FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND LANGUAGES

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HMEF5093
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
SEPTEMBER SEMESTER 2015
ASSIGNMENT 2
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INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS
1. This assignment contains questions set in English.
2. Your assignment should be typed using 12 point Times New Roman font and
1.5 line spacing.
3. You must submit your hardcopy assignment to your Facilitator and ONLINE via the MyVLE. For the online student, you are to submit a softcopy of
your assignment via MyVLE and another softcopy to the facilitator via e-mail.
Refer to the portal for instructions on the procedures to submit your
assignment on-line. You are advised to keep a copy of your submitted
assignment and proof of the submission for personal reference. Your
assignment must be submitted on
20-22 November 2015 (5th
Seminar).
4. Your assignment should be prepared individually. You should not copy
another persons assignment. You should also not plagiarise another persons
work as your own.
EVALUATION
This assignment accounts for

50% of the total marks for the course.

HMEF5093: Assignment2/Sept2015

ASSIGNMENT 2 (Individual Work)

OBJECTIVE
This assignment aims at giving you the opportunity to demonstrate your ability in planning
and devising an appropriate quantitative research methodology for an experimental or a
survey research study.
The assignment comprises TWO related tasks, the details of which are explained below:
Task 1
Identify a quantitative research topic that you can work on based on your readings and
literature review. The intended research should allow for the use of either an experimental
research design or a survey research design. Provide an appropriate title for the intended
research and a list of research questions.
You should also explain the rationale for the choice of your research topic. The rationale
should be supported by theory and/or past research.
(10 marks)
Task 2
In this task, you are required to describe and explain the methodology your intended study,
focusing on the following sections:
(1) Research design
(2) Population and sample
(3) Instrumentation
(4) Data collection procedures
(5) Framework of data analysis
You can refer to the HMEF5093 Quantitative Research Methodology module, Topic 10:
Writing the research report, as a guide to write the different sections.
(40 marks)
Assessment Criteria
Your response to the task will be graded based on the scoring scheme attached. For
maximum credit, be sure that your response addresses each of the scoring criteria
components.

HMEF5093: Assignment2/Sept2015

Allocation of marks:
Task 1 (10 marks)
(1)
(2)
(3)

Title (2 marks)
List of research questions (3 marks)
Rationale of the proposed research (5 marks)

Task 2 (40 marks)

(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)

Research design (8 marks)

Population and sample (8 marks)
Instrumentation (8 marks)
Data collection procedures (8 marks)
Framework of data analysis (8 marks)
[TOTAL: 50 MARKS]

Submission Guidelines

Your assignment should be typed on A4 paper using 12 pt Times New Roman and 1.5
spacing.
You are to submit a softcopy of your assignment on-line through myVLE and a bound
hardcopy to your facilitator. Do print out and keep the receipt of online submission for
future reference. For online learners, subject a softcopy online through myVLE and
another softcopy via e-mail to the e-facilitator.
The document submitted should have the following:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)

The title page

List of research questions
Rationale of proposed research
Methodology
Research design
Population and sample
Instrumentation
Data collection procedures
Framework of data analysis

The assignment should be an original piece of work. Plagiarised assignment will be

rejected.

Award a maximum of 10 marks for Task 1 using the following rubric.

Assessment Rubrics
1

The title hardly reflects the focus

of the study, revealing little
information about the variables,
subjects & research setting.

Research
Questions

Research questions are hardly

focused, providing only vague
direction for measuring
relationships between variables.

Rationale

Rationale is very clearly

articulated and explained with
hardly any theoretical and/or
past research support.

Title

The title fairly clearly reflects

the focus of the study,
revealing fairly adequate
information about the
variables, subjects &
research setting.

The title clearly reflects the

focus of the study, revealing
adequate information about
the variables, subjects &
research setting.

Research questions are

fairly focused, providing
fairly clear, direction for
measuring relationships
between variables.

Research questions are

focused, providing clear
direction for measuring
relationships between
variables.

Rationale is very clearly

articulated and explained
with some theoretical and/or
past research support.

Rationale is very clearly

articulated and explained
with fairly adequate
theoretical and/or past
research support.

Rationale is very clearly

articulated and explained
with adequate theoretical
and/or past research
support.

The title partially reflects the

focus of the study, revealing
some information about the
variables, subjects &
research setting.

Research questions are

highly focused and providing
very clear direction for
measuring relationships
between variables.

Weight

Score

X 0.5

X 0.75

X 1.25

10

Award a maximum of 40 marks for Task 2

Research Design

Population &
Sample

Weight

Score

The research design is

hardly appropriate.
The explanation is rather
vague with minimal or no
relevant justification

The research design is

fairly appropriate
The explanation is fairly
clear with some relevant
justification

The research design is

appropriate
The explanation is clear with
quite adequate relevant
justification

The research design is very

appropriate

X 2.

The description of the

target population and the
sample is rather vague
The sampling technique
proposed is hardly
appropriate.

The description of the

target population and the
sample is fairly clear.
The sampling technique
proposed is fairly
appropriate.

The description of the target

population and the sample is
clear.
The sampling technique
proposed is appropriate.

The description of the target

population and the sample very
clear.
The sampling technique
proposed is very appropriate.

X 2.

The explanation is very clear with

adequate relevant justification

HMEF5093: Assignment2/Sept2015

Instrumentation

Data Collection
Procedures

Framework of data
analysis

The instrument(s) to be
used is somewhat
inappropriately designed.
Validity and reliability
issues are rather poorly
or hardly addressed.
The description is rather
vague with hardly any
details
Vague description of
data collection
procedures
Threats to validity and
reliability are poorly or
hardly addressed
Rather inappropriate
methods of analysis are
suggested
Vague and inadequate
description of the method
of analysis

The instrument(s) to be
used are fairly
appropriately designed.
Validity and reliability
issues are fairly well
addressed.
The description is fairly
clear with some details.

The instrument(s) to be used

is appropriately designed.
Validity and reliability issues
are well addressed.
The description is clear with
most of the details.

The instrument(s) to be used is

very appropriately designed.
Validity and reliability issues are
very well addressed
The description is very clear with
lots of details

Fairly clear description of

data collection procedures
Threats to validity and
reliability are fairly welladdressed

Clear description of data

collection procedures
Threats to validity and
reliability are well-addressed

Very clear description data

collection procedures.
Threats to validity and reliability
are very well-addressed

Fairly appropriate methods

of analysis are suggested
Fairly clear and adequate
description of the method
of analysis

Appropriate methods of
analysis are suggested
Clear and adequate
description of the method of
analysis

Very Appropriate methods of

analysis are suggested
Very clear and adequate
description of the method of
analysis

X2

X2

X2

40