PhD Slide research for professional degree.pptx

WOLAITA SODO UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF GRADUATE DIRECTORATE
STUDYING EFL TEACHERS’ PRACTICES, CHALLENGES AND PERCEPTIONS
OF WRITTEN FEEDBACK PROVISIONS ON THE STUDENTS’ PARAGRAPH
WRITING THROUGH PROCESS APPROACH: SOME SELECTED SENIOR
SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN WOLAITA ZONE IN FOCUS
PhD DISSERTATION RESEARCH PROPOSAL
BY
BADORE DOLLA LOHA
COLLEGE: Social Sciences and Humanities
DEPARTMENT: English Language and Literature
PROGRAM: English Language Teaching (ELT)
MAJOR ADVISOR: Wondwosen Tesfamichael (PhD)
CO-ADVISORS: Getachew Genno (PhD)
: Wubalem Girma (PhD)
April, 2016 E.C
Wolaita Sodo, Ethiopia

Presentation Outline
1. INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study Statement of the Problem Objectives of the
Study Research Questions Significance of the Study Scope of the
Study
2. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK OF THE STUDY
3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Paradigms Research Design Research
Approach Research Setting Study Participants
Determination of Sample Size Sampling Technique
Data Collection Instruments Questionnaires Interviews
Classroom Observation Document Analysis
Data Collection Procedures Data Analysis Procedures
Pilot Study

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
There have been three major perspectives of English
language teaching and learning.
Namely: Structural,
Functional and
Interactional.
The interactional perspective sees language as a machine
for the formation and sustenance of the social bondage.
It emphasizes on the regulations and interactions presented in
social communication (by encoding and decoding messages)
through written text (Richards and Rodgers, 2001).

... contd.
The aim of language teaching and learning is commonly
defined in terms of the four major language skills
(listening, speaking, reading and writing).
 So, writing is among the four major skills that are central
to students’ intellectual, social and emotional
development (Hyland, 2009).
The purpose of all writing is communication, interaction
and conveying factual information with a view to
persuading and informing the readers (Sharma, 2013).
Studies show that the emergence of writing was
integrated with people’s way of life, that is, culture.
 In this regard, Halliday (1998) claimed that it was
introduced as a result of cultural changes.

…contd.
Students’ success largely depends on their mastery over
writing in an academic setting.
However, it is fair to say that writing skills have for a long
time been ignored or been treated with less respect than they
deserve (Myles, 2008).
Nonetheless, for the countries that English is used as a foreign
language, it challenges all students since writing difficulty
increases as the students’ learning standard increases.
 Therefore, by providing written feedback, and frequently
making students practice writing, its challenges can be
decreased and teachers can produce effective student writers
in EFL classroom (Raimes, 1991).

… contd.
As to Lee (1998) teachers provide written feedback to
enable students to read and understand the challenges and
use to improve their future academic writing.
Thus, written feedback is used to teach skills that can
help students improve their paragraph writing skills.
At the same time, it is hoped to assist students in
producing written text which contains minimum errors
and maximum clarity.
Students can improve their writing performances by
gaining maximal benefit from the written feedback they
receive from their EFL teachers’ continuous practices
(Ferries, 1995).

… contd.
Ur (2009) says that teachers show where the students make mistakes
in their paragraph writings.
Based on their teachers’ practices of written feedback provisions,
students correct their previous errors through practicing time to
time.
 In this way, students can build their own paragraph writing skill
performances.
When feedback is used effectively, it can also be used as a medium of
interaction between teachers and students which subsequently
fosters language improvement (Hyland, 1998; Ferris, 1997).
Effective written feedback closes a disagreement in knowledge and
its main aim is to reduce the dIce bIn current understandings and
writing performances and goals of teachers and students (Ferries,
1997).

