The Postgraduate Theses in ELT between 2019 and 2021: A Methodological Comparison

Muhammet Öcel; Ayfer Su Bergil

doi:10.17275/per.23.28.10.2

EN

The Postgraduate Theses in ELT between 2019 and 2021: A Methodological Comparison

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the scientific research in educational sciences as almost all aspects of life since it broke out in China in late 2019. Research in English Language Teaching (ELT) has run across several problems, much like other science domains. Researchers may have encountered difficulties while trying to reach volunteers in their studies due to psychological or physiological complications. On the other hand, distance, or flexible face-to-face education in all the educational cycles may have led some researchers to spend more time conducting their studies. Considering these possible effects of the pandemic, the main purpose of this study is to explore ELT researchers’ methodological tendencies in their master’s theses and doctoral dissertations published pre (2019) and while (2020, 2021) pandemic in Türkiye. The sample consisted of 806 master’s theses and 128 doctoral dissertations. By using a grid and checklist, data was collected qualitatively by implementing the qualitative document analysis method. The collected data was analyzed quantitatively by using descriptive statistics. Although the number of theses and dissertations decreased during the pandemic, the findings indicated that researchers conducted more in-depth analyses. The study has significance for further researchers in that the findings have shown that they may need to do their research planning in a more adaptable way and have alternative plans in case of similar unusual situations on a large or small scale, like the pandemic.

Keywords

Research methodology, English language teaching in Turkey, Theses in English language teaching, The effects of Covid-19, Methodologic trends

Thanks

The master’s thesis that was successfully defended on June 15, 2022, at Amasya University Social Sciences Institute provided the data for this article. As a recent MA graduate, the first author contributed 60%, while the second author, as his supervisor, contributed 40% to the overall processes pertaining to the study. The authors made no mention of any potential conflicts of interest. The authors are very appreciative of each other's cooperation in this scholarly endeavor.

References

Alghamdi, A. K., Aldossary, A. T., & Deraney, P. (2021). Graduate students' perceptions of and recommendations pursuant to Saudi Arabia's COVID-19 "Stay-at-Home" initiative. Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences, 16(2), 687-702. https://doi.org/10.18844/cjes.v16i2.5644
Bourke, S., & Holbrook, A. P. (2013). Examining PhD and research masters theses. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 38(4), 407–416. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2011.638738
Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.3316/QRJ0902027
Carter, N. B. (2012). Master's level research in second language teaching and learning (Canada, 2008-1010): paradigms, methods and analyses (Doctoral dissertation, Carleton University).
Cesur, K., Kök, M., & Aydın, Ç. (2018). Content analysis of abstracts on ELT research available in Turkish Journal Park Academic Platform. ELT Research Journal, 7(2), 58-77. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/eltrj/issue/41589/489221
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
DeMatthews, D., Knight, D., Reyes, P., Benedict, A., Callahan, R. (2020). From the field: education research during a pandemic. Educational Researcher, 49(6), 398–402. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X20938761
Demir, Ç. (2018). Holistic analysis of postgraduate theses on foreign language teaching in Turkey with actor-technic perspective 1987-2017 (Publication No., 625941) [Doctoral dissertation]. YOK National Thesis Center.
Dörnyei, Z. (2007). Research methods in applied linguistics: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methodologies (1st ed.). Oxford University Press.
Durak, G., Yünkül, E., Cankaya, S., Akpinar, S., Erten, E., Inam, N., Taylan, U., & Tastekin, E. (2016). Content analysis of master theses and dissertations based on action research. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 4(12), 71-80. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1118976.pdf

