This document discusses variables in research and how they relate to one another. It defines a variable as something that can differ over time or among individuals, like proficiency in Spanish. Variables represent underlying human characteristics or abilities and are operationalized to define them concretely. There are five main types of variables: dependent, independent, moderator, control, and intervening. The relationships between these variables are important to understand how a study is designed. Researchers must clearly define and justify the variables and relationships they propose.
2. THE PERTINENCE IN
KNOWLEDGE
Important How
caveats variables
fit into the
research?
What are variables
The relationship
amog variables
Different
types of
variables
3. How variables fit into the
research?
A variables is something that may vary or differ. For instances, proficiency in Spanish
can be considered as a variables because it may change over time or differ among
individuals. As a tentative definition for statistical research in our field, we will view
variables as human characteristics or abilities that differ over time or among
individuals.
Most variables that differ over time also vary among individuals, but the reverse is not
necessarily true. Consider, for instance, sex (a variable that is often considered in
studies). Certainly, there are observable and interesting differences among individuals
on this variable.
Variables versus constructs
It is important to distinguish variables from the nderlying constructs that they represent.
Both variables and construct vary over time or among individuals. However, a variable is
essentially what we can observe or qualify of the human characteristics or abilities
involved, whereas a construct is the actual characteristic or abilities that it represents in
human beings.
4. Operationalization
The operationalization of variables is a researcher’s chance to explain
how each variable is being defined with respect to the construction in
questions. Such an operational definition should take a variable out of
the realm of theory and plan it squarely in concrete reality. Basically, it
must be a definition that is based on observable, testable, or
quantifiable characteristics. Moreover, an operational definition must be
unique, or exclusive; the definition must not also fit other possible
constructs.
It is the reader’s responsibility to make sure that the variable, as
operationalized, makes sence – that it logically represents the construct
involved. To this end, several questions might be posed:
1. Is the construct labeled with sufficient precision?
2. Does the operational definition of the variables adequately describe
the characteristics of the construct in questions?
3. Could the definition describe any other constructs?
5. In addition to knowing how constructs are Different types of
operationalized as variables, it is important to variables
understand how much variables are classified and,
indeed, manipulated by researchers in their quest
to improve our understanding of what goes on in
the lenguage classroom. To that end, let us turn to
the five different classifications of variables within
statistical language studies: dependent,
independent, moderator, control, and intervening
variables. These five types of variables are
distinguished primarily by the relationships that the
researchers hypothesizes to exist among them:
• Dependent variables
• Independent variables
• Moderator variables
• Control variables
• Intervening variables
7. General relationship
One attempt to express the relationship between the varios types of variables is
found in the model shown. In looking at this figure, recall that there are five types
of variables and that the researcher determines which variable fall into each
chategory when designing the study. Note also that all five types may be included
in all studies and that there are maybe more than one variable of each type that
is included.
9. • Important caveats
Important caveats
You should now have a good sense of how the five types of variables are
defined, how they interrelate, and how to identify them in a study. But is
it clear why they are important?
The variables are assigned and they way they interrelate are mostly in the
hands of the researcher. That, along with the basic fallibility of
researchers as human beings, place great responsibility to try to ferret out
the variables in a study. Are they clearly identify? If so, do they make
sense in the chategories in which they are placed? Are they clearly
thought out? Do they logically represent the underlying constructs of
interest?. You should evalute the investigator’s use of labels for the
variables involved. Are they appropriate? Are they sensible? Are they too
broad? The relationship between variables must make sense. It is possible
to distinguish which type is which? Do the variables fit together properly
in these relationships? And do you agree with the relationships that the
author has chosen to set up? It is agood idea to ask yourself wheter the
uthor has included all the variables that are important to the
investigation involved and none that are extraneous.
11. Thinkers on Educations - EDGAR MORIN
“Learning about the world as world has become
a vital and intellectual necessity.”