1.

CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter covers the research methodology employed in this study. The following
subheadings will discuss the design, the procedures, the subject selection and description, the
instrument, the techniques of data collection and analysis of the research.

3.1 Design of the Research

The present research is aimed to develop an instructional material which
enables the readers to develop their reading fluency and comprehension without
any assist. In doing so, the research is built on the design of developmental
research particularly instructional material development. To carry out the
development of non-assisted timed repeated reading instruction in the
supplementary textbook, the research will implement 4D models initiated by
Thiagarajan in 1974.
Thiagarajan developed the earlier theories on instructional approaches and
actual field experience to model out the system-approach model, that is named 4D
model. The model of Thiagarajan employs 4 stages to develop the instructional
material. They are Define, Design, Develop and Disseminate. The last stage
(Disseminate) will conditionally be taken according to the availability of time and
budget allocated.
3.1.1 Define
This first stage of 4D model is carried out to define the need of the research.
On the other model of developmental research, this Define stage is also called as
Need Analysis or preliminary study. The Define stage is aiming to specify the
instructional objectives through the process of front-end analysis. The front-end
analysis covers learner’s analysis including task and concept analysis. The result of
those two analyses is used to draw set of objectives. The objectives then provide
the foundation in which the instructional design and test construction rely upon.
Although this step is fundamentally critical for the whole research result, Thiagarajan
suggested in his theory that the adaptability of his steps is necessarily changed
wherever needed accordingly to meet the desired objectives (Thiagarajan, 1974).
The task analysis is the core of the front-end analysis taken in this research.
This is simply due to some observational notes done in initial to the extent of how
students benefitted from this instruction. This analysis is mainly to identify the main
skill to be acquired by the students and to draw set of necessary subskills. Thus, it
the coverage of and any of features which are later be incorporated in the book or
product will certainly be based on this stage.
3.1.2 Design
Among numerous research models and expertise, the 4D model is taken due
to the most suitability of the researcher’s desired development foremost in the
Design stage. The Design stage covers two main process; (1) converting the
specification of objectives which is to bridge from Define to Design, (2) Presenting
the initial design through the process of media and format selection. This is also
important to notice that the selection for the product will largely affect the budget
estimation.
3.1.3 Develop
The main purpose of this stage is to improve, modify and finalize the product.
In Develop stage will the initial design be improved through formative evaluation,
analyzed by experts and tested repeatedly to the learners. The repetition in the
Develop stage is accordingly used to see how the instructional media works
effectively and consistently. The effective measure in this research will largely seen
through wide analyses of feedback and prompt responses both experts (refers to
expert appraisal) and learners (refers to developmental testing). Particularly, the
success indicator would well be achieving more than 80% satisfaction toward the
coverage of all items within the products. If it does not, the cycle would be revising
and retesting up to the desire result achieved.
3.1.4 Disseminate
The Disseminate stage is the terminal overall processes in the research
conducted by within the 4D model. This stage covers summative evaluation,
packaging and moreover subject to professional examination and special efforts in
distribution. The coverage of this stage is then considered to be considerably
weighing and exceeding the budget availability. Also, it is ineffective since the
current developmental research is not designed for commercial purpose. As it is
written to be conditionally (see 3.1), the research will well be redesigned into a
dissemination as a seminar on research result.
Since the final stage is not concerned simply with the product outcome, the
present research and development is more focusing on how to see the ‘meaning’ in
the whole process of it through qualitative approach. This is also considered to be
useful to help future research in the advancement of the material by wider
 constraints in budget and time consumption. Thus, the one of the key instruments in
this research would be the researcher himself to analyze the process qualitatively.

3.2 Procedures of the Research

The procedure of this research will of course be undertaken in 4 stages as
suggested in Thiagarajan’s sourcebook. According to the adjustments as well as
researcher’s plan and need, the procedure is running under quite simplifier than the
common works of using this model. On the proponents likewise Akker (2012), a
development research must be flexible and adjustable in the methodology accordingly to
the need of the researcher or the developer.
The Define stage starts with the front-end analysis. The front-end analysis
covering the learner’s analysis is done through the interview with English teachers.
However, necessarily, in attempt to draw objectives covering task and concept analyses,
a student assessment instrument i.e. questionnaire is employed. Then the step
continues to Design stage that starts with arranging and converting the specified
objectives into process of selecting appropriate materials, the texts. Then, the choosing
media and formatting is the next step before the initial design ready to be appraised and
tested in the Develop stage.
To develop the material, consulting the product to the expert is essential. It is
also supposed to be done before the developmental testing. Their feedbacks and
appraisal, in this case, is carried out through the feedback of expert appraisal and
heuristic evaluation. The revised prototype or the initial design is going to be tried-out to
students. The desirable product will be looked its validity through the feedback of the
experts. While, the practicality and reliability can well be judged through the result of the
student’s performance, of accomplishing the book. Finally, the product that yields
consistent or transferable result and positive comment from experts is ready to be
publicly disseminated.
Due to the time constraint and budgeting, the research should limit the
developmental testing. To test the transferability can hardly be determined within a
relatively short amount of time. As we are aware that one accomplishing the use of the
product by the learners should have taken approximately ten days, one cycle includes
time to analysis and revising either in response to the expert appraisal or the learner
suggestion will likely expand almost a half month. In simple estimation, two cycles will
likely be exceeding a month. Thus, it is reasonable to limit the developmental testing.
 The success of this research is determined by the positive feedback from the
experts according to the quantitative analysis. Besides, the developmental testing is
ended by the achievement of average 80% satisfaction or positive respond from the
students.
 Figure 3.2.1. Chart of Research Procedure

