Thesis.1.2

PowerPoint slides by Ronald J. Shope in collaboration with John W. Creswell

Chapter 2Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches

Educational Research 2e: Creswell

Key Ideas

Definition of quantitative and qualitative ResearchDevelopment of quantitative researchDevelopment of qualitative researchDifferences between quantitative and qualitative in the process of researchDesign procedures within your approachUse of quantitative or qualitative approach


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.


The Development of Quantitative Research: Historical Trends

Statistical ProceduresTest and Measurement PracticesResearch Designs


Historical Trends: Quantitative Statistical Procedures

Correlational proceduresComparing groupsCause/Effect relationships


Historical Trends: Quantitative Testing and Measurement

Testing mental abilities (late 19th century)Measuring achievement (e.g. SAT)Predicting achievement from standardized measurements


Historical Trends: Quantitative Research Designs

Educational Surveys (late 19th century)Simple Experiments (early 20th century)Multiple groups and tests (by 1935)Longitudinal designsBooks