Introduction
The suggested research includes an examination of the effects of a student-teacher relationship and the student’s level of anxiety. The purpose of the study is to decide if the student-teacher relationship has an influence in the amount of anxiety. The study will focus on students ranging from 9-12 years of age. It is necessary to establish the main point of the research by enunciating the elements of the initial data including the analysis and interpretation approach. Furthermore, the research will also study the dynamics of the student-teacher relationship, and how it forms the circumstances that will either instigate or lessen the occurrence of anxiety on students within the specified age group.
The research question proposed for this study is “how the student-teacher relationships affect the student’s level of anxiety”. The American Psychological Association (2015) describes anxiety as an emotion driven by feelings of uneasiness, troubled perceptions, and physiologic alterations such as increased heart rate and blood pressure, perspiration, and dizziness. People with anxiety, tipically have recurrent upsetting ideas or doubts, thus removing themselves from certain situations. It is essential that the research investigates the notion of anxiety among students and how student-teacher relationships plays a pivotal role in the alleviation of anxiety. Therefore, the research will focus on the research problem by using a systematic review of literature (Appendix 1, Figure 1).
Data Collection Process
The research uses a qualitative approach where’s the literature review incorporates the main element of the methodology. In this method, the data collection process includes collecting data from literatures that is found from several locations such as online databases and the library. An important factor in the collection process is to ensure the quality of the source provided by the information is credible, validated, and reputable (Appendix I, Figure 2). The sources found in a library differs from printed periodicals, books, journals, and prior studies comparative to the topic of study. In terms of online resources, it is important to consider selecting the suitable literature to draw data are institutional websites, peer-reviewed journals, and other electronic sources. However, in order to establish the reliability of the online literature, it is important that the sources are peer-reviewed, and have been published by a reputable organization. In addition, the online sources will be sorted into primary and secondary literature. The primary literatures shall be the main source of data and the secondary sources will be used to draw out the supporting facts for the study.
It was stated that the method for the study is a qualitative method in which a review of literature is the key element. While the narrative approach to a literature review is seen differently from a systematic review, the structures and fundamental principles of the review method would be helpful in the data collection. Today, the accessibility of electronic data surpasses the traditional search for related data. The large amounts of data found on the Internet signifies convenience on the part of the researcher in retrieving data and ease of access. However, it is important to consider the level of relevance that the retrieved sources have in relation to the topic being explored (Appendix II, Figure 4).
After choosing the suitable sources to search for primary writings, the next step is to create a list of key-words that will be applied in the search process. Using the correct key-words is crucial in the search process in order to establish that the most significant literatures will be used (Maslin-Prothero, 2010). One must also be careful when using the same key-word in several databases as they may return with wavering results. For example, the word colour might not produce a correct search in a American database as the word color would. The researcher can then use other terms and or synonyms given that the word has the same meaning and would produce similar findings. An amalgamation of key-words prevides the researcher with reasonably more results.
(I’m not sure how to reword this highlighted section)
Databases and other electronic repositories recognize the use of boolean operators in identifying the specific content of the literature that the researcher is looking for. The most commonly used boolean operators are “NOT”, “AND”, and “OR”. The boolean operators are being used to identify articles that may include or exclude the keywords entered into the database search engine. Other published literature reviews are also good source of information that would be able to contribute significantly to the research in terms of providing valuable data. When employing literature review method, it is important to determine the age of the literature and whether or not it should be included in the list of preliminary data category. In terms of procedures in collecting resources from the library, the first thing to consider is the also other age of the literature given that books are less updated as compared to journals published online.
Data organization processes
During organization, it’s vital to find out strategies on how the acquired sources should be categorized. Not all gathered literature can be viewed as primary sources because each source needs be confirmed for accurateness and reliability of the stated information by means of appraisal method (Appendix II, Figure 5). Also there will be a chronological subsections in the study in which a thematic review would become apparent (Hannigan and Burnard, 2001). The acquired data from the literature will be structured as followed:
Preliminary Data Analysis
The method that is involved in analyzing the information that is obtained was adopted from the analysis model familiarised by Appleton (as cited in Rouf, 2004). This technique is comprised of data reduction, display, and conclusion drawing. Data reduction, is the collected data follows the course of focusing, simplifying, transforming, and abstracting data where the researcher will produce the relevant information through the suggested meanings and understanding by the respondents (Hendry and Farley, 1998). This involves that the researcher to read and re-read the gathered literature frequently to become familiarized with the information. The data pulled from the sources shall be coded according to themes, and categories. The categorized themes will be broken-down into subcategories (see Appendix I, Figure 3 on framing criterai).
