Master's thesis 3

1. Master’s thesis
LET master’s programme
21.3.2013
Pirkko Hyvönen,
Learning and Educational Technology Research Unit
Kuva ESS-arkisto

2. 8.15.-9.00. Pirkko
9.00.-9.15. Coffee
9.15.- 11.15.
Aippi
9.15.-10.15. 1) Individually, define
Ernesto with accurately parts of
Ana, Aleksandra, L your ”puzzle”. 9.15.- 11.15.
iping, Marta and 2) Together, present Pirkko: tutoring a’
Antonella your research plan by 20 mins
using the ”puzzle” to Polina, Miguel, Päiv
your peers. i, Fedor and Lyana
Discuss, and assess
whether the parts are
”in line”.
3) Together, define
and write down your
next goals dealing
with your thesis.
4. Joint closing
Pirkko Hyvönen

3. RESEARCH CONTEXT GROUNDING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE EARLIER STUDIES
RESEARCH (societal, scientific, personal)
CENTRAL CONCEPTS / THEORETICAL AIM AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS METHODS
BACKGROUND
DATA RESULTS DISCUSSION
Pirkko Hyvönen

4. RESEARCH CONTEXT
Sasha: English language classroom
Formal learning context
Curriculum-based education
Northern Finland
Miguel: Finland, Mexico
Developed and underdeveloped countries
Web
Students
If you don’t understand the context, high-quality
research can be hindered!
Pirkko Hyvönen

5. GROUNDING THE IMPORTANCE
OF THE RESEARCH
(societal, scientific, personal)
Marta: Most children grow up
spending hours of homework every
day
Homework assigments impact on
students´ self-regulatory skills and
beliefs
Homework practices remain the
same
Pirkko Hyvönen

6. EARLIER STUDIES
Important part of the research
Clarifies and justifies the need of your
research
What particularly has been explored and what
has not?
When?
Where?
By which methods?
By which kind of data?
By which kind of participants?
By which theories and concepts?
Pirkko Hyvönen

7. Key concepts in some
CENTRAL CONCEPTS (3-5) / studies:
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
Collaborative
Polina: Expert system, Kodu games, self- learning, emotions, motivati
on, self-regulated learning
regulation
(Järvenoja, 2010)
Päivi: Adaptive expertise, collaborative CSCL, mathematical
problem-solving problem
solving, metacognition, soci
ally shared metacognition
(Hurme, 2010)
3D multiplayer
games, CSCL, scripting
collaboration, small-group
discussion, socially shared
cognition (Bluemink, 2011)
Pirkko Hyvönen

8. THEORY
Researching phenomena, which are related
to human behavior is grounded on
concepts.
There is difference between concept and
term.
 Defining theories is defining concepts
and relations between them.
THEORY: Set of well-developed categories
(themes, concepts) that are systemically
interrelated through statements of
relationship to form a theoretical framework
that explains some phenomenon
(Hage, 1972, p. 34).
let.oulu.fi / pirkko.hyvonen@oulu.fi

9. Concepts as a theoretical framework (Järvenoja, 2010)
let.oulu.fi / pirkko.hyvonen@oulu.fi

10. AIM and RESEARCH QUESTIONS (Marta)
The aim of my master's thesis study is to explore what kind
of homework assignments support self-regulation and
integrate in the active and engaging classroom
environment.
The research questions are:
 How can homework support active and engaging
classroom activities? What kind
of homework tasks foster the development of self-
regulation skills?
 How to facilitate active learning and the development of
self-regulated learning
skills by means of homework design?
 What self-regulatory strategies do 4th graders engage in
while doing english
language homework?
Pirkko Hyvönen

11. AIM and RESEARCH QUESTIONS
(Liping)
Generally, teachers know some
good strategies and students do
not, therefore teachers should
describe these strategies and
suggest students to use them. But
there is a problem happened that
students who have some strategies
do not mean that they can apply or
have awareness to use them in real
learning.
So it raises some questions:
 How do teachers train students
to get some strategies?
 How do teachers motivate
students to use learning strategies
effectively?
Pirkko Hyvönen

12. AIM and RESEARCH QUESTIONS (Sasha): The aim of the
study is to describe the effects of use of ICT in the English
language classroom on student engagement, and preferably
provide recommendations for teachers on designing TEL
environments that promote student engagement.
The research is likely to focus on a number of questions, such
as: a). How can use of technology in classroom tasks and
activities promote student engagment? b). How can use of
technology in classroom tasks and activities improve student
emotional state? c). How can use of technology in classroom
tasks and activities contribute to situational and personal
interest in tasks?
Hypotheses that lie in the base of the planned study could be
defined as following: • Students' situational and personal
interest in tasks can be increased by appropriate integration of
technology into a task.
Pirkko Hyvönen

13. METHODS
Participants
Data collection procedure
Analysis
Pirkko Hyvönen

14. DATA
Questionnaire, videomaterial, interviews, p
hotodiaries, drawings, memories, mental
maps etc.
Existing material: books, journals, web-
based materials, different documents etc.
Private vs. public
Comparable
Longitudinal
Case
What is the best data to provide answers
for your research queastions and aims?
Pirkko Hyvönen

15. YOUR ROLE as a
researcher
You are an
instrument, which has to
be developed allway long.
- Ability to analyse
represents researcher’s
ability to categorise and
understand the phenomena
in the context
let.oulu.fi / pirkko.hyvonen@oulu.fi

16. CARAWAY
CINNAMON
Aleksandra
Antonella Liping
Polina Salvador
Arilesere
CILANTRO
CHILI
Ana, Lyana, Miguel
Päivi
Fedor
Marta
Pirkko Hyvönen

17. Puzzle
WHY?
Research plan
Competence and intrests;
Research groups
preliminary ideas about topic and
theoretical perspective Clarification of theoretical basis
Pirkko Hyvönen Methodological map of the group