L1 Chapter 2 Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches Dr. William M. Bauer

l 1

Chapter 2Chapter 2

Quantitative and Qualitative Quantitative and Qualitative ApproachesApproaches

Dr. William M. BauerDr. William M. Bauer

l 2

Key IdeasKey Ideas

Configurations of researchConfigurations of research Development of quantitative researchDevelopment of quantitative research Development of qualitative researchDevelopment of qualitative research Definitions of qualitative and Definitions of qualitative and

quantitative researchquantitative research The relationship between the The relationship between the

research process and qualitative and research process and qualitative and quantitative researchquantitative research

l 3

Three Configurations of Three Configurations of ResearchResearch

Study A

Study B

Study C

Quantitative Characteristics



Qualitative Characteristics



Research studies may include characteristics ofboth approaches, but theyare weighted more heavilyone way or the other.

l 4

The Development of The Development of Quantitative Research: Quantitative Research:

Historical TrendsHistorical Trends Statistical ProceduresStatistical Procedures Test and Measurement PracticesTest and Measurement Practices Research DesignsResearch Designs

l 5

Historical Trends: Statistical Historical Trends: Statistical ProceduresProcedures

Correlational proceduresCorrelational procedures Comparing groupsComparing groups Cause/Effect relationshipsCause/Effect relationships

l 6

Historical Trends: Testing and Historical Trends: Testing and MeasurementMeasurement

Testing mental abilities (late 19th Testing mental abilities (late 19th century)century)

Measuring achievement (e.g. SAT)Measuring achievement (e.g. SAT) Predicting achievement from Predicting achievement from

standardized measurementsstandardized measurements

l 7

Historical Trends: Research Historical Trends: Research DesignsDesigns

Educational Surveys (late 19th Educational Surveys (late 19th century)century)

Simple Experiments (early 20th Simple Experiments (early 20th century)century)

Multiple groups and tests (by 1935)Multiple groups and tests (by 1935) Longitudinal designsLongitudinal designs Books on research design (e.g. Books on research design (e.g.

Kerlinger 1964)Kerlinger 1964)

l 8

The Development of Qualitative The Development of Qualitative Research: Major ThemesResearch: Major Themes

Philosophical IdeasPhilosophical Ideas Procedural DevelopmentsProcedural Developments Advocacy PracticesAdvocacy Practices

l 9

Qualitative Research: Qualitative Research: Philosophical IdeasPhilosophical Ideas

Naturalistic Inquiry or ConstructivismNaturalistic Inquiry or Constructivism consider the participants point of viewconsider the participants point of view describe participant’s view within a describe participant’s view within a

setting or contextsetting or context This is an alternative perspective to This is an alternative perspective to

traditional researchtraditional research

l 10

Qualitative Research: Qualitative Research: Procedural DevelopmentsProcedural Developments

Central Phenomenon rather than Central Phenomenon rather than research question or hypothesisresearch question or hypothesis

Methods such as interviews, Methods such as interviews, observations and interviewsobservations and interviews

Designs such as case studies, Designs such as case studies, grounded theory and narrativegrounded theory and narrative

l 11

Qualitative Research: Qualitative Research: Advocacy PracticesAdvocacy Practices

The qualitative researcher is not The qualitative researcher is not objective, politically neutral observerobjective, politically neutral observer

The qualitative researcher is an The qualitative researcher is an observer of the human conditionobserver of the human condition

The meaning of the research is The meaning of the research is plural, political and openplural, political and open

The project is collaborative and The project is collaborative and participatoryparticipatory

l 12

Characteristics of Quantitative and Characteristics of Quantitative and Qualitative Research in the Process of Qualitative Research in the Process of

ResearchResearchSteps in the Research Process

Analyze and Interpret Data

Report and Evaluate

Collecting Data

Specifying a Purpose

Reviewing the Literature

Identifying a Problem



Description of trends and Explanation Oriented

Exploratory/ Understandinga Central Phenomenon

•Major Role•Justify Problem

•Minor Role•Justify Problem

•Specific and Narrow•Measurable/Observable

•General and Broad•Participants’ Experience

•Pre-determined Instruments•Numeric Data•Large numbers

•Emerging Protocols•Text or image data•Small Number

•Statistical•Description of Trends•Comparisons/Predictions

•Text Analysis•Description/Themes•Larger meanings of findings

•Standard and Fixed•Objective and Unbiased

•Flexible and Emerging•Reflexive and Biased

l 13

Definitions of Qualitative and Definitions of Qualitative and Quantitative ResearchQuantitative Research

Quantitative Quantitative ResearchResearch

QuantitativeQuantitative research is an research is an inquiry approach useful for inquiry approach useful for describing trends and explaining describing trends and explaining the relationship among variables the relationship among variables found in the literature. To found in the literature. To conduct this inquiry, the conduct this inquiry, the investigator specifies narrow investigator specifies narrow questions, locates or develops questions, locates or develops instruments using statistics. From instruments using statistics. From the results of these analyzes, the the results of these analyzes, the researcher interprets the data researcher interprets the data using prior predictions and using prior predictions and research studies. The final report, research studies. The final report, presented in standard format, presented in standard format, display researcher objectivity and display researcher objectivity and lack of bias. lack of bias.

Qualitative ResearchQualitative Research Quantitative Quantitative research is an research is an

inquiry approach useful for exploring inquiry approach useful for exploring and understanding a central and understanding a central phenomenon. To learn about this phenomenon. To learn about this phenomenon, the inquirer asks phenomenon, the inquirer asks participants broad, general participants broad, general questions, collects the detailed questions, collects the detailed views of participants in the form of views of participants in the form of words or images, and analyzes the words or images, and analyzes the information for description and information for description and themes. From this data, the themes. From this data, the researcher interprets the meaning of researcher interprets the meaning of the information drawing on personal the information drawing on personal reflections and past research. The reflections and past research. The structure of the final report is structure of the final report is flexible, and it displays the flexible, and it displays the researcher’s biases and thoughts.researcher’s biases and thoughts.

l 14

Characteristics of Quantitative and Characteristics of Quantitative and Qualitative Research in the Process of Qualitative Research in the Process of

ResearchResearchSteps in the Research Process

Analyze and Interpret Data

Report and Evaluate

Collecting Data

Specifying a Purpose

Reviewing the Literature

Identifying a Problem

Research DesignsTwo Approaches

QuantitativeQualitative






•Experimental•Correlational•Survey

•Ethnography•Grounded Theory•Narrative

•Mixed•Action

l 15

Quantitative Designs and UsesQuantitative Designs and Uses

ExperimentalResearch

CorrelationalResearch

SurveyResearch

Explaining whether anintervention influencesan outcome for onegroup as opposed to another group

Associating orrelating variablesin a predictablepattern for onegroup of individuals

Describing trends forthe population ofpeople

InterventionResearch

Non-InterventionResearch

l 16

Qualitative Research Designs Qualitative Research Designs and Usesand Uses

EthnographicResearch

Grounded TheoryResearch

NarrativeResearch

Exploring the sharedculture of a peoplegroup

Exploring commonexperiences ofindividuals todevelop a theory

Exploring individualstories to describethe lives of people

l 17

Combined Designs and UsesCombined Designs and Uses

Mixed MethodResearch

ActionResearch

Combining quantitative andqualitative data to bestunderstand and explain aresearch problem.

Using quantitative and qualitative data for individuals to study problems that they face in their setting

Documents

L1 Chapter 2 Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches Dr. William M. Bauer