Informe de sostenibilidad

The researcher used multiple methods of data collection in order to affirm the validation of results. Then the collected data were configured and later, triangulated to see their authenticity and confidentiality. These data were mostly obtained through a survey questionnaire that comprised open and closed questions, interviews with key informants, observation and document analysis. In addition, audio and video recordings were used to understand how participants viewed and felt about the research questions or problems. Finally, the quantitatively and qualitatively gathered data were integrated or combined, and then they were analysed, interpreted and reported.

4.4.1 Questionnaire

A questionnaire is one of the research tools used to gather information from a large number of respondents. It has a diversified nature used for different reasons depending on their purposes, size, appearance and/or the way they are administered. According to Wilson and McLean (1994) in Cohen, Manion and Morrison (2007:317), the questionnaire is a useful instrument which is a widely used for collecting survey information, providing structure, often numerical data, being able to be administered…, and eventually being comparatively straightforward to analyse. Thus, the questionnaire has advantages for the researcher to gather reliable and valid data. It is economical, in a sense that it can supply a considerable amount of research data for a relatively low cost in terms of materials, money and time, and it is also easier to arrange (Denscombe, 2007: 169). In addition, a questionnaire is cheaper than other tools like interviews. Besides, it has wide coverage, pre-coded data and it reduces the effect of personal interaction with the researcher.

However, the questionnaire has also disadvantages if the questions are not carefully constructed. For instance, careless construct questions can confuse the respondent. As a result, the respondent can divert questions in order to include the responses that are exciting him/her to respond. In this sense, the researcher has no opportunity to check the truthfulness of the answers given by the respondents as he /she does not meet the respondents. For this reason, the questionnaire may not

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serve for the purposes it is desired for if the topics or themes of the questions are not clear to the respondents (Denscombe, 2007: 171). In addition, some questions can be incomplete or poorly completed answers. Thus, these limitations could be minimised by using other research tools. For example, in addition, the researcher can use interviews, observations and document analysis in order to minimise the shortcomings observed in the questionnaire.

In the study, the researcher developed a self-prepared survey questionnaire containing both open and close-ended questions were employed to gather information on the research problem. The questionnaires were designed and distributed to the teachers who teach in primary schools. From the distributed questionnaires, 634 questionnaires were filled correctly and returned. All the 634 questionnaires were used in the analysis. Similarly, the questionnaires, which consist of only close-ended questions, were designed and distributed to the students. Of those randomly selected students, 134 of them filled in the questionnaires correctly and all the 134 questionnaires were used in the data analysis.

4.4.2 Interview

An interview is one of the research tools used to collect straightforward information in a real situation through conversations that take place between an interviewer and a number of interviewees. The interview is worthwhile and better exploited when it is applied to the investigation of more complex and subtle phenomena. According to Denscombe (2007: 174), For example, the interview will most likely provide a more suitable method attuned to the intricacy of the subject matters when the researcher needs to gain insights into respondents’ feeling, opinions, emotions and experiences. Thus, an interview enables the researcher to deduce the implied information from the respondents’ feelings, actions, expressions and intended responses.

In order to investigate possible information from the interviewee, an interview is worthwhile to obtain information from the respondents. It plays a profoundly significant to deal with complex behaviours of people in order to obtain the possible facts from the interviewee. This type of interviewing is also advantageous for the collection of data on individuals’ personal histories,

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perspectives and experiences. Thus, it is a valuable tool, especially when sensitive issues are explored from participants of the study.

An Interview is a form of asking and answering questions, which involve conducting an intensive interview with a small number of research participants to elicit information to achieve a holistic understanding of the interviewee’s point of view or situation. Moreover, in-depth interview enables interviewers and Interviewees to discuss their interpretation of the world they live in and to articulate how they view the situations from their own point of view (Cohen, Manion and Morrison, 2007:349). The authors went on saying, “The interview is not simply concerned with collecting data about life: it is part of life itself; its human embeddedness is inescapable.” According to these authors, interview is a flexible tool that is used for data collection. It also enables multi-sensory channels to be used and is a powerful implement for researchers. Thus, interviews enable the researcher to obtain various information about the research problem by probing into the various relevant issues and eliciting various responses from the reaction of the respondents.

The interview can follow the same comprehensive processes as that of other research tools. The general processes are planning, developing instruments, collecting data, analyzing data, and disseminating the findings. Thus, the researcher can use them to collect data from various parts of the societies in qualitative research design.

In this study, the researcher uses in-depth interviews as additional instruments so as to authenticate the information gathered through other tools. The researcher used various techniques applicable to interview to obtain valuable information from the respondents. The processes of interviewing also involved asking questions, listening to, recording the answers and then posing additional questions to clarify or expand on a particular issue. This semi-structured interview was used and the respondents were encouraged to express their own perceptions in their individual words. The perceptions of the participants was recorded and later transcribed. The theme of the interviews was coded for analysis. In this study, for example, the researcher used the informants: teachers, students, administrators, school directors, teacher educators, parents and language experts who were directly and indirectly involved in the research problem.

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These respondents were asked about their experiences and expectations related to the challenges, achievements and how to meet the challenges in the use of Afan Oromo in primary schools in the Oromia Regional State. They were asked about the operation, processes and use of the program. Thus, in-depth interview was useful to collect detailed information about peoples’ thought, behaviour and new issues in depth. They are often used to endow with the context of other data, which offered a more complete picture of what happened in the program and why it happened. Thereby, the informants were purposefully selected and interviewed to gather information.

4.4.3 Observation

An observation is a systematic method of collecting data that rely on a researcher’s ability to gather data through his or her senses (O’leary, 2004:170). It is appropriate tool for collecting data on naturally occurring behaviours in their usual contexts. It offers a good opportunity to the researcher to collect factual data from naturally occurring social settings. By using observation, it is possible to study all observable public phenomena if they are accessible to the study (Sarantakos, 2005:220). The researcher directly takes part in the observation of the situations rather than relying on the secondary data. In this sense, the researcher can gain awareness and cognition of the situations in their contexts to collect authentic data. Thus, during the observation, the researcher observes what is going on in the study sites as a whole and particularly in the classroom while the process of teaching and learning takes place. By using various observation systems, the researcher can observe the interactions conducted between teacher and students and students and students.

In general, the main themes of observation are students’ confidences during classroom interaction and their abilities in the medium of instruction, which is Afan Oromo, teachers’ teaching confidence, the methodology employed by the teachers, the convenience of classrooms and its physical appearance, and students’ feeling towards learning through Afan Oromo. All these themes were directly or indirectly observed to combine the results of observation with the results obtained from questionnaires and interviews, and then the results were analysed and interpreted. During the observation, the researcher used video camera and the classroom

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situations and teachers’ teaching methodologies were systematically observed and recorded. The performances of some students in Afan Oromo writing system or a student’s basic literacy skills were assessed and recorded.

4.4.4 Document analysis

Document refers to various archives that consist of different data either recorded or printed and documented about various issues in the community. Document analysis was used as a part of this study. Most of the documents referenced in the study were consulted. For example, the reports of the Ministry of Education of Ethiopia, assessment results and even some studies, reports, policy documents from the Regional Bureaus and international literatures and findings. In addition to these, the research draws upon a wide range of other Ethiopian and global literature and currently relevant to this study.