1.2 Statement of the Problem
Through his long years of EFL teaching experiences, the
researcher of this study himself and other EFL teachers of his staff
mates did not pay more attention to provide written feedback on
the students’ paragraph writing through process approach.
The researcher of this study assumes that EFL teachers disregarded
written feedback provisions on the students’ paragraph writing
through process approach while teaching writing lessons i.e.
 EFL teachers in their own opinions or perceptions may consider
through process approach as a minor thing and written errors were
treated improperly.
Therefore, in order to overcome this problem, the researcher has
planned to study EFL teachers’ practices, challenges and
perceptions of written feedback provisions on the students’
paragraph writing through process approach.

… contd.
Thus, it is worth assuming the classroom realities when practicing
written feedback provisions on students’ paragraph writing through
process approach with challenges and perceptions of it.
It is on the basis of this consideration that the researcher of this
study has been inspired to study EFL teachers’ practices,
challenges and perceptions of written feedback provisions on the
students’ paragraph writing through process approach” in grade 12
at some selected senior secondary schools in Wolaita Zone.
The researcher tried to search EFL teachers’ and students’
practices, challenges and perceptions of written feedback
provisions whether or not as it has been researched at foreign and
local levels.
With regard to a research conducted at foreign level, Chen, et al.
(2016) carried out a research on students’ perceptions as
preferences of written corrective feedback.

… contd.
 They used exploratory design and extensive written
questions.
 The findings revealed that students tend to hold written
feedback on content and explicit grammar instruction.
 The researchers addressed some written features (grammar
and content) on students’ written works.
 Damir (2012) conducted a study on teachers written
feedback practices and cognition.
 He used semi-structured interview questions and qualitative
research method.
 The findings revealed that teachers’ written feedback much
focused on the area of assessment method not just gave
attention for the effectiveness of students’ written work.

… contd.
A research conducted by Lee (2008) on the reactions of
students at two Hong Kong secondary high school
classrooms to their teachers’ written feedback also
discovered that the students’ reactions and attitudes to
teachers’ feedback were on difficult situation.
At local level, Tamene and Yemane (2014) studied on the
practice of feedback provision in teaching writing skills and
the findings showed that teachers do not give regular
practices.
Furthermore, Moges (2017) investigated the practices of
EFL teachers’ written feedback on students’ writing and the
findings showed that teachers give negative comments on
students’ writing.

… contd.
In addition, the practices of EFL teachers’ written feedback
were very recently conducted by Eskinder and Ermiyas
(2019).
The findings did not clearly indicate the students’
competence in receiving written feedback.
Although the findings of foreign and local studies
mentioned above gave insights about the extent to which the
problems related to the students’ poor writing performances
were national issues, they did not show the actual practices
of EFL teachers’ written feedback provisions.
However, they may not address those resulting from EFL
teachers’ practices, challenges and perceptions of written
feedback provisions on the students’ paragraph writing
through process approach.

… contd.
In addition, this research is different from the above
foreign and local studies in its scope of the study,
objectives of the study and research methodology.
Thus, the research will focus mainly on studying EFL
through process approach in grade 12 at Areka, Sodo and
Boditi senior secondary schools in Wolaita Zone.

1.3 Objectives of the Study
This study attempts to achieve both general and specific
objectives.
1.3.1 General Objective of the Study
The general objective of this dissertation is to study EFL
1.3.2 Specific Objectives
The specific objectives of this proposal are to:
1. Identify how EFL teachers’ practice written feedback
provisions on the students’ paragraph writing through
process approach.

… contd.
2. Find out EFL teachers’ challenges that hinder written
3. Examine what EFL teachers’ perceptions of written
feedback provisions look like on the students’ paragraph
writing through process approach.
4. Assess EFL students’ paragraph writing performances on
the basis of written feedback provisions through process
approach.

1.4 Research Questions
This research proposal is planned to answer the following
research questions:
1. How do EFL teachers practice written feedback provisions
on the students’ paragraph writing through process approach?
2. What are the challenges that hinder EFL teachers’ written
through process approach?
3. What do EFL teachers’ perceptions of written feedback
provisions look like on the students’ paragraph writing
through process approach?
4. How do EFL students write their paragraphs based on the
written feedback provisions through process approach?