Erichsen, E. A., Bolliger, D. U., & Halupa, C. (2014). Student satisfaction with graduate supervision in doctoral programs primarily delivered in distance education settings. Studies in Higher education, 39(2), 321-338. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2012.709496
Etikan, I., Musa, S. A., & Alkassim, R. S. (2016). Comparison of convenience sampling and purposive sampling. American journal of theoretical and applied statistics, 5(1), 1-4. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajtas.20160501.11
Fisher, M. J., & Marshall, A. P. (2009). Understanding descriptive statistics. Australian critical care, 22(2), 93-97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aucc.2008.11.003
Fraenkel, J.R., Wallen N. E., & Hyun H. H. (2015). How to design and evaluate research in education (9th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill
Hultsch, D.F., MacDonald, S.W., Hunter, M.A., Maitland, S.B., & Dixon, R.A. (2002). Sampling and generalisability in developmental research: Comparison of random and convenience samples of older adults. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 26(4), 345–359. https://doi.org/10.1080%2F01650250143000247
Karadağ, E. (2011). Instruments Used in Doctoral Dissertations in Educational Sciences in Turkey: Quality of Research and Analytical Errors. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice. 11. 330-334. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/298205810
Kirmizi, O. (2012). Research Trends in M.A. ELT Programs in Turkey. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 46, 4687- 4691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.06.319
Krippendorf, K. (2004). Content analysis: an introduction to its methodology (2nd ed.). Thomas Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Lambert, V. A., & Lambert, C. E. (2012). Qualitative descriptive research: An acceptable design. Pacific Rim International Journal of Nursing Research, 16(4), 255-256. https://doi.org/10.106/j.sbspro.203.01.066lamb
Özmen, K. S., Cephe, P. T., & Kınık, B. (2016). Trends in doctoral research on English language teaching in Turkey. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, 16(5), 1737-1759. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1115055.pdf
Maravelakis, P. (2019), The use of statistics in social sciences. Journal of Humanities and Applied Social Sciences, Vol. 1 No. 2, pp. 87-97. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHASS-08-2019-0038
Mishra, S., Sahoo, S., & Pandey, S. (2021). Research trends in online distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Distance Education, 42(4), 494-519. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2021.1986373
Pallant, J. (2016). SPSS survival manual: A step by step guide to data analysis using IBM SPSS. Routledge.
Pelz, P. B. (2021). Research methods for the social sciences | Simple book production. Lumen Learning – Simple Book Production. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-research-methods/
Rosenbaum, L. (2020). The untold toll—the pandemic’s effects on patients without Covid-19. New England Journal of Medicine, 382(24), 2368-2371. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMms2009984
Sarah, K., Oceane, S., Emily, F., & Carole, F. (2021). Learning from lockdown: Assessing the positive and negative experiences, and coping strategies of researchers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 236, 105269. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105255
Shaukat, K., Alam, T. M., Hameed, I. A., Luo, S., Li, J., Aujla, G. K., & Iqbal, F. (2020). A comprehensive dataset for bibliometric analysis of SARS and coronavirus impact on social sciences. Data in brief, 33, 106520. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2020.106520
Sozbilir, M., Kutu, H., & Yasar, M. D. (2012). Science education research in Turkey: A content analysis of selected features of published papers. In Jorde D. & Dillon, Justin (Eds). In Science Education Research and Practice in Europe (pp. 341-374). Brill Sense. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6091-900-8_14
Şimşek, M. R., & Dündar, E. (2017). Investigating EFL coursebook research in Turkey: Trends in graduate theses of the 2001-2013 period. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 17(3), 969- 1014. http://www.estp.com.tr/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/2017- 3-0090.pd
Şişman, P. E., Buyukkarci, K., & Özyurt, E. (2019). Research in ELT: Turkish context. 11th International Congress on Research in Education. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338364010
Tavsancil, E., Buyukturan, E. B., & Ozmen, D. T. (2012). The subject areas of post-graduate theses completed at educational sciences between 2000-2008. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 46, 5756-5762. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.06.511
Taymaz, N. (2021). A corpus-based comparison of use of hedges and boosters by Turkish ELT MA and PhD students. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 17(Special Issue 1), 33-49. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1285159.pdf
Topal, M., İstanbullu, A., & Kucuk-Avcı, S. (2021). Covid-19 effects on distance education in higher education: A comparison with bibliometric analysis before Covid-19 pandemic and the Covid-19 pandemic periods. Journal of Educational Technology and Online Learning, ICETOL Special Issue, 864-879. https://doi.org/10.31681/jetol.1016705
White, M.D., & Marsh, E.E. (2006). Content analysis: A flexible methodology. Library Trends, 55(1), 22-45 https://doi.org/10.1353/lib.2006.0053
Wu, B., Paltridge, B. (2021). Stance expressions in academic writing: A corpus-based comparison of Chinese students’ MA dissertations and PhD theses. Lingua, 253, 103071. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lingua.2021.103071
Yağız, O., Aydın, B., & Akdemir, A.S. (2016). ELT research in Turkey: A content analysis of selected features of published articles. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 12(2), 117-134. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1117966.pdf
Yavuz, M., Kayalı, B., & Tutal, Ö. (2021). Trend of distance education research in the covid-19 period: A bibliometric and content analysis. Journal of Educational Technology and Online Learning, 4(2), 256-279 . https://doi.org/10.31681/jetol.922682
Yılmaz, Ş., Aydin, F., & Bahar, M. (2015). Insvestigating the general trends in master's theses and doctoral dissertations published on environmental education between 1992-2011. [1992-2011 yılları arasında çevre eğitimi ile ilgili yayımlanan yüksek lisans ve doktora tezlerindeki genel yönelimlerin belirlenmesi.] Adıyaman University Journal of School of Social Sciences [Adıyaman Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi.] 2015. 383. https://doi.org/10.14520/adyusbd.33216.
Yorulmaz, M., & Aydoğdu, A. (2021). The effect of Covid-19 pandemic on higher education: A ibliometric tudy on published theses. Journal of Basic and Clinical Health, 438, 204-1006. https://doi.org/10.30621/jbachs.902996
Zhao, K. (2020). Sample representation in the social sciences. Synthese, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-020-02621-3
Zahneis, M., & June, A. W. (2020). How has the pandemic affected graduate students? This study has answers. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 67(2). https://websupport.montana.edu/covid19_rapid

