Chapter 3: Methodology
3.5 Rigour
Rigour is distinctly defined as the quality or state of being very specific, precise, cautious or simply detailed, or the quality of being thorough and exact. According to Maher et al. (2018), rigour belongs to the process and its reliability in qualitative research. Various studies mentioned that research is pointless, becomes fiction, and reduces its use when it is without rigour because rigour and truth are the vital components of qualitative research.
Semi-structured interviews and purposive sampling will be carried out in this research.
(Cypress, 2017).
To attain rigour and quality, the researchers should choose and implement referenced study and methodology used in this study to match the research objectives of the investigation. Therefore, a pilot study has been conducted with an Undergraduate from UTAR. The objective of the pilot study was to ensure the quality and rigour in qualitative research is to reduce bias while increasing the accuracy, validity, and reliability of findings study (Johnson, Adkins, & Chaovin, 2020). Researchers made sure rigorous was clear, precise, and understandable through the semi structured interview. Because, the researchers and the public need to know what they do and explore. Through the pilot study to ensure the validity researchers were able to investigate all the possible aspects and analyse the data to foster the research for better cognition and theoretical development. The response and answers provided by the interviewee’s had met the expectation of researchers and contributed some insights on aspects that needed improvisation and in-depth discussion (Maher, Hadfield, & Hutchings, 2018).
By enhancing the validity and reliability of the data acquired from the pilot study, the researcher can develop various research methods to assemble accurate data for the actual
study (Mohajan, 2018). Therefore, clearly evaluating the research topic, the theme, and the model we used can help to bring more trustworthiness to qualitative research.
3.5.1 Pilot Study
Pilot study helps to establish the practicality of research ideas and allows researchers to share the findings effectively. A pilot study is a generalized form of a research project or a trial run for a research investigation and might be conducted to verify a research instrument.
A competent pilot study does not guarantee that a research effort will be beneficial.
However, it does support researchers in evaluating their planned approaches and implementing the appropriate strategies for the study. This determination of the feasibility opportunity is provided by a pilot study with an ethical and scientific obligation (Enago Academy, 2021).
To ensure a reliable quality research outcome a pilot study was conducted for the semi structured interview (Junyong, 2017). A pilot study is a scaled-down version of the main study that is undertaken prior to the real investigation or to test a research instrument (Ismail, 2017). A pilot study is a prominent step in the research methodology that the researcher must understand in order to acquire qualitative data. It can assist us in assessing the study topic as well as the research design's reliability, validity, and feasibility (Thapa et al., 2021). Its findings may indicate that certain revisions and betterments to the main research are required (Razak, 2021).
Three stages were composed under the pilot study which are pre interview interview and post interview. After the session all the data collected from the interviewee was analysed accordingly; it shows no significant changes were necessary. This implies that the survey instrument, semi-structured questions, are valid and reliable and may be applied in a serious investigation. The interactions and valuable experience will be applied by the researchers in
real study for obtaining in-depth analysis, which will provide them with a more full and clear picture of the research findings (Gani et al., 2020). According to a few researchers (Hundley & Teijlingen, 2002), a pilot study can be used to detect possible measurement instrument errors and mistakes, albeit this can be prevented by pre-testing the instrument on a small group of people with similar criteria required for the study (Dikko, 2016).
Furthermore, a semi-structured interview for pilot study was executed by the reseracher because a structured interview seems to be regimented and bound to a pre-planned series of questions, a semi-structured interview is more adaptable in terms of modifying the sequence of questions and allowing for a more comprehensive follow-up participants' answers, thoughts, feelings, and opinions about E-learning (DeJonckheere &
Vaughn, 2019). It is neither too rigorous nor too unstructured, and it enables for additional questions to be asked during the interview session based on the responses provided by the respondent.
The need of conducting the pilot study in order to uncover any potential issues early in the research process was suggested by many writers to be able to handle the demand for instrument modifications as well as contribute value and authenticity to the research (Dikko, 2016). For this research about undergraduate’s perception, the interview question was focused on how and what participants face during E-learning. The open-ended questions were used to allow the researcher to analyse the problem or solution from the comprehension of the participants (Castillo, 2016).
The researcher could recommend a follow-up question to obtain a wider range of responses and encourage interviewees to provide more truthful answers (Singer & Couper, 2017). The researcher had put a lot of energy into establishing the entire process of the semi interview session with the undergraduate interviewee from Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman
(UTAR) to assure the significant aspects of resources such as research tools,participants, setting of interview atmosphere and flow of online interview with the purpose of conducting this pilot test. The interview was conducted in 15 minutes. It is completely satisfactory and in accordance with the researcher's goal.
To conclude, the management and execution of this pilot test strengthened the validity of semi-structured interviews while investigating the needs to construct and develop the research concerning undergraduates' perceptions of E-learning. Despite the fact that it is an initial pilot study, the steps of the interview process were completed, which is essential for validity and reliability in the qualitative research technique (Williams, 2019). Finally, this pilot study provided an opportunity for the researcher to rehearse the interviewing procedure and develop knowledge for future research.
In order to provide a high-quality research output, a good research study as well as a suitable experimental design are required (Junyong, 2017). A pilot study is a smaller version of the main study that is carried out before the full-scale inquiry or to test a research equipment (Ismail, Kinchin & Edwards, 2017; Mikuska, 2017; Dikko, 2016). It can help us analyse the study topic's reliability, validity, and feasibility, as well as the research design's reliability, validity, and feasibility (Thapa et al., 2021).
A pilot study, according to some researchers (Hundley & Teijlingen, 2002), can be used to detect potential measurement instrument faults and errors, albeit this can be prevented by pre-testing the instrument on a small group of persons with similar characteristics (Dikko, 2016).
The interview topic for this study will focus on what Malaysian undergraduates think about the success of the E-learning strategy on higher education and student involvement, as well as other aspects of E-learning. The goal of this study would be to analyse the opinions
of Malaysian students from the interviewee utilising semi-structured interviews (open-ended questions).