1.5 Significance of the Study
The researcher believes that this study is significant for:
1. EFL teachers at senior secondary schools to adjust their
classroom practices of written feedback provisions on the
students’ paragraph writing through process approach.
2. Other researchers as an input for further the same or related
studies.
3. It will inspire EFL teachers to develop understanding on
practices, challenges and perceptions of written feedback
provisions on the students’ paragraph writing through
process approach.
4. Educational policy makers and other authorities found at
different levels may get some insights to devise feasible
policies that promote written feedback provisions on the
students’ paragraph writing through process approach.

1.6 Scope of the Study
The scope of this research proposal is delimited to
studying EFL teachers’ practices, challenges and
perceptions of written feedback provisions on the
students’ paragraph writing through process approach
with a particular reference to Areka, Sodo and Boditi
senior secondary schools.
The rationale for the selection of these three senior
secondary schools at Wolaita Zone level is that the
researcher has planned to employ the purposive sampling
technique aimed to be suitable for data gathering and
obtain ample information.

Theoretical framework is more concentrated, refined and
narrow integration of formal theory and subjective research,
and more extensive (Richards and Rodgers, 2017).
The theoretical framework can be obtained from other
surveys or designed by researchers for research purposes.
In these two circumstances, the theoretical framework
represents a combination or aggregation of formal theories
which clarify certain aspects of the conceptual framework.
Swanson (2013) states that the theoretical framework is a
structure that can support the research theory.
The theoretical framework provides the basis for the literature
review, the most important which is research method and
analysis (ibid).
2 Theoretical Framework of the Study

… contd.
With regard to this, the researcher’s theoretical framework of
the study has four parts:
Firstly, studying EFL teachers’ practices of written feedback
provisions on the students’ paragraph writing through process
approach;
 Secondly, studying challenges that hinder EFL teachers’
written feedback provisions on the students’ paragraph
writing through process approach;
Thirdly, studying EFL teachers’ perceptions of written
through process approach and
Fourthly, assessing students’ paragraph writing performances
on the basis of written feedback provisions through process
approach.

… contd.
 Figure1:Theoretical Framework of the study (Source:Adapted from a study of
Newfoundland Principals’ Craft Knowledge (1995:55) unpublished doctoral dissertation
Harvard Graduate School of Graduation)

3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction
The methodology section of this proposal includes: the
research paradigms, research design, research method,
research setting, study participants, determination of sample
size, sampling technique, data collection instruments, data
collection procedures, data analysis procedures and pilot study
3.2 Research Paradigms
The word paradigm was originated from the Greek word
‘paradeigma’ meaning “pattern” and was first used by Thomas
Kuhn (1970) to denote a conceptual framework shared by a
community of scientists, which provided them with a
convenient model for examining problems and finding
solutions.

… contd.
Kuhn defines a paradigm as an integrated cluster of
substantive concepts, variables and problems attached
with corresponding methodological approaches and tools.
 In other words, paradigm refers to a unique pattern,
structure and framework system of scientific and
academic ideas, values and assumptions used in a
particular scientific work (Olsen et al, 1992).
The research paradigm framework is supported by three
pillars: Ontology, Epistemology and Methodology.
These three traditional aspects, which together define
the research paradigm and provide the base on which to
build the researcher’s research project.

… contd.
Ontology is concerned with the nature of existence or reality
whereas Epistemology deals with the nature of knowledge
and the relationship between the knower and the known
(Crotty, 1998).
Hence, the relationship between ontology and epistemology
becomes fundamental.
Similarly, Grix (2004) states that ontology and epistemology
can be considered as the foundations up on which a research
work can be built.
 It is the researcher’s ontological and epistemological
assumptions that inform the selection of methodology and
methods of research.
Thus, research paradigms inherently reflect our beliefs about
the world we live in and want to live for (Lather, 1986a).