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Other Fields of Education

Journal Section

Systematic Reviews and Meta Analysis

Authors

Muhammet Öcel ^*
0000-0002-3552-2517
Türkiye

Ayfer Su Bergil
0000-0002-9277-2862
Türkiye

Publication Date

March 30, 2023

Submission Date

September 18, 2022

Acceptance Date

January 13, 2023

Published in Issue

Year 2023 Volume: 10 Number: 2

DOI

https://doi.org/10.17275/per.23.28.10.2

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA25LF42SL

APA

Öcel, M., & Su Bergil, A. (2023). The Postgraduate Theses in ELT between 2019 and 2021: A Methodological Comparison. Participatory Educational Research, 10(2), 43-63. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.23.28.10.2

AMA

1.Öcel M, Su Bergil A. The Postgraduate Theses in ELT between 2019 and 2021: A Methodological Comparison. PER. 2023;10(2):43-63. doi:10.17275/per.23.28.10.2

Chicago

Öcel, Muhammet, and Ayfer Su Bergil. 2023. “The Postgraduate Theses in ELT Between 2019 and 2021: A Methodological Comparison”. Participatory Educational Research 10 (2): 43-63. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.23.28.10.2.

EndNote

Öcel M, Su Bergil A (March 1, 2023) The Postgraduate Theses in ELT between 2019 and 2021: A Methodological Comparison. Participatory Educational Research 10 2 43–63.

IEEE

[1]M. Öcel and A. Su Bergil, “The Postgraduate Theses in ELT between 2019 and 2021: A Methodological Comparison”, PER, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 43–63, Mar. 2023, doi: 10.17275/per.23.28.10.2.

ISNAD

Öcel, Muhammet - Su Bergil, Ayfer. “The Postgraduate Theses in ELT Between 2019 and 2021: A Methodological Comparison”. Participatory Educational Research 10/2 (March 1, 2023): 43-63. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.23.28.10.2.

JAMA

1.Öcel M, Su Bergil A. The Postgraduate Theses in ELT between 2019 and 2021: A Methodological Comparison. PER. 2023;10:43–63.

MLA

Öcel, Muhammet, and Ayfer Su Bergil. “The Postgraduate Theses in ELT Between 2019 and 2021: A Methodological Comparison”. Participatory Educational Research, vol. 10, no. 2, Mar. 2023, pp. 43-63, doi:10.17275/per.23.28.10.2.

Vancouver

1.Muhammet Öcel, Ayfer Su Bergil. The Postgraduate Theses in ELT between 2019 and 2021: A Methodological Comparison. PER. 2023 Mar. 1;10(2):43-6. doi:10.17275/per.23.28.10.2