How to Conduct A research Part 2 - Identifying Problems, Literature Review, Research Aims

In the previous part, we have discussed about the cyclic nature of a research. There are 9 steps in a research that is going hand on hand. All the parts have to be in accordance, in a coherence, each other. Those parts are presented below:

The cycle begins from the top part, identifying problem. This is the first step before conducting a research. A researcher must identify the problem or motivation of why they need to do the research. The word "why" refers to the problem or motivation that researcher encounter.

How to Conduct A Research Part 3 - Choosing Research Approach

The first three steps of the scientific method are the crucial part of a study. Some people spend a lot of time moving forward and backward in these three steps: Identifying problems, literature review, and determining the aims of the research. As it is explained in the previous part, the result will determine the approach of the study that will be used.

You may have heard about experiment research or case study. There are also common approach like action research and survey. In general,  Denscombe (2010) divide the research approach into 8:

    1. Surveys and sampling
    2. Case studies
    3. Experiments
    4. Ethnography
    5. Phenomenology
    6. Grounded theory
    7. Actions research
    8. Mixed method

How to Conduct A Research Part 1

Conducting a research is not a simple process. There are many factors to consider to produce a good research such as research approach, method, sampling and etc. In general, conducting a research is a cyclic process that always goes on. For instance, A research is conducted and built based on the previous research or findings. In the end, the results of the research will be a foundation for the other research/further research. Usually, the aim of the research is to solve problems or explain certain phenomena. However, it is just like people said "the more you study, the more you know that you don't know". The research often reveals another problem or unexplained phenomena. This is what will suggest the other researcher to do further study. The following scheme is shown below.

WHY GIRLS ARE LESS INTERESTED IN SCIENCE

In the recent years, there was a phenomena of declining students’ interest on science. In 1979, Whitfield (1980) conducted a research to analyze students’ favorite subjects. The result indicated that chemistry and physics became the two least preferred subject for 14-year old students. Supporting Whitfield’s findings, the analysis result of the data from the Department for Education of England and Welsh showed that the number of students enrolled in advanced levels science and mathematics only in 1993 had decreased 13% compared to their data at 1980 (Osborne et al, 2003). Furthermore, the UK examination Board and HMSO also claimed that the number of students examined in physics in 2000 were decreased almost 15000 students since 1990. All these findings showed that science is becoming less preferred by the students.

The Importance of Using Contexts in Learning Mathematics

In recent years, many mathematicians argued whether mathematics teaching and learning should begin with contexts or not. In 2007 in California, some people claimed that a mathematical approach that focused on number sense using contexts will be a detrimental to children (Sowder, 2007). Some researchers also showed that abstract examples were more advantageous for students (Kaminski, Sloutsky & Heckler, 2008; Kaminski & Sloutsky, 2012). They stated that concrete instantiations prone to distract students’ concentration in doing transfer task. This lead teachers begin to doubt the importance of involving contexts in teaching learning activity. The role of contexts in the classroom is questioned. How important contexts are in learning mathematics, this paper will discuss this questions.

DOWNLOAD BOOKS OF REALISTIC MATHEMATICS EDUCATION

Realistic Mathematics Education is an approach to teach mathematics by encouraging students to build their own mathematical knowledge using daily life experience. This approach claims mathematics as human activities and make mathematics has more sense for students. Hans Freudenthal, the creator of this approach, stated that knowing mathematics is making mathematics is the key word of this approach. Andrew Noyes agreed with the way this approach treat students. He said nowadays many children are trained to do mathematical calculations rather that being educated to think mathematically. How to make students think mathematically is the purpose of RME. Now I would like to share some books related to this approach. Enjoy it..

PEMBELAJARAN BERBASIS MASALAH (Problem Based Learning)

Problem-Based Learning (Pembelajaran Berbasis Masalah) adalah suatu model pembelajaran yang didasarkan pada prinsip menggunakan masalah sebagai titik awal akuisisi dan integrasi pengetahuan baru (Muslimin Ibrahim, 2002). PBL tidak dirancang untuk membantu guru memberikan informasi sebanyak-banyaknya kepada siswa.

Model pembelajaran PBL membantu siswa mengembangkan kemampuan berpikir, pemecahan masalah, keterampilan intelektual, dan belajar berbagai peran orang dewasa dengan terlibat dalam pengalaman nyata atau simulasi.

Using Finger in learning mathematic for Children under 5 years

MATHEMATICAL METHOD

“Using Finger in learning mathematics for Children under 5 years”

Psychology of Learning Mathematics

MathematicS and Science Faculty of Jogjakarta State University

Many people have problem in learning mathematics. People said that mathematician is a difficult lesson. Mathematics be one of the lesson which make student afraid. Student can’t understand the concept of mathematics. We know that mathematics is very useful for our life. Mathematics is used in all of the aspect of knowledge.

There are many theory in order to help people how to learn mathematics more easily but it is not effective. Learning mathematics must be started since children. It will help children growth more easily in learning mathematics because children has the basis of mathematical attitude. Mathematical attitude must be planned since children by reform the mathematical thinking of the children.