences STEM Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics vi TABLE OF CONTENTS STATEMENT OF ORIGINAL AUTHORSHIP i ABSTRACT ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii List of Tables iv List of Figures v List of Abbreviations vi TABLE OF CONTENTS vii Chapter 1: Introduction 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Rationale 1.2 Problem Statements 1.3 Objectives of the Study 1.4 Research Questions 1.5 Significance of the Study 1.6 Scope of the Study 1.7 Organization of the Study 1.8 Summary of the Chapter Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.0 Introduction 2.1 Definitions of Key Terms 2.1.1 Awareness 2.1.2 Attitude 2.1.3 Perception 10 2.1.4 Definitions of research and its importance 11 2.2 Undergraduate Research 12 2.3 Students as Researchers 18 2.4 The Benefits of Research Experiences for Undergraduate Students 19 2.5 Challenges faced by Students when Conducting Research 21 2.6 Related Studies 22 2.6.1 Students’ feedback on the practice of doing research at the undergraduate level 22 2.6.2 Challenges faced by students when conducting research in EFL contexts 25 vii References Abun, D., Magallanes, T., Lalaine Foronda, S., & Joy Incarnacion, M (2019) The attitude of graduate students toward research and their intention to conduct research in the future International Journal of Modern Research in Engineering & Management, IOR Publication, (11), 74-87 Ajzen, I (1993) Attitude theory and the attitude-behavior relation In D Krebs, & P 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Part 1: Background information • Name (optional): • Grade: • Gender: □ Male • Major: □ English Language Teaching □ Female □ English Language Studies • English proficiency (CEFR): □ B1 □ B2 □ C1 □ C2 A Have you ever engaged in any research at the undergraduate level? YES □ NO □ B If yes, what types of undergraduate research have you engaged in? □ □ □ □ Mini-research project as course assignment Graduation research Project University-level research project in science and technology Others: (Pleased specify) Part 2: Please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with each of these following statements by circling the appropriate number below A EFL STUDENTS’ AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF CONDUCTING RESEARCH STATEMENTS Strongly Strongly Disagree Undecided Agree 5 5 disagree agree Doing research is indispensable in my professional training at university Research is essential for my professional development at university Research is important for enriching my professional knowledge of the English language Researching is an undergraduate students’ responsibility Research methodology should be a part of the English language curriculum B EFL STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS CONDUCTING RESEARCH STATEMENTS Research is interesting I am interested in participating in research as a student researcher I am confident of conducting my own research Ability to research is a part of a good university student Strongly Strongly Disagree Undecided Agree 5 5 disagree agree 10 Undergraduate research experience influences my selfperception as a graduate student in the future C EFL STUDENTS’ PERCEIVED PRACTICES OF PREPARATION FOR UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH Strongly disagree Disagree Undecided Agree Strongly agree 11 My institution offers courses in doing research for undergraduate students 12 I know from the first to the final steps in the research process 13 I am taught to differentiate between qualitative and quantitative research types 14 I know how to write a research proposal 15 I am provided with research skills training from my institution 16 I am trained for academic writing in English 17 My institution often holds practical workshops, conferences, and seminars on research for undergraduate students 18 I am provided with opportunities to discuss scientific research topics with experienced researchers STATEMENTS *NOTE: THE FOLLOWING PARTS ARE EXCLUSIVE TO STUDENTS WHO CHOOSE “YES” IN QUESTION A IN PART D EFL STUDENTS’ PERCEIVED PRACTICES OF INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT FOR CONDUCTING RESEARCH STATEMENTS Strongly Strongly Disagree Undecided Agree 5 5 5 disagree agree 19 My supervisor(s) give(s) me detailed guidance on conducting research 20 I get enough practical support from my supervisor(s) 21 I have effective communication with my supervisor(s) 22 My supervisor(s) keep(s) me motivated in the research 23 I could apply the knowledge acquired from the research methodology course to research 24 Research at university is supported by my teachers 25 The management staff of our university encourage students to research E EFL STUDENTS’ CHALLENGES OF CONDUCTING RESEARCH STATEMENTS 26 I not have time for research 27 I cannot manage my