Data Analysis & Expert Workshop

Many knows that Sunday is a rest day but I sacrificed it by attending a workshop on Data Analysis and Expert Workshop. 

To be honest, the night before I was contemplating whether to attend it or to just skip it and enjoy my leisure day. I was glad that I choose to wake up early and went for it anyway. While the whole workshop focused more on PhD students, yet I feel like the explanation somehow help me get a clearer view on the flow of how my research proposal gonna be. 

The workshop was handled by Dr. Zainuddin Awang. 

The overall workshop basically was on how to make your research much more reliable by using Structural Equation Model (SEM). While there are approximately 6 softwares that are compatible with SEM, this workshop on the other hand focuses more on IBM SPSS AMOS . 

That is definitely the first time I ever heard about it and I was immediately hooked at how easy SPSS Amos is compare to normal SPSS. 

My proposed research title is related to Path-Goal Leadership which consist of 4 dimension/construct with the aim to see its` relationship with Academic Engagement by having student motivation as the mediator. 

My head was wrapped around on how do I analyse those IV and DV with a mediator because normal SPSS would need me to run the regression 3-4 times to find the co-relation or significant. When the instructor showed a lot of example on how AMOS run multiple equation simultaneously easily, I was determined that my Master thesis will definitely be using that. 

Fun fact. AMOS also provide analysis that is much easier to understand making the test-result run in normal SPSS looked so complicated. 

Not only that, the instructor also did touch a little on research methodology.
  1. Developed a framework (based on literature review). 
  2. Construct a questionnaire (adapt, modify or add from other research questionnaire) 
  3. Pre-test the validity of the questionnaire.
    • Content Validity 
    • Face Validity (if questionnaire need to be translated) 
    • Scale Validity (interval, ordinal, etc) 
  4. Pilot Test 
    • Min 100 respondent or else KMO test will failed as 0.7 is pass result
    • The smaller sample size, the lower KMO result.  
  5. Field study
But again, that was only an introduction workshop. 

I did not know whether my proposed title is accepted or not. I guess I will have to wait until a supervisor is assign to me so that I can discuss further with her on whether this method or software is compatible with my research or not. 

Or worst case scenario, I will have to change the overall topic of my proposal. 

That is totally a bummer. 

But by the mean time, I seriously need to read more journal, books and article to prepare for my first draft of chapter 1. 

Wish me luck and pray for me. 

May God easy my way. 

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