3.2.1 Timeline and Schedule

No Activity December January

 . 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
1 Front-end analysis
Converting the front-end
2 analysis data into
specified objectives
Design the prototype to
3
be appraised
Conducting the prototype
4
try-out
Data analysis after the
5
first test
Gathering triangulated
6 data and revising the
prototype
Retesting the second
7 draft of product (as well
as expert appraisal)
8 Concluding the final result

3.2 Subject Selection and Description

Of the common practice in development research, the subjects of the present
research are a lecturer, 4 English teachers and 3 students from 2 different schools. The
selection of these subjects is according to the purposive sampling. Also, the use of
heuristic inspection method allows the 5 English teachers to be the experts to judge the
overall validity of the product. In brief, the subjects are taken due to the following details:
3.2.1 The two lecturers taken as ones of the subjects in this research is because
of their capability in the interest field does this research undertake within.
Both lecturers are experienced lecturer on reading subject in the university.
3.2.2 The four English teachers taken from different schools are treated as the
experts as well. It can be done so because simply they are the expert or the
experienced ones to understand the context of this research. One senior
teacher is the head of foreign language department at Debsirin School in
Bangkok, an English teacher at Sekolah Indonesia Bangkok, and an
English teacher at Lower Secondary School of Al Hikmah and an English
teacher at Lower Secondary School Ulul Albab Sidoarjo.
3.2.3 The three students from 2 different schools, Lower Secondary School of Al
Hikmah and Ulul Albab, are taken for the developmental testing or try-out
the product as well as to measure the practicality of the product. These two
school is taken due to the grade-level or the schools’ accreditation i.e. A.
 Then, the students for the present research subjects are selected according
to the teachers’ analysis related to their performance in reading English.
The purposive sampling in this research is concerned with the average
level of proficiency according to the context respectively. As it is mentioned
in Thiagarajan theory (1974), teacher’s role and experience might well be a
prompt to simplify the process of front-end analysis, particularly in learner’s
analysis.

3.3 Instrument of the Research

Reflecting on the needs of broad variables measured in this research, the
research will likely be concerned with triangulated measurements. Above all, the
main instrument is of course the researcher itself. While, the instruments to carry out
the result -in develop stage- are including expert appraisal sheet, interview guide for
the teacher, heuristic evaluation, questionnaire for students and the self-recording
achievement the material provides.
The preliminary stage requires the student questionnaire for the learner’s
analysis. This is associated with the teacher’s interview guide to complement the
result. In develop stage, expert appraisal and heuristic evaluation are used to make
the first revision of the prototype. Then, the developmental testing uses
questionnaire on student’s respond after using the product. Necessarily, the result of
self-record progress the student make during their practice is essential to the next
revision.

3.4 Data Collection Procedure

The procedure of the data collection is adapted from the initial design of
Thiagarajan (1974). The present research adapts the main purpose of the
framework used as it is mentioned above (see 3.2). Thiagarajan (1974) pointed a
principle of which this research called substitution to the sub-stages that if it is
available either a pertinent instructional alternatives or materials, then to call for
development of the instructional materials is a must (p. 6). Therefore, under the sub-
stage of Learner’s Analysis, the present research will depend more on the
observations for the preliminary study (p.32). These two principles are taken as the
main justification over all the data collection procedure or technique.
The data is mainly collected from students, teachers, lecturers and the
researcher himself. The involvement of researcher is simply because the
 interpretation or the triangulated process among the instruments is from the
researcher respectively. The data is first taken from the use of preliminary
instruments i.e. student questionnaire on reading attitude and the interview guide
result. The data next is the expert appraisal and the result of the heuristic evaluation
before the revision of the prototype. Then, the next data is taken from the lowest
ground in this research, that is, the developmental testing data through the use of
self-record reading progress installed in the material.

3.5 Data Analysis Technique

In attempt to achieve the level of validity and practicality, the present
research is using varieties of techniques. Also, the technique of data analysis is
separated into two layers i.e. preliminary or define data analysis and the develop
data analysis. The terminologies are used as to indicate the stage where the data
analysis takes place.

First of all, the preliminary data analysis technique is administered during

and after the preliminary data collected. The data taken in the preliminary is
analyzed quantitatively by using frequency and percentage. After that, the data is
then analyzed descriptively and used to determine the specified objectives that the
product would cover. The result of this analysis is also useful to fitting the selection
of format and initial design.

The develop data analysis technique is then again matching and analyzing in
between the expert appraisals and feedback. The data then is triangulated and
analyzed through the developmental testing result. The last data validation from the
expert is analyzed quantitatively through adapted descriptive quantitative suggested
by Suharto (2016, cited in Rakhmawati 2016).

Scales Interval Categories

4 3.25 ≤ x ≤ 4 Very good
3 2.5 ≤ x ≤ 3.24 Good
2 1.75 ≤ x ≤ 2.49 Fair
1 1 ≤ x ≤ 1.74 Poor
Table 3.5.1 Quantitative Data Conversion