RESEARCH METHODS IN TEFL AND LITERATURE

STUDIES

Haryanto Atmowardoyo

State University of Makassar, Indonesia

2010
 PREFACE

Recharging Program offered by the Directorate of Higher Education was the one
that I had been waiting since long ago. I had two reasons for this. First, I work as a
professor in English Department. However, I’ve never got any overseas training in an
English speaking country. I have no problem in written English, but I badly need an
occasion to improve my automaticity in oral communication. Second, my major is
English Education. I am used to teaching English Structure to my students, and I have no
problem with this job. I also used to teach Listening Comprehension. That’s one way to
improve my comprehension on spoken English, and I had no problem in conducting this
class since I could work with language laboratory. In the field of linguistics, I also used to
teach Psycholinguistics and Sociolinguistics. I did not find difficulties in handling these
subjects either.
However, I found some problems when assigned to teach Research Methods for
Language and Literature Studies. I am actually interested in this subject. In my opinion,
research methods for language and literature studies are more closely related to
Qualitative Research Methodology rather than Quantitative Method. I had got some
training experiences in this field, and I have a great interest in it. What I still wanted to
deepen is the implementation of qualitative research methodology in language and
literature studies. I felt that I could not find enough source books nor enough training
experiences in my country.
I was then lucky as my dream came true. I was successfully admitted to join the
program. For four months I had stayed in Columbus, US, attending seminars in research
methodology, sitting in class conducted by my helpful and professional counterpart, Dr.
David Bloome, and visiting a distinguished Thompson Library at Ohio State University
to find sources of research methodology in language teaching and literature studies.
These activities have brought me to develop a course material of research
methodology for language and literature studies. Taken from many various sources, the
course material covers a number of kinds of research methods usable for the study of
language teaching as well as literature studies: descriptive research, case study,
experiment/quasi experiment, qualitative experiment, error analysis, developmental
research, program evaluation, narrative inquiry, hermeneutic approach, and grounded
research. The description of each method is developed from many sources and supported
by examples searched from journal articles. With this formula, the book is hopefully
useful to facilitate my students with a reference book of research methodology from
language and literature studies.
There must be still weaknesses, so that I would be very pleased to receive any
constructive criticism. May God Bless Us.

H.A.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Research Methods in TEFL Studies is a result of the Program of Academic

Recharging in Ohio State University, Columbus, USA from September 25, 2009 to
January 15, 2010. It is designed as a course material which I usually handle in the State
University of Makassar. This book draft is still under the process of editing in order
before published.
I would like to address my gratitude and appreciation to the following people who
have supported the writing of this book draft. My first appreciation goes to the
Directorate of Higher Education, who has given me an opportunity taking part in the PAR
Program. Without this opportunity, I would have no facilities to write this book draft.
Secondly, I would like to thank to Dr. Sue Dechow and Dr. Lucila Rudge of Ohio State
University, who have given me admission to visit the university. Four month visit was
really beneficial for me to access the Thompson Library from which I got a lot of articles
and books related to the main issue of this book draft. Thirdly, I would like to thank to
my counterpart, Dr. David Bloome of Ohio University. He has helped me find the
relevant literature as well as even gave me rides to go and back from my apartment to the
campus of Ohio State University. Dr. Bloome has also gave me insights through several
discussions. The fourth, I would also to send my gratitude to the Rector of Makassar State
University, Prof. Dr. Arismunandar, M.Pd. who gave me for attending the program; the
Deputy Rector IV Dr. Nurdin Noni, M.Hum and his staff Yunitari Mustikawati and
Indrawaty Asfah who helped me get the letter of acceptance from Ohio State University;
and the Dean of Faculty of Languages and Literature Dr. Mansur Akil, M.Pd. who also
gave me supports to join the program.
However, I would like to say sorry to my late Mom, who left me forever during I
stayed in Ohio State University. I’ve tried to shorten my stay, but it was still too late. I
was really sorry that I could not even bring her to last residence. Rest In Peace Mom.