time properly when conducting research 28 I lack motivation for doing research Strongly Strongly Disagree Undecided Agree 5 disagree agree 29 I lack confidence when carrying out my research 30 I struggle with choosing a topic of my interest to research 31 I lack knowledge of the chosen topic 5 5 5 5 5 5 32 I struggle with building a theoretical framework in relation to my research questions 33 I have problems in finding previous studies that are relevant to my research topic 34 I struggle with identifying gaps of research after reviewing previous studies 35 I find it difficult to develop research questions 36 I find it difficult to find information related to my research on the Internet and reliable databases 37 I have difficulty in choosing the right research methodology (whether my research belongs to qualitative or quantitative research or both) 38 I have difficulty in deciding the best data collection tool (i.e questionnaire, interview, or observation) 39 I cannot collect enough data for my research 40 I not know how to use the right software to analyze the collected data 41 I not know whether my findings can answer the research 5 5 5 questions and hypothesis 42 I not know how to connect my findings with the theoretical background and results in previous studies 43 I find it difficult to write implications from the findings 44 I find it difficult to use citations and references 45 I not know what to present in a research defense 46 I find it difficult to write a scientific research article based on my research Appendix Cronbach’s Alpha Test (Reliability Test) on Pilot Questionnaire Reliability Statistics Cronbach's Alpha N of Items 865 46 Case Processing Summary N Cases Valid Excludeda Total % 15 75.0 25.0 20 100.0 a Listwise deletion based on all variables in the procedure Item-Total Statistics Scale Mean if Scale Variance if Corrected Item- Cronbach's Alpha Item Deleted Item Deleted Total Correlation if Item Deleted Q1 157.93 264.638 209 864 Q2 157.87 267.552 070 867 Q3 157.87 268.695 067 866 Q4 158.73 264.352 214 864 Q5 157.87 271.695 -.075 868 Q6 158.33 262.524 215 864 Q7 158.33 260.095 292 863 Q8 158.93 267.924 062 867 Q9 158.33 274.381 -.147 872 Q10 157.67 263.095 296 863 Q11 158.20 261.600 314 862 Q12 158.80 267.886 046 868 Q13 158.13 254.410 428 860 Q14 158.07 254.924 499 859 Q15 158.00 266.286 192 864 Q16 158.00 264.143 304 863 Q17 158.53 257.838 365 861 Q18 158.87 263.267 165 866 Q19 158.20 259.600 317 862 Q20 158.40 265.829 123 866 Q21 158.33 258.095 391 861 Q22 158.33 264.095 207 864 Q23 158.07 268.781 055 866 Q24 157.87 271.124 -.055 868 Q25 158.20 260.171 235 864 Q26 159.20 257.171 366 861 Q27 159.07 251.210 471 859 Q28 158.47 264.695 094 868 Q29 158.67 262.381 176 866 Q30 158.73 256.495 366 861 Q31 159.07 261.352 250 864 Q32 158.27 257.924 512 860 Q33 158.73 252.210 531 858 Q34 158.53 258.838 332 862 Q35 158.27 261.924 337 862 Q36 158.47 248.267 587 856 Q37 158.33 263.810 218 864 Q38 158.67 255.667 492 859 Q39 158.87 244.838 818 853 Q40 158.53 246.552 640 855 Q41 158.60 245.971 663 855 Q42 158.33 241.952 734 853 Q43 158.53 249.410 642 856 Q44 158.67 248.381 695 855 Q45 158.60 253.829 609 858 Q46 158.53 251.267 445 860 Appendix Interview Questions Dear participants, You are receiving the invitation to participate in the research project entitled “EFL STUDENTS' AWARENESS AND CHALLENGES OF CONDUCTING RESEARCH UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES, HUE UNIVERSITY” This interview is a part of a master’s thesis at University of Foreign Languages, Hue University This study is only for academic purposes, so I guarantee that your personal information and data provided will be kept secret and confidential I would highly appreciate it if you could spend some minutes answering the following questions Thank you very much for your time and cooperation! What you think about conducting research at an undergraduate level? As an English-majored student, you think that it is important to conduct research in your chosen field? Why or why not? What preparations did you to make your research work? What challenges have you faced during conducting your undergraduate research (e.g time management, selecting topics, doing a literature review, formulating research questions, choosing research methodology, analyzing data, using the research resources, etc.)? What is the biggest challenge? Why? What might be the causes of the problems mentioned above? How did you solve those problems? Did you receive any support from your institution (HU-UFL) to undergraduate research? If yes, please specify What you think about the present research resources (e.g facilities, materials, supervising staff, etc.) at HU-UFL (e.g excellent, good, okay, or lacking)? Please specify 10 What are your suggestions on how to improve undergraduate research at HU-UFL?