… contd.
 Based on the selection of the research design, the methods
that will be employed to gather the data, the methods of
data analysis, nature of the variables in the study and for
the determination of the findings in the study, the
assumptions of pragmatist paradigm will be taken for
conforming the objectives of this study.
 This is because in pragmatism, both quantitative and
qualitative research methods, that is, mixed research
methods are often used.
 Pragmatists believe that the best research method is the
one that will most effectively address the research
questions (Creswell & Clark, 20ll).

3.3 Research Design
In this dissertation, descriptive research design will be used to
describe EFL teachers’ practices, challenges and perceptions of
According to Grove, Gray and Burns (2014) descriptive research
design is appropriate when the study’s objective is to describe the
variables in the study.
With regard to this, the researcher has planned to conduct the
dissertation entitled ‘’Studying EFL teachers’ practices, challenges
and perceptions of written feedback provisions on the students’
paragraph writing through process approach employing the
descriptive research design.
This is why it is a non-intervention study or observational study in
which the researcher of this study will describe the situations without
intervention or with non-participatory.

3.4 Research Approach
According to Singh (2006) research method is a style of
leading a research work which is defined by the nature
of the problem.
 The researcher of this study will use mixed research
method.
 A mixed research method is an approach that combines
quantitative and qualitative research methods.
 It requires collecting and analyzing both quantitative
and qualitative data in order to cross validate the
weakness of one research method with the strength of
the other one in the same research inquiry.
 It is an approach in which the researcher collects,
analyzes, and integrates both quantitative and qualitative
data in a single study or in multiple studies (Creswell,

3.5 Research Setting
 The research settings or study areas for this dissertation are Areka,
Sodo and Boditi senior secondary schools in Wolaita Zone.
 At Wolaita Zone level, there are about 27 governmental senior
secondary schools.
 The reasons why the researcher has selected these 3 (three) senior
secondary schools by using purposive sampling technique for the
study are:
(a) For their long teaching experiences,
(b) Easiness for a means of transportation,
(c) Available teachers who are experienced and can match to
the level for appropriate data collection for the study,
(d) For the manageability of the study.

3.6 Study Participants
 The main participants of this dissertation study will be
EFL teachers and students of grade 12 in the selected
senior secondary schools.
 The data mustered from the research participants are
believed to provide sufficient amount of primary
information for the success of the study

3.7 Determination of Sample Size
 The total population in the selected grade level of three senior
secondary schools constitutes 2,640 (two thousand six hundred
forty).
 From this, 2620 (two thousand six hundred twenty) are students of
grade 12 and 20 (twenty) are EFL teachers of the same grade will be
taken as sample size of the study.
 Regarding to this, Singh (2006) suggests that one should select 10-
20% of the accessible population for the sample in descriptive study.
 Based on this concept, this dissertation study has been planned to
apply 10% sample that will be taken from the selected schools.
 This 10% (262 representatives) will be applied for students’
sampling only because students will be the researcher’s minor focus
of the study, but teachers’ sampling will be taken by employing
cluster sampling technique and it will be the researcher’s major focus
of the study.

3.8 Sampling Technique
According to John (2004) without using different sampling
techniques, addressing the whole population, where the total
population size is very large, is impractical.
 The scholar further states that sampling techniques require
considering heterogeneity of population, number of variables
to be treated, and sample size to be taken.
With regard to this, the researcher will use a systematic
random sampling technique which is a type of probability
sampling to select 10% of the sample students.

… contd.
 In this way, from all sections of grade 12 of the selected
schools with the total of 2620 (two thousand six hundred
twenty), 262 (two hundred sixty two) students will be
taken as representative respondents or sample of the
dissertation study.
 For EFL teachers, cluster sampling technique which is a
type of probability sampling method will be employed.
 This is why the researcher wants to use all the study units
or EFL teachers of grade 12 from the three selected
senior secondary schools of Wolaita Zone.
 In this way, 20 (twenty) EFL teachers will be employed
for the purpose of the study.

