Polio and Freidman Ch. 2
While I do find this type of experimental work useful for helping identify major trends (causes/effects), I tend to agree with the criticism that these studies can be reductionist. If I were going to engage in this type of research I would use a mixed-methods explanatory design. This experimental work could be followed by qualitative research to explain/add depth/contextualize the experimental results.
Another pitfall I see in this type of work is the need to control the conditions of both groups (with the only difference being the independent variable).
With language learners in classroom settings this is nearly impossible, which in my opinion, makes many of these studies feel somewhat artificial. (Therefore I often question their validity because the results do not always feel generalizable to actual students in actual classrooms.)
Another pitfall I see in this type of work is the need to control the conditions of both groups (with the only difference being the independent variable).
With language learners in classroom settings this is nearly impossible, which in my opinion, makes many of these studies feel somewhat artificial. (Therefore I often question their validity because the results do not always feel generalizable to actual students in actual classrooms.)
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