Rearch Methods
Qualitative vs. Quantitative Approach
WANG Yan UIBE ❝Definition:
◦
An in-depth study of a social phenomenon or an aspect of educational life.
❝Goal:
◦to find out an answer to the underlying nature of something What is qualitative rearch ❝Rearch design ❝Fieldwork ❝Collecting data ❝Data analysis ❝Data interpretation Procedures of a qualitative rearch
❝Naturalistic ◦Actual situations as the direct source of data ◦The rearcher is the key instrument and goes to the particular tting under study ◦Concerned with the context and process
❝Descriptive ◦Everything could be a clue to a more comprehensive understanding of what is under study
❝Inductive ◦Start with no hypothesis (no presuppositions about the subject)◦Putting the pieces together to find out the whole ◦Let the understanding evolve through the process ◦Bottom up
❝Concerned with Meaning ◦Interested in the life as well as the understanding of people ◦How do people negotiate meaning?
Features of qualitative study
❝Generalizability:
◦Qualitative rearch findings are generalizable to some extent ◦Effecting changes is more important than generalizability ❝Subjectivity:
◦As a rearcher, you should reduce your opinions, prejudices, and other bias as much as possible.
◦Get rid of the assumptions before you start
◦Try to minimize and overcome your prejudice which may have effect on the data.
❝Process is more important than prediction and verification
◦Making adjustments if necessary
❝Truthful to the findings
Important Important issues about issues about
qualitative rearch ❝Relationship between the rearcher and the rearched ◦Full respect for the participants ◦Cooperation ◦Going along with the rearch and the rearched ❝Prence of the rearcher:
◦The rearcher should try to make the subjects forget the existence of the camera, recorder, etc.❝Different rearchers:
◦They may not come up with exactly the same results, but they surely share some similarities.
More about qualitative rearch
❝Definition:
◦an inquiry into a social or human problem bad on testing a theory compod of variables, measured with numbers, and analyzed with statistical procedures, in order to determine whether the predictive generalizations of the theory hold true
❝It is a formal, objective, systematic process in which numerical data are utilized to obtain information about the world
What is a quantitative rearch 8
Features of Quantitative Study ❝Quantitative rearch is about quantifying the relationships between variables.
❝The rearcher knows in advance what he or she is looking for.
❝Goal: Prediction, control, confirmation, test hypothes.
❝All aspects of the study are carefully designed before data are collected.
❝The rearcher tends to remain objectively parated from the subject matter.
❝Deductive --to test theory/hypothesis 1.Terms/phras associated with the approach 2.Key concepts associated with the approach 3.Theoretical affiliation 4.Academic affiliation 5.Goals 6.Design 7.Data 8.Sample 9.Techniques or methods 10.Relationship with subjects 11.Instruments and tools
12.Data analysis
13.Written rearch proposals
Comparison between qualitative and quantitative rearch
❝Qualitative ◦Naturalistic
◦Fieldwork ◦Soft data ◦Inner perspective ◦Ethnographic ◦Participant obrvation ◦Life history ◦Ca study ◦Narrative
◦Inductive
◦Descriptive
◦Interpretive
1. Terms/phras associated with the approach
❝Quantitative ◦Experimental ◦Hard data ◦Outer perspective ◦Positivist ◦Social facts ◦Statistical ◦
Scientific method 2. Key concepts associated with the approach
❝Qualitative ◦Meaning ◦Definition of situation ◦Everyday life ◦Negotiated order ◦Understanding ◦Process ◦For all practical purpos ◦Social construction
❝Quantitative ◦Viability ◦Reliability ◦Hypothesis ◦Validity
◦Statistically significant ◦Replication ◦Prediction 3. Theoretical affiliation ❝Qualitative ◦Symbolic interaction ◦Ethnomethodolgy ◦Phenomenology ◦Culture ◦Idealism ❝Quantitative
◦Structural functionalism ◦Realism, positivism ◦Behaviorism
◦Logical empiricism ◦Systems theory
4. Academic affiliation ❝
Qualitative ◦Sociology ◦History ◦Anthropology ❝Quantitative ◦Sociology ◦Psychology ◦Economics
◦Political science 5. Goals
❝Qualitative ◦Develop nsitizing concepts ◦Describe multiple realities ◦Develop understanding ❝Quantitative ◦Theory testing
◦Establishing facts
◦Show relationship between variables ◦Prediction 6. Design ❝Qualitative ◦Evolving ◦Flexible ◦General hunch as to how you might proceed ❝Quantitative ◦Structured ◦Predetermined ◦Formal, specific ◦Detailed plan of operation
