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HMEF5093
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
SEPTEMBER SEMESTER 2017

ASSIGNMENT 2
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INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS

1. Your assignment should be typed using 12 point Times New Roman font and 1.5 line
spacing.

2. You are to submit assignment only in MS-WORD format unless specified otherwise.
Please refrain from converting text/phrases into picture format such as .gif / .jpeg / print
screen / etc.

3. Submission Method:

a. Face-to-face student:
You MUST submit a softcopy of your assignment online through myINSPIRE
and a hardcopy to your facilitator.

b. Online student:
You MUST submit a softcopy of your assignment via myINSPIRE and another
softcopy to the e-facilitator via e-mail.

You can submit your assignment ONCE only in a SINGLE file in myINSPIRE. You are
advised to keep a copy of your submitted assignment and the RECEIPT as evidence of
online submission.

4. Your assignment must be submitted on 17th 19th November 2017.

5. Your assignment should be prepared individually. You should not copy another persons
assignment. You should also not plagiarise another persons work as your own.
EVALUATION

This assignment accounts for 50% of the total marks for the course.

PLAGIARISM: MARKS DEDUCTION

Warning: The submitted assignment will automatically undergo a similarity check. If

plagiarism is detected, marks would be deducted as follows:

No. Similarities Group (%) Marks Deduction (%)

1. 0 30 0
2. 30.01 50 5
3. 50.01 70 10
4. 70.01 - 100 100

Assignments found to have similarities under any of the categories above; will not be entitled
to apply for appeal. For learners who fall into the 70.01-100 similarities group, the access for
online appeal for assignment remarking of the subject will be disabled from the appeal
options.

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ASSIGNMENT 2 (Individual Work)

OBJECTIVE
This assignment aims at giving you the opportunity to demonstrate your ability in planning
and devising an appropriate quantitative research methodology for an experimental or a
survey research study.

The assignment comprises TWO related tasks, the details of which are explained below:

Task 1
Identify a quantitative research topic that you can work on based on your readings and
literature review. The intended research should allow for the use of either an experimental
research design or a survey research design. Provide an appropriate title for the intended
research and a list of research questions.

You should also explain the rationale for the choice of your research topic. The rationale
should be supported by theory and/or past research.

(10 marks)
Task 2
In this task, you are required to describe and explain the methodology of your intended study,
focusing on the following sections:
(1) Research design
(2) Population and sample
(3) Instrumentation
(4) Data collection procedures
(5) Framework of data analysis

You can refer to the HMEF5093 Quantitative Research Methodology module, Topic 10:
Writing the research report, as a guide to write the different sections.

(40 marks)

Assessment Criteria

Your response to the task will be graded based on the scoring scheme attached. For maximum
credit, be sure that your response addresses each of the scoring criteria components.

3
Allocation of marks:

Task 1 (10 marks)

(1) Title (2 marks)

(2) List of research questions (3 marks)
(3) Rationale of the proposed research (5 marks)

Task 2 (40 marks)

(1) Research design (8 marks)

(2) Population and sample (8 marks)
(3) Instrumentation (8 marks)
(4) Data collection procedures (8 marks)
(5) Framework of data analysis (8 marks)

[TOTAL: 50 MARKS]

Submission Guidelines

Your assignment should be typed on A4 paper using 12 pt Times New Roman and 1.5
spacing.
You are to submit a softcopy of your assignment on-line through myVLE and a bound
hardcopy to your facilitator. Do print out and keep the receipt of online submission for
future reference. For online learners, subject a softcopy online through myVLE and
another softcopy via e-mail to the e-facilitator.
The document submitted should have the following:

(1) The title page

(2) List of research questions
(3) Rationale of proposed research
(4) Methodology
Research design
Population and sample
Instrumentation
Data collection procedures
Framework of data analysis

The assignment should be an original piece of work. Plagiarised assignment will be

rejected.

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Award a maximum of 10 marks for Task 1 using the following rubric.

Assessment Rubrics

1 2 3 4 Weight Score

Title The title hardly reflects The title partially The title fairly The title clearly X 0.5 2
the focus of the study, reflects the focus of clearly reflects the reflects the focus of
revealing little the study, revealing focus of the study, the study, revealing
information about the some information revealing fairly adequate information
variables, subjects & about the variables, adequate information about the variables,
research setting. subjects & research about the variables, subjects & research
setting. subjects & research setting.
setting.
Research Research questions are Research questions Research questions Research questions X 0.75 3
Questions hardly focused, are fairly focused, are focused, are highly focused
providing only vague providing fairly providing clear and providing very
direction for measuring clear, direction for direction for clear direction for
relationships between measuring measuring measuring
variables. relationships relationships relationships
between variables. between variables. between variables.

Rationale Rationale is very clearly Rationale is very Rationale is very Rationale is very X 1.25 5
articulated and clearly articulated clearly articulated clearly articulated
explained with hardly and explained with and explained with and explained with
any theoretical and/or some theoretical fairly adequate adequate theoretical
past research support. and/or past research theoretical and/or and/or past research
support. past research support.
support.

10
Award a maximum of 40 marks for Task 2
1 2 3 4 Weight Score

Research The research The research design The research design The research design is X 2. 8
Design design is hardly is fairly appropriate is appropriate very appropriate
appropriate. The explanation is The explanation is The explanation is very
The explanation is fairly clear with clear with quite clear with adequate
rather vague with some relevant adequate relevant relevant justification
minimal or no justification justification
relevant
justification
Population & The description of The description of The description of The description of the X 2. 8
Sample the target the target population the target population target population and the
population and the and the sample is and the sample is sample very clear.
sample is rather fairly clear. clear. The sampling technique
vague The sampling The sampling proposed is very
The sampling technique proposed technique proposed appropriate.
technique is fairly is appropriate.
proposed is hardly appropriate.
appropriate.
Instrumentati The instrument(s) The instrument(s) The instrument(s) to The instrument(s) to be X2 8
to be used is to be used are fairly be used is used is very
on
somewhat appropriately appropriately appropriately designed.
inappropriately designed. designed. Validity and reliability
designed. Validity and Validity and issues are very well
Validity and reliability issues reliability issues are addressed
reliability issues are fairly well well addressed. The description is very
are rather poorly addressed. The description is clear with lots of details
or hardly The description is clear with most of the
addressed. fairly clear with details.
The description is some details.
rather vague with
hardly any details

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Data Vague description Fairly clear Clear description of Very clear description X2 8
of data collection description of data data collection data collection
Collection
procedures collection procedures procedures.
Procedures
Threats to validity procedures Threats to validity Threats to validity and
and reliability are Threats to validity and reliability are reliability are very well-
poorly or hardly and reliability are well-addressed addressed
addressed fairly well-
addressed
Framework of Rather Fairly appropriate Appropriate methods Very Appropriate X2 8
data analysis inappropriate methods of analysis of analysis are methods of analysis are
methods of are suggested suggested suggested
analysis are Fairly clear and Clear and adequate Very clear and adequate
suggested adequate description of the description of the
Vague and description of the method of analysis method of analysis
inadequate method of analysis
description of the
method of
analysis
40