Based on the categorized subcategories, this study will be able to reduce the scope of the topic within the context of the given categories (Patrick and Munro, 2004). The research purpose of this study is to find the effects of the student-teacher relationship and the student’s level of anxiety. The research will be organized into subcategories which will include the dynamics of student-teacher relationship, sources of anxiety on student, the levels of anxiety, the issues influencing anxiety levels, and the possible interventions that teachers may be able to apply in the classroom.
Preliminary Interpretation
Once the data is gathered and analyzed, the next step is to interpret the data. The easiest way that this can be done is in the interpretation process that was adopted by Cohen, which is referred to as preview, question, read, and summarized (as cited in Ramdhani et al., 2014). During the preview section, the readings will be studied from the abstracts to determine how relevant the information is to the study. In the question section the data will be analyzed and examined for its authenticity and reliability of the existing data (Cronin et al., 2008). The next step is to do a comprehensive reading of the sources and taking notes of important material that correlates to the given topic. The final step is to summarize where the gathered data is synthesized.
Now, the similarities and differences that were gathered from the sources will be well-defined and the exclusion of the materials that are less relevant will be taken into careful consideration (Timmins and McCabe, 2005 as cited in Bolderston, 288). For instance, a study that focuses on anxiety amongst children shall be reviewed against other studies that exhibits the similar research. If the two sources seem to pose opposing conclusions, the validation procedure will find the difference between the existing information and re-examined against the rest of the data in the same section. Also, confirming the claims in the research will need supporting sources gathered from decoding the meanings.
Appendices
Appendix I. Systematic review criteria
Figure 0 Assessment of validity and reliability of literature review (Ramdhani et al., 2014)
Employing the systematic review of literature requires the reviewer to present a precise set of criteria in order for the readers to assess it validity and reliability. The usual set of criteria for the literature review includes (1) The research question, (2) exclusion and inclusion, (3) access and selection of literature, (4) assessment of the literature quality, and (5) Synthesis and analysis of relevant findings in the literature.
Figure 2 Information criteria required in literature review (Cronin, Ryan and Coughlan, 2008)
It is apparent that not every literature depicting a title that appears in accord with the subject of the study can be used as a primary source. In this regard, a summary system can be adopted in order to determine if the literatures picked for the review can be accommodated and ultimately to allow an easier process of adding or eliminating selected literatures.
Figure 3 Literature review framing criteria (Cronin, Ryan and Coughlan, 2008)
After selecting and categorizing the literatures to review, the next step in the process framing the review in the body of the report. This includes the discussion of the relevant findings, and the manner of discussion can be done in ways according to the set of framing criteria. It would be easier for the reviewer to weigh the advantage and disadvantages of each approach to determine whether it matches the direction that the literature review intends to take
Appendix II. LiteratureAppraisal
Figure 4 Electronic resource appraisal method (Bolderston, 2008)
The reviewer’s ability to appraise the collected literatures in accordance with the principles of the central concept being research is critical in establishing credibility of the literature review. Using online databases does not necessarily mean that the collected literature are relevant to the central theme of the study, otherwise an appraisal of the literature’s characteristics is necessary in ascertaining the quality relevance of the information
Figure 5 Example of syntax matrix for appraising key studies (Ramdhani et al., 2014)
Syntax matrix is a useful tool in the appraisal process as it determines whether the sources are encompassing the characteristics that accords with the objectives of the literature review. The easier way of completing the syntax matrix is to scan the abstract, introduction, executive summary, or the overview section of each literature whichever is available.
References
Bolderston, A. (2008). Writing an effective literature review. Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation, 39, 86-92.
Cronin, P., Ryan, Frances., & Coughlan, M. (2008). Undertaking a literature review: a step-by-step approach, British Journal of Nursing, 17(1), 38-43.
Hannigan, B., & Burnard, P. (2001). Preparing and writing and undergraduate dissertation. Nurse Educ Pract, 1(4), 175-180.
Maslin-Prothero (2010). Essential Study Skills for Nurses and Midwife. Edinburgh: Elsevier.
Patrick, L., & Munro, S. (2004). The literature review: demystifying the literature search. Diabetes Educ, 30(1), 30–38.
Ramdhani, A., Ramdhani, M., & Amin, A. (2014). Writing literature review research paper: A step-by-step approach. International Journal of Basics and Applied Science, 3(1), 47-56.
Rouf, M. (2004). Vulnerability, vulnerable populations, and policy. Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal, 14(4), 411–425.
