Náležitosti

5.2 
Research Background 
5.2.1 Starting the Research 
 
To provide valid and reliable research data several terms concerning ´relevance´, 
´feasibility´, ´coverage´, ´accuracy´, ´objectivity´ and ´ethics´ are to be explained. All 
the mentioned terms were found in a book called ´The Good Research Guide´ written by 
Martyn Denscombe (2003), see appendix No.3.
The first term ´relevance´ answers the question ´Does it really matter whether 
the research take place?´ For real-life practice the topic of developing pronunciation and 

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its incorporation into the teaching and learning process is significant, for the reasons 
discussed in chapter No.3.1, so that research work on this field is relevant. The next 
term ´feasibility´ can be expressed in the question ´Can the research be done? ´ In order 
to answer yes, the teacher B looked for a suitable course and was provided with the 
eight-month course. The third term ´coverage´ can be dealt with in the question ´Is the 
number of people and events needed for the research sufficient? ´ The answer is yes, as 
a third graders class provides vast experience in all fields. The fourth term ´accuracy´ 
tries to answer the question ´Will the research produce true and honest findings? To be 
able to answer yes, teaching journal entries accompanied by lesson plans and teaching 
logs were to be written regularly from the course beginning. The fifth term ´objectivity´ 
tries to answer the question ´What chance is there that the research will provide a fair 
and balanced picture?´ Here a weakness of the chosen tools for data collection is seen, 
as personal reactions and interpretations can not be fully omitted in all phases of the 
research. The sixth term ´ethics´ concerns the question ´What about the rights and 
feelings of those affected by the research? ´. To protect all participants´ rights for 
example letters instead of names are used. The school’s name is not mentioned either. 
The school is characterized according to its size, number of classes, English teachers, 
and used course books.
Besides, some other terms appear through literature. They are ´reliability´, 
´validity´, and ´triangulation´. When the term ´reliability´ is concerned, Peter Gavora 
(2000, 146) and Martyn Denscombe (2003, 273) acknowledge, qualitative research is an 
opposite pole to quantitative research, as it is not possible to reproduce events 
happening in the research with the same results because of the events that keep 
changing, and the role of the researcher behaving as an active participant. In order to 
produce reliable research data, there is a need to describe methods and procedures used 
in the process of obtaining data, so that the reader can check accuracy and correctness of 
the researcher’s work. (Gavora 2000, 146) For more information about the ´qualitative 
research´ type, see chapter No.5.2.4. When the term ´validity´ is concerned, it is 
accepted that there are many ways used to guarantee a valid research and its results. 
Peter Gavora stresses the fact that ´validity´ is proved by long-term research, and by 
large, very detailed, cogent, exact and accurate description of the direct contact with 
reality. (2000, 146) The last term needed is the term ´triangulation´. In Gavora´s view 

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´triangulation´ is an important way used to assure that a particular qualitative research is 
valid. Moreover he suggests that there are three different ways of triangulation. The first 
way is when more research methods are used, the second way is when more data are 
used, and the third way is when there are more researchers to examine the same 
situation, event, or action, in order to deal with the topic from various viewpoints. 
Unfortunately, there was no opportunity to have another researcher or person to read 
and check all the journal entries, so this type of triangulations was not used. It was tried 
to use more research tools for collecting data in order to provide more information about 
the same events, actions, and situations with respect to activities developing English 
pronunciation. Teaching Journal Entries, Lesson plans, and Teaching Logs were written 
regularly. These tools are described in the following chapters.