3.9 Data Collection Instruments
The researcher will use 4 (four) instruments for data collections:
questionnaire, interview, classroom observation and document
analysis.
3.9.1 Questionnaire
3.9.1.1 Questionnaire for Teachers
 The EFL teachers’ questionnaire is primarily intended to gather
quantitative data namelessly from the three selected senior secondary
schools of Wolaita Zone.
 The EFL teachers’ questionnaire consists of 36 (thirty six) items.
 The questionnaire will be designed and distributed to a total of 20
(twenty) EFL teachers.
 In this way, all study units or EFL teachers of grade 12 from the three
selected schools will be taken by employing the cluster sampling
technique.

3.9.1.2 Questionnaire for Students
The EFL students’ questionnaire is intended to collect
quantitative data secretly from the three selected senior
secondary schools of Wolaita Zone.
The students’ questionnaire consists of 30 (thirty) items.
It will be designed and distributed to a total of 262 (two
hundred sixty two) students who will be selected from
2,620 (two thousand six hundred twenty) grade 12
students from three selected senior secondary schools by
using systematic random sampling technique.

3.9.2 Interview
It is a very personal way of gathering data as it allows for
adaptability in questioning & helps to get the most in-depth
information.
 Interviews will be undertaken in the form of person to person
encounter questions and it will be used to enable the respondents
address matters in their own terms and words (Corbetta, 2003).
For students’ interview, the document analysis will be carefully
made to identify their level of achievement (high achievers,
medium achievers and low achievers).
In this way, from academic achievement levels, two males and one
female, with the total of nine students will be selected after having
completed filling out the questionnaire and then will be
interviewed at their own schools.

… contd.
 For EFL teachers’ interview, 3 EFL teachers from each school with
the total of 9 teachers will be interviewed by employing available
sampling technique.
 The interviews of 20-30 minutes will be conducted for each of 9 EFL
teachers and 9 students and all the talks will be written in the short
form by the interviewer.
 The oral interview allows a researcher to extract inner thoughts and
behaviors of research participants that he may not able to directly
observe.
 According to Nunan (1992) there are three types of interview:
unstructured, semi- structured and structured.
 Depending on the nature of the study and the degree of control, the
researcher wants to exercise over the course of interview, the semi-
structured interview.
 This is because the semi-structured interview is highly favored for its
flexibility has been selected for this study.

… contd.
Due to its flexibility, the semi-structured interview allows
the researcher by encouraging interviewees to suggest more
and to follow on and probe on unclean ideas.
For this, interview schedules for teachers and students will
be developed by translating the research objectives and
pertinent ideas raised in literature into interview questions
(Nunan, 1992).
The semi- structured interview will include 12 (twelve)
questions about the EFL teachers’ practices, challenges,
perceptions and assessing students’ paragraph writing
performances on the basis of written feedback provisions

3.9.3 Classroom Observation
Observation is useful tool to provide direct information
and it is the best data collecting technique for gaining
insight into the subject in a natural environment (Robson,
2002).
Classroom is something like a black box which gives the
fact about what goes in language learning when
observers are present.
That is why it will help the researcher to obtain practical
data on how EFL teachers teach paragraph writing with
written feedback provisions through process approach.

… contd.
The researcher will observe the actual application of EFL
teachers’ practices, challenges & perceptions of written
through process approach to check whether the EFL teachers
provide written feedback or not.
In this dissertation, non-participatory observation will be
employed to control the whole events that will happen in the
teaching-learning process.
During the observation, the researcher will take notes and
write comments about each activity that EFL teachers and
students will do throughout the class session.

