CONTENT ANALYSIS

 

Content analysis

It is a research tool or technique that help to analyse the actual content and it is used to determine the presence of certain words, concepts, theme, phrases, characters or sentences within texts or sets of texts and to quantify this presence in an objective manner.

Content analysis is a tool to identify the occurrence of concepts in an exposition. It is nothing but quantification of text or its meaning. An exposition can be an article, book, lecture, interview, conversation, Web page or any other reading material.

To conduct a content analysis of any text, the text maybe coded or broken down, into manageable meaningful categories on a variety of levels i.e., word, word sense, phrase, sentence, or theme-and then examined using any one of the two basic methods of content analysis viz. conceptual analysis or relational analysis.

USE OF CONTENT ANALYSIS

The possible use of content analysis as it: -

• ·       To know what you have before start doing something with it.
• ·       To better serve your customers (students/parents/institution...)
• ·       To know the large amount of unstructured content.
• ·       To describe characteristics of the content.
• ·       To identify important aspects of content.
• ·       To present important aspects of the content clearly and effectively.
• ·       To support of some argument.
• ·       To reveal international differences in communication of content;
• ·       To detect the existence of propaganda; identifies the intentions,
• ·       To focus or communicate trends of an individual, group or institution;
• ·       To describe attitudinal and behavioral responses to communications;
• ·       To determine psychological or emotional state of persons or groups.

TYPES OF CONTENT ANALYSIS

1. Conceptual analysis: It can be thought of as establishing the existence and frequency of concepts in a text. E.g. fractions
2.  Relational analysis: It builds on conceptual analysis by examining the relationships among concepts in a text.  e.g. Fractions in decimals, measurements, algebra, ratios etc.

Steps of content analysis:

1.    Read through the transcript.

2.    Make brief notes on relevant information is found.

3.    List the different types of information found.

4.    Categorize each item in a way that offers a description of what is about.

5.    Identify whether or not the categories can be linked any way and list them as major categories can be linked any way.

6.    Compare and contrast the various major and minor categories.

7.    If there is more than one transcript repeat the first 6 steps for each transcript.

8.    Then collect all the categories or themes and examine each in detail and consider if it fits and its relevance.

9.    List them into major categories/theme and or minor categories/themes.

10.Review all of the categories and ascertain whether some categories can be merged of if some need to them be subcategorised.

11.Ensure that all the information that needs to be categorized has been done successfully.

The basic components of the content of Mathematics are:

Terms: The scientific vocabulary constitutes the terms which are frequently used in scientific literature. A knowledge of the scientific vocabulary at various grades is essential for the learners to read and comprehend the subject with satisfaction. A term is a new definable word having significant meaning to the pupil at a particular context. It is actually a label of a concept.

When we teach fractions, numerator, denominators, fractional line, proper fractions, improper fractions, mixed fractions, like and unlike fractions, equivalent and unit fractions etc. are terms. In this context it should never be forgotten that each of these terms is the name given to a concept.

Facts: It is an unadulterated statement of an object, event, phenomenon etc. Facts are specific verifiable pieces of information obtained through observations. They are verifiable with reference to time and place.

For example,

1.    The word Fraction comes from the Latin word ‘fractio’ which means ‘to break’.

2.    Fraction is part of whole

Concepts: Concepts are abstract ideas that are generalised from facts or specific relevant experiences. They are the composite of individual facts and emotional experiences. According to Bruner a concept is a mental imagery of a category of objects or phenomena. A concept has five elements viz name, exemplars, attributes, attribute value and definition.

For Example, Proper and Improper fractions, Comparison of fractions etc.

Principles: Principles are more complex ideas based on several concepts. It is a statement predicting inter relationship among concepts. It establishes relationship between at least two concepts. So, the principles are a broad generalisation which means the same for all irrespective of their age and experiences.

For Example, Conversion of improper fraction into Mixed fractions viz., To add like fractions add the numerators only and keep the same denominator as the denominator of the sum, etc.

Processes: Processes are really a series of tasks with a sequential order of occurrence. These sequences or steps may be controlled by certain principles.

For Example, Comparing fractions, Adding/ subtracting like/unlike fractions etc.

Symbols: A mathematical symbol is a figure or a combination of figures that is used to represent a mathematical object, an action on mathematical objects, a relation between mathematical objects, or for structuring the other symbols that occur in a formula.

For Example, =, <, >, π etc.

Theory and Law: Broadly related principles that provide an explanation for phenomena are known as theories or laws. They are used to explain, predict and relate various facts and phenomena. Theories confirmed by various scientific experimentation by scientists over a period of time become laws.

For Example, Proper fractions are those whose numerator is less than the denominator, therefore, its value is between zero and one. ... Two fractions are equivalent when the end product is the same as product of media.