Current Trends in Research Methodology and Statistics in Applied Linguistics

Abstract

* The past decade has seen second of of the research in applied linguistics, as evidenced by the increasing prominence of qualitative research as both subject of theoretical discussion and method for conducting empirical work (Lazaraton, 1995). The first coming of age was remarked on by Henning (1986), who noted sharp increase in the number of quantitative articles in both TESOL Quarterly and Language Learning from 1970 to 1985, which he viewed as a positive development-a kind of coming of age of discipline (p. 704). At about the same time, Lazaraton, Riggenbach, and Ediger (1987) reported on survey of 121 professionals in field, mostly university faculty working in North America, which asked them about their attitudes toward statistics and empirical research and their knowledge in these areas. The majority of the respondents indicated that they had taken, at most, one or two courses in research design and statistics, number most felt was insufficient for the work and advising they were doing. The second area surveyed was the respondents' ability to use and to interpret 23 statistical terms (such as mean or median) and statistical procedures (such as correlation or t test). On 4-point scale, respondents reported mean of less than 2 for terms like power, Rasch model, and Scheffe test.'