Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods

TEACHING RESEARCH METHODS

LTSN-BEST/ICS Workshop

3rd October 2003

Gillian Livesey

LTSN-ICS

University of Ulster

Overview

• Qualitative and Quantitative Research• Purpose of Research• Qualitative and Quantitative Methods• Teaching • Resources• Assessment

Research Methods

• Research methods are generally categorised as being either quantitative or qualitative.

• What matters is that the methods used fit the

intended purposes of the research!

Qualitative and Quantitative Paradigms

• The qualitative paradigm concentrates on investigating subjective data, in particular, the perceptions of the people involved. The intention is to illuminate these perceptions and, thus, gain greater insight and knowledge.

• The quantitative paradigm concentrates on what can be measured. It involves collecting and analysing objective (often numerical) data that can be organised into statistics.

Qualitative and Quantitative Research

  Qualitative Research Quantitative Research

Also known as interpretative / responsive positivist /hypothetico-deductive

Type of reasoning

(usually) inductive (usually) deductive

Link withconcepts

identifies concepts identified concepts and investigates relationships

Action sometimes only describes a situation BUT in action-research openly intervenes

tests relationships between concepts

Outcome illuminates the situation accepts or rejects proposed theory

Approach to validity

truth seen as context bound (socially constructed)

truth seen as objectiveand universal

Research

The purposes of research can be categorised as:

• Description (fact finding) • Exploration (looking for patterns) • Analysis (explaining why or how) • Prediction (forecasting the likelihood of particular events) • Problem Solving (improvement of current practice)

Descriptive Research

• Seeks to accurately describe current or past phenomena - to answer such questions as:

a) What is the absentee rate for particular lectures?

b) What is the pass rate for particular courses?

c) What is the dropout rate on particular degree programmes?

d) What effect does a particularly quality audit process have on teacher morale?

Analytical Research

• Seeking to explain the reasons behind a particular occurrence by discovering causal relationships. Once causal relationships have been discovered, the search then shifts to factors that can be changed (variables) in order to influence the chain of causality. Typical questions are:

a) Why is there a preponderance of female students on 1st level teacher training programmes?

b) What factors might account for the high drop-our rate on a particular degree programme?

Predictive Research

• Seeks to forecast the likelihood of particular phenomena occurring in given circumstances. It seeks to answer such questions as:

a) Will changing the start time achieve a higher attendance rate at our lectures?

b) Will introducing anonymous marking reduce the gender imbalance in the achievement of 1st class degrees?

c) Will increasing the weighting for course work encourage students to adopt deep learning strategies?

Problem Solving Research / Action Research

• Action-research is a form of problem solving based on increasing knowledge through observation and reflection, then following this with a deliberate intervention intended to improve practice.

– Educational action-research describes a family of activities in curriculum development, professional development, school improvement programmes, and systems planning and policy development.

– Participants in the action being considered are intricately involved with all of these activities.

Typical Methods

Descriptive Research

Statistical SurveysSamplingInterviews

Analytical Research

Case Studies Attitude SurveysObservations Statistical SurveysHistorical Analysis

Predictive Research

identifying and / or defining measurable (quantifiable) variables and manipulating

them to cause measurable.

Problem Solving/Active

Research

action-research spiral: observe reflect plan act observe reflect plan act ………

Research Methods Categorised by Activity

Experimental Research

The causal effects of phenomena are tested on one group by comparison with a control group which is otherwise similar but upon which the phenomena is not allowed to act.

Quasi-Experimental

Research

Causal effects of phenomena are investigated in a way similar to experimental research BUT full control is not possible

Non-Experimental

Research

The investigation of conditions as they really are without an attempt to change any of them - at least while the research is in progress.

Teaching: Elementary Concepts

• What is a Variable?• Scales of Measurement• Qualitative -v- Quantitative • Continuous -v- Categorical / Dichotomous • Independence -v- Dependence

Teaching: Selecting Statistics

  Dependent VariableDichotomous Continuous

IndependentVariable

Dichotomous Chi-squareLogistic RegressionPhiCramer's V

t-testANOVARegressionPoint-biserial Correlation

Continuous Logistic RegressionPoint-biserial Correlation

RegressionCorrelation

• William Gossett - nicknamed ‘Student’ was a chemist at the Guinness brewery in Dublin and developed the student t-test in 1908 to ensure that each batch of Guinness was as similar as possible to every other batch! The t-test is used to compare two groups and comes in at least 3 flavours.

Teaching: Software

• Spreadsheets– EXCEL

• Statistical Software– SPSS (http://www.spss.com/)– MINITAB (http://www.minitab.com/)– SAS (http://www.sas.com/)

Resources

http://trochim.human.cornell.edu/

Resources

http://www.socsciresearch.com/

Assessment

• Written – a report, research proposal or evaluation

• Group Work – interdisciplinary groups

• VLE – internet

• Peer Tuition• Peer Assessment• Multiple Choice – maybe online

• Exam – written or using computer

• CAA, QTI

Conclusion

What matters is that the methods used fit the intended purposes of

the research!