Variables

Variables

Activity 1:

1) What is a variable? Can you name some?

Answer: Variable is something that may vary, or differ. A person’s proficiency in Spanish as a foreign language may differ over time as the person learns more and more Spanish. We can expect individuals to vary in their perspective levels of proficiency in Spanish at any given time. Thus, Proficiency in Spanish can be considered a variable because it may change over time or differ among individuals. Other example: motivation, self-esteem, and health.

2) How are variables different from constructs? Can you think of an example of a construct in language learning that can be operationalized as a variable for a study?

Answer: A variable is essentially what we can observe or quantify of the human characteristics or abilities involved, whereas a construct is the actual characteristics or ability that it represents in human beings. Proficiency in Spanish, for example, is something that goes on inside an individual’s head. As such, it is difficult to observe and may be different from the indirect observation that a researcher makes (perhaps, scores on a Spanish proficiency test) to define this variable.

3) Why is identification of the difference types of variables important? Why is it important to understanding a given study?

Answer: It is important to understand how such variables are classified and indeed, manipulated by researchers in their quest to improve our understanding of what goes on in the language classroom.

4) How can you identify the dependent variable or variables in a study?

Answer: It is observed to determine what effect, if any, the other types of variables may have on it. In other words, it is the variable of focus-the central variables-on which other variables will act if there is any relationship.

5) How can you identify the independent variable or variables?

Answer: It is selected by the researcher to determine their effect on or relationship with the dependent variable. It is one that is selected and systematically manipulated by the researcher to determine whether or the degree to which it has any effect on the dependent variable.

6) How do the dependent and independent variables interrelate?

Answer: The intervening variables serves to label the relationship or process that links the independent and dependent variables, but is not itself observable. In addition, the researcher may wish to consider a special kind of independent variable, called a moderator variable, to determine what change, if any, it causes in the central relationship between the independent and dependent variables.

7) What is the variable called that labels the relationship between the independent and dependent variables?

Answer: The intervening variable could be labeled placement differences (or numerous other labels)

8) What is the essential difference between independent and moderator variables?

Answer: The essential difference between independent and moderator variables lies in how the researcher views each in the study. For independent variables, the concern is with their direct relationship to the dependent variable, whereas for moderator variables, the concern is with their effect on that relationship.

9) What is the purpose of control variables?

Answer: Control variable, then, are those that the investigator has chosen to keep constant, neutralize, or otherwise eliminate so that they will not have an effect on the study.

10) Why is the identification and study of variables important to language teaching as a profession?

Answer: That, along with the basic fallibility of researchers as human beings, places great responsibility on you as the reader of a study. Thinking about the variables in a study will help you not only to read and understand the article but perhaps to understand the relationships between the myriad variables in our complicated and demanding field.

Activity 2:

1. Define each of the following:

a. Independent variable is variable selected by the researcher to determine their effect on or relationship with the dependent variable.

b. Dependent variable is observed to determine what effect, if any, the other types of variables may have on it. In other words, it is the variable of focus-the central variables-on which other variables will act if there is any relationship.

c. Moderator variable is a special type of independent variable that the investigator has chosen to determine how, if at all, the relationship between the independent and dependent variables is affected, or modified, by the moderator variable.

d. Control variable is that the investigator has chosen to keep constant, neutralize, or otherwise eliminate so that they will not have an effect on the study.

e. Intervening variable is an abstract, theoretical label that can be applied to the relationship or process that links the independent and dependent variables.

2. Connect the terms in column A with those in column B.

                      A                                   B

a. Independent variable      :      3. cause

b. Dependent variable        :      5. effect

c. Moderator variable        :      4. modifier

d. Control variable             :      1. avoided

e. Intervening variable        :      2. inferred

3. Answer:

a. independent variable : left handed children

b. moderator  variable : perceptual motor training

c. control variable : such differences

d. intervening variable : eye hand coordination tasks

e. dependent variable : perform better

4. Answer:

a. independent variable : having microteaching experience

b. moderator  variable : Inexperienced social studies teachers

c. control variable : such an experience

d. intervening variable : experienced social studies

e. dependent variable : their attitude toward teaching

Activity 3:

1. What are variables involved in the situation?

Answer: dependent variable, independent variable, control variable, intervening variable

2. How would you formulate your research question(s)?

Answer:

a. How the boys can perform better if conversing with the girls than each other?

b. What makes the girls’ performance is better if they conversing each other than with the boys?

3. How would you formulate your hypotheses?

Answer: On one hand, the girls perform better in conversation if they converse each other than converse with the boy. On the other hand, the boys perform better in conversation if they converse with the girls than converse each other.    

References:

1. Brown, J.D. 1988. Understanding Research in Language Learning. Cambridge: CUP.

2. Nunan, D. 1989. Research Methods in  Language Learning. Cambridge: CUP.

3. Saleh, M. 2001. Pengantar Praktik Penelitian Pengajaran Bahasa. Semarang: IKIP Semarang  Press.

4. Tuckman, B.W. 1978. Conducting Educational Research. London: Harcourt Brace  Jacobovitz.

Baca Juga:

Introduction (What is & why do research?)  Research problems & hypotheses  Data Research Instruments