Analysing data---- Insignificant results???

This week I am done with key in the data for my study. To be exact, I was not the one who keyed-in all the marks and responses (for the questionnaire). I hired a student to do the job. As far as sorting the instruments in the study is concerned, I did it myself. Also, transcribing part I am still doing it. Some of the results of the study showed insignifcant results. It worried me badly. Finding how to report the findings, gave me some ideas that there were few things that might contributed to the results. I obtained the ideas to jusitfy the insignificant results when I I goggle it. Though many of the websites I found discuss more on the significant results. However, one of the articles wrote that in reporting for insignifcant results, a researcher may look at the following:

(i) inadequate or biased sample. I think i can include this because one of my treatment groups were diploma holders while two other groups were matriculation and STPM holders
(ii) incorrect methodology. I might take a look at this. Perhaps I needed to compare which part of the questions did students score more.
(iii) design flaw.
(iv) errors in measurement. Maybe there's a point to consider
(v) data collection analysis
(v) unforeseen circumstances. I remembered that students were instructed to take the posttest after they sat for their final exam paper. Maybe there were under pressure having had their paper before the posttest was administered.

For whatever reasons in obtaining the insignificant results, I need to justify thoroughly of why it happened. Again, this has to be checked with previous literature. What others had to say and what they found (Like a CSI investigator). It's a challenge for me. I have already had some justifications at hands, yet, as I told, I need to back-up with relevant literature. Next week I'll be going to see one of my supervisors. Maybe I can discuss the results with him... Ya Allah I hope I can handle this well.

Actual study started

Last week I started collecting data for my actual study. Thus far, everything is under control, although I couldn't deny problems occured. Students attendance so far is great. I thank all of them for coming and participating in the study. Activity sheets and slides were all ready for the previous class. However, I still need to add few other things for next week class. I pray to Allah that the process of collecting the data is smooth for me in the sense that I can handle whatever circumstances that come into ways. Back at home, Hakim is having fever. Therefore, I couldn't spend extra time in the university photocopying or printing today. I hope I can also key in students' attendace as well as marks for the pretest. Of course need to do post-mortem of the first lesson. Just to make sure that I can improve things in the future.

Melangkah Gagah: Urus Kerjaya Anda

Ini adalah buku pertama yang ditulis bersama rakan sekerja, Ida Rizyani Tahir. Buku ini telah ditulis seawal tahun 2008 lagi. Tetapi disebabkan komitmen lain yang perlu diutamakan, maka ianya dicetak pada tahun ini. Buku ini ditulis untuk memberi panduan kepada siswazah terutama yang berada pada tahun akhir atau lebih spesifik lagi pada sesiapa yang baru melangkah untuk bekerjaya. Penulis memuatkan cadangan dan tip-tip yang praktikal untuk dimanfaatkan kepada pembaca golongan ini. Ianya juga ditulis menggunakan bahasa yang mudah untuk difahami. Setiap bab mempunyai dialog khusus untuk memberi gambaran kepada pembaca akan kandungan bab tersebut. Selain dari itu, ianya juga dipersembahkan secara santai dengan ilustrasi kartun dan 'font' yang menarik. Antara kandungan buku ini adalah "Ketahui Pasaran Kerjaya Anda", "Penjenamaan Diri", "Kerjaya Kedua", "Pemeriksaan Karier" dan pelbagai lagi kandungan yang boleh dimanfaatkan oleh pembaca. Buku ini boleh didapati daripada Unit Penerbitan Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) atau pesanan boleh ditujukan kepada zurainaali@gmail.com atau rizyani@gmail.com, rizyani@yahoo.com.

Muka hadapan buku Melangkah Gagah: Urus Kerjaya Anda. Putih menggambarkan bakal graduan yang bakal memasuki Dunia Sebenar alam pekerjaan.


Antara bab didalam buku Melangkah Gagah: Urus Kerjaya Anda yang dimuatkan pelbagai grafik. Kandungan bab diharapkan dapat membantu bakal graduan merancang kerjaya dengan lebih efektif.

The proposal defense

Alhamdullilah. The waiting for proposal defend was over yesterday. It went okay. I received construtive comments from the examiner, chairperson and audiences. Some of the things I need to ammend were:

(i) problem statement needed to be refined. There's ONE point that I didn't address in the section. I stated it in the introduction but didn't highlights this in the problem statement's session.
(ii) further reading on theories used for the study needed to be done. They suggested that I read books though articles are also important. I can buy books on line for this. Committee recommeded me to go to the uni's library to borrow books
(iii) address why I left out some elements in the theory I adopted for the study.
(iv) check formatting. Is it APA, MLA..check consistency

They didn't comment on the method (Chapter 3) of my study. My committe (the only one) attending since the main SV was on academic trip oversea, was really happy about this. He gave me deadline for 5 months to analyse and write all chapters. What a challenge!

I'm still waiting

Last Friday, I prepared myself to present my proposal. I was nervous but always had faith that no matter what happened, I prayed that I could handle all matters well (if not best). I went to the presentation room (the usual room for presentation) and I saw that they were a few people in it. I guessed they must be there for my presentation. However, they seemed to be quite matured. That was my first doubt. Well, perhaps I was the only presenter. Moreover, it was a "last minute" notice for the students (they also didn't notify the presentation online, not that I care that no one will be attending the presentation. It's just that I felt that, would'nt there be at least a student to see me presenting? If there's none, the better actually!. I also didn't see a note on the door. Usually, there'll be a notice paste on the door if there's any presentation on that day. I thought it was better for me to go and check at the Graduate office. The staff told me that they changed the venue. Okay.. so I went to the building as was requested by her.