3.9.4 Document Analysis
 According to Best and Kahan (1989), document analysis is important
sources of data gathering instrument for qualitative research.
 It is important to examine the sample of teachers’ written feedback
provisions on the students’ paragraph writing through process approach.
 So, the researcher will assess twice how and what kind of written feedback
provisions EFL teachers focus during the practices of paragraph writing
activities.
 Firstly, the researcher collects the students’ written sheets that will be
marked by EFL teachers and then the characteristics of the written feedback
provisions on the students’ paragraph writing through process approach that
will be examined using checklist in order to create suitable condition for
discussions.
 Consequently, after the evaluation of the relevance of the written feedback
provisions on students’ paragraph writing through process approach, the
researcher will divide them into headers and will analyze 6 (six) papers
from the three selected schools as paragraph level writing.
 Finally, the researcher provides thick description on the basis of the provided
written feedback on the students’ paragraph writing through process approach.

3.10 Data Collection Procedures
 Before giving the final draft of the questionnaire to the respondents,
orientations about the content and purpose of the questionnaire will be given
orally by the researcher.
 At the same time, the researcher tells the participants that their answers will be
kept confidential and so they are encouraged to complete the questionnaire
genuinely.
 They are informed not to hesitate in asking any question in the process of
filling out the questionnaire.
 Then, the questionnaire will be administered to the students and teachers when
the researcher is available in class for any possible individual assistance.
 Similarly, interview and classroom observation will also be conducted to cross
validate EFL teachers’ practices, challenges and perceptions of written
feedback provisions on the students’ paragraph writing through process
approach by preparing some interview questions and observation checklist.
 The data will be gathered through these instruments by the researcher and his
assistants after the short term and long term plans.
 Then, the qualitative data will be collected in such away.

3.11 Data Analysis Procedures
After collecting the raw data, editing data, sequencing and
sorting them into categories of similar nature of data
analysis procedures will be prioritized.
Then, those data requiring numbers and percentages will be
tabulated.
The quantitative data collected through questionnaire will
be quantitatively treated whereas the qualitative data
collected through interview, classroom observation and
document analysis will be qualitatively treated.
 In this dissertation, descriptive statistics (frequencies and
percentages of the respondents) will be used for the analysis
of gathered data and answering the research questions.
•

… contd.
Quantitative data collected through questionnaire will be
analyzed by percentage and presented in tables and
interpreted accordingly.
Qualitative data gathered by semi-structured interview,
classroom observation and document analysis will
qualitatively be analyzed through narration and added to the
information obtained from quantitative analysis to support it
and make comprehensive interpretations.
SPSS Version 20 (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) of
data analysis software will be employed to assure the
reliability of the questionnaire.
The analysis of data will be on the basis of the research
questions.

3.12 Pilot Study
 The pilot study will be conducted to find out any theoretical weaknesses
of the research design in the dissertation.
 With regard to this, the researcher of this study will assess the quality
and standard of the tools during the pilot study.
 In other words, it will be done to check and then to improve the validity,
reliability and practicality of the main study.
3.12.1 Validity
 Validity of the research instrument refers to the extent to which the
instrument measures what it is intended to measure (Haber and Lobiondo
–Wood, 2006).
 Validity is a significant term in a research that refers to the conceptual
and scientific soundness of a research study (Marczyk, DeMatteo and
Festinger, 2005).
 As to (ibids’) further explanation, the purpose of ensuring validity in
research work is to maximize the accuracy and usefulness of the findings
by reducing the properties of confounders on the study’s variables.

3.12.2 Reliability
 Reliability of the research instrument is the extent to which it yields
the same results on repeated measures (Haber and Lobiondo –Wood,
2006).
 Research work always needs to be consistent, stable, accurate and
credible.
 The consistency, stability, accuracy and credibility of a research study
refers to its reliability.
 That is, the reliability of a study refers to its consistency in repeated
trials (Krik & Miller, 2003).
 To ensure the accuracy of future data analysis, the reliability of the
questionnaire (36 & 30) items of EFL teachers & students respectively
will be checked by Cronbach’s alpha statistical method.
 It will be administered to available 10 EFL teachers, and 30 students
at Hanganda and Dubbo Saint Mary senior secondary schools of grade
12 selected for the pilot study.
 They will not be involved in the main dissertation study.

THANK YOU
VERY MUCH
FOR YOUR
ATTENTION!

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