You are on page 1of 27

Universal

Specific
Explanatory
Descriptive Subjective
Objective
Universal ------------------------------ Specific
Objective ------------------------------ Subjective
Explanatory ---------------------------- Descriptive
QUALITATIVE AND
QUANTITATIVE
APPROACHES
Research Methods
Qualitative
Research
Quantitative
Research
Definitions of Qualitative and Quantitative
Research
Quantitative Research
A type of educational
research in which the
researcher decides what to
study, asks specific, narrow
questions, collects numeric
(numbered) data from
participants, analyzes these
numbers using statistics,
and conducts the inquiry in
an unbiased, objective
manner.
Qualitative Research
A type of educational research
in which the researcher relies
on the views of participants,
asks broad, general questions,
collects data consisting largely
of words (or text) from
participants, describes and
analyzes these words for
themes, and conducts the
inquiry in a subjective, biased
manner.
QUALITATIVE AND
QUANTITATIVE
APPROACHES
Research Methods
Qualitative
Research
Hybrid or
Mixed
Quantitative
Research

A. Qualitative approach

1. Definition
a. is an inquiry approach useful for exploring and
understanding a central phenomenon.

2. Purpose:

a. To discover various meanings associated with
a phenomenon
i. by studying cases intensively in natural settings
and
ii. by subjecting the resulting data to analytic
induction.

A. Quantitative approach

1. Definition:
a. is an inquiry approach useful for describing
trends and explaining the relationship
among variables found.


2. Purpose:

a. To describe and explain features of a reality
by collecting numerical data.
by comparing data from one individual or group to
another individual or group.
by subjecting the data to statistical analysis.
Comparison:
Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research:
Quantitative Methods:
1. Formulate
hypothesis


Qualitative Methods:

Comparison:
Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research:
Quantitative Methods:
1. Formulate
hypothesis
2. Observe
events/present
questionnaire with
fixed answers.

Qualitative Methods:
1. Observe events and/or ask
questions with open-ended
answers.

Comparison:
Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research:
Quantitative Methods:
1. Formulate
hypothesis
2. Observe
events/present
questionnaire with
fixed answers.
3. Tabulate responses

Qualitative Methods:
1. Observe events and/or ask
questions with open-ended
answers.

2. Record observations

Comparison:
Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research:
Quantitative Methods:
1. Formulate
hypothesis
2. Observe
events/present
questionnaire with
fixed answers.
3. Tabulate responses
4. Summarize data

Qualitative Methods:
1. Observe events and/or ask
questions with open-ended
answers.

2. Record observations
3. Interpret observations

Comparison:
Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research:
Quantitative Methods:
1. Formulate
hypothesis
2. Observe
events/present
questionnaire with
fixed answers.
3. Tabulate responses
4. Summarize data

Qualitative Methods:
1. Observe events and/or ask
questions with open-ended
answers.

2. Record observations
3. Interpret observations
4. Return for new and refined
observations

Comparison:
Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research:
Quantitative Methods:
1. Formulate
hypothesis
2. Observe
events/present
questionnaire with
fixed answers.
3. Tabulate responses
4. Summarize data
5. Analyze and draw
conclusions
Qualitative Methods:
1. Observe events and/or ask
questions with open-ended
answers.

2. Record observations
3. Interpret observations
4. Return for new and refined
observations
5. Review data and draw
conclusions

Comparison:
Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research:
Quantitative Methods:
1. Formulate
hypothesis
2. Observe
events/present
questionnaire with
fixed answers.
3. Tabulate responses
4. Summarize data
5. Analyze and draw
conclusions
Qualitative Methods:
1. Observe events and/or ask
questions with open-ended
answers.

2. Record observations
3. Interpret observations
4. Return for new and refined
observations
5. Review data and draw
conclusions
6. Formulate hypothesis or
theory

4. Determining the Research Approach
Use quantitative if your
research problem
requires you to
A. Measure Variables
B. Assess the impact of these
variables on an outcome
C. Test existing theories or
broad explanations
D. Apply results to a large
number of people



Use qualitative if your
research problem requires
you to
A. Learn about the views of the
people you plan to study
B. Assess a process over time
C. Generate theories based on
participant perspectives
D. Obtain detailed information
about a few people or research
sites.
Quantitative Designs and Uses
Experimental
Research
Correlational
Research
Descriptive
Research
Explaining whether an
intervention influences
an outcome for one
group as opposed to
another group
Associating or
relating variables
in a predictable
pattern for one
group of
individuals
Describing trends or
characteristics for
the population of
people

Intervention
Research
Non-Intervention
Research
Qualitative Designs and Uses
Ethnographic
Research
Grounded Theory
Research
Narrative
Research
Exploring the shared
culture of a people
group
Exploring common
experiences of
individuals to
develop a theory
Exploring individual
stories to describe
the lives of people

Other possible types:
Historical
Discourse Analysis
Could be either

Case Study


Action Research

Study of an individual or
small group of individuals
to focus on what variables
and relationships are present
in that individual case
Forming a theory in advance
and collecting qualitative
observations to quickly see if
the theory has any validity or
application in a small and
preselected population.
Study of a small group to
get an indication of how
the group (or individuals
within that group) think
about a topic.

Focus Group

Research Methods
Qualitative
Research
Quantitative
Research
Hybrid

Ethnographic
Grounded theory
Narrative research
Historical
Discourse Analysis
Experimental
Correlational
Descriptive
Current Differences
Differences Over
Time
Basic Descriptions
Case Study Action Research
Triangulation
Concurrent
Sequential
Exploratory
Sequential
Explanatory
Qualitative & Quantitative
Some differences:
Qualitative:
Considers the participants point of view
Describes the participants view within a
particular setting or context
Searches to understand a more complex
Central Phenomenon rather than a
specific research question or hypothesis
Typically uses methods such as
interviews, observations and interviews

Qualitative & Quantitative
Some differences:
With Qualitative:

The qualitative researcher is not an
objective, politically neutral observer
The qualitative researcher is an observer
of the human condition
The meaning of the research is plural,
more political and open
The project is collaborative and
participatory
Qualitative & Quantitative
Some differences:
Quantitative:

Tries to be objective and look at things without as
much consideration of its context.
Attempts to find meaning that is equally applicable to
all.
Tends to focus on numerical comparisons
Tries to isolate any possible intervening or
confounding variables and focus on one interaction at
a time.
Quantitative or Qualitative.
What type of
research
would you
use?
Quantitative or Qualitative?
A. A study to investigate the reasons why kids
fight on the playground
B. A study to see which minorities do best on a
certain IQ test.
C. A study to evaluate whether students are self-
motivated or motivated more by external
rewards or punishment
D. A study to investigate whether there is a
relationship between a students IQ and his/her
artistic creativity.
E. A study to discover why kids are not eating
their cafeteria food at lunch.
F. A study to see how Educational Research
classes may be improved to make students
take more interest and fall asleep less often.
G. A study of five children to see how they react to
being surprised.
H. A study to determine what part of the brain is
involved in short term memory.
I. A study to see if a students IQ is affected by
special class using multi-media resources.
J. A study of how whether students taking a test
at time A receive the same or similar results
when taking the test at time B.

Quantitative or Qualitative?

You might also like