I waited for a few minutes. Then one of the SVs came (not the main SV). We discussed a few things. There were a lot of fruitful discussions, but just before I'll be presenting, not a good sign!. After a while, I could see a food caterer preparing tea-break in the room. Then came the examiner.. we made a short acquaintance. Just a few minutes after that the examiner's phone was ringing. I overhead her conversation. I could tell that something bad would be happening. My thought was right, she told me that the presentation was postpone again. I didn't know what to say. The SV was also speechless. He called the staff in the Graduate Office for confirmation. Yes, it was true as what the examiner informed us. The SV consoled me telling me there would always be a "hikmah" behinds all the things that happen to me. So, my defend was schedule to be on the Thursday 7 October. And yet at this hour the Graduate Office was still unable to find one available MC for the presentation nor can they fix the time whether is it going to be in the morning/afternoon. Ku mohon dipermudahkan buatku Ya Allah sebagaimana Engkau permudahkan tugasan hamba2mu yg lain, Amin.

Human are good at planning, yet God is the Provider

Today was quite a bad day for me as I received the news that my proposal defense is postponed due to the inability of the examiner in attending the session this 23rd Sept. I thought I can present earlier than the date I booked for the actual presentation, which I booked on 30 September. However, thinking of wanting to present earlier, I then called the Graduate Office to make the arrangement. Now, I'm not sure whether my main supervisor and the committee are able to make it or not on 4October. Latest info. both the chairperson and examiner will only be avaiilable on 8th Oct. Hope committee members are also free on that day. Human beings are good at planning things, but Allah is the one who determine whether or not our wish can become a reality or otherwise. I realised that this could be due to my wrong doings of so many things. Ya Allah, please forgive me for I couldn't run away from making mistakes. Here's a poem as a lesson from today's event when I browsed the word "La Takhaf wa la tahzan". Taken from http://www.mail-archive.com/sobat-azzam@yahoogroups.com/msg00661.html. It's a very nice poem and really reflects what I'm feeling at the moment.

La Takhaf wa la tahzan...

Jika ini ketentuanMu,
ku coba tabahkan hatiku,
karena pasti tersirat sesuatu di balik yang tersurat itu...
karena ku manusia biasa,
tidak terdaya memikirkan apakah hikmahnya...
apakah rahsianya..
hidup ini terus berputar,
tiada masa untuk lengah,
tiada masa untuk patah,

ku kuatkan hati yang serapuh kaca ini,
ku salutkan bersama doa tulus suci,
karena doa itu tersimpan satu kekuatanku,
kekuatan dari yang Empunya segalanya...

dan pastinya dunia bukan milikku sendiri,
untukku atur segalanya,
karena yang takdir itu mengatasi tadbir...
tadbir dari manusia yang lemah,
takdir dari Tuhan Yang Maha Mencipta,

ku simpan segala pahit dan duka,
dalam surat kehidupan ini,
yang penuh sirat pengajaran...

di sebalik yang terjadi
pasti ada yang terjanji
termateri sesuatu yang pasti
jika kau ridho ketentuan Ilahi...

The above story didn't end there. The day after writing this post, I was scolded by my supervisor via phone call telling me that I was the only student that had this kind of problem. The SV didn't have such a problem handling other students. I felt that the SV wanted to say that I'm a problematic std. In the conversation, I proposed to the SV to arrange for sthe presentation some other day. The SV refused to hear anything on the changes of date. The SV wanted to talk to the personnel in the Graduate Office only and warned me that things would be bad when it happens. I cried after I hang up the phone. I called the personnel right after that, though I knew she was off from work that day. She said she'll tell me on the date when she gets back to work (meaning today, Thursday 23 Sept). Now, I'm waiting for her call. I don't really expect anything good to happen at the current moment. What I mean I might not be presenting my proposal at the nearest time. Only Allah knows when...

Writing n publishing...

Alhamdullillah, finally I'm finished writing a manuscript after it was read by my supervisor. He made few suggestions and required me to edit few things. It concerns with what I've done in my pilot study (hence the title "Some Initial Findings") that I conducted a few month ago. Currently, I'm asking one of my colleagues to sort of proof-read it. Not sure which journal should I send it to but will find one. Hope it will be accepted by any publication out there as Prof. Ramayah of USM once said "every manuscipt has its place out there". Also, the manuscript I wrote with Kak Ida was already sent to be printed. It is really nice to work with her despite of our age gap. Her hubmleness makes me able to express my views though she is already a "somebody" in publishing industry. She is not stingy to share her knowledge of how to write. Her motivation always inspire me. Thank you kak ida for this friendship. I'm waiting for another two weeks to see how the book looks like after everything it is finalised.

NOTE: I didn't send this article as one of my supervisors told me to keep it first. He was afraid that people/ readers will be confused when reading the pilot study since I also mentioned that I wanted to publish the actual one study. For whatever the reason is, I need to get articles published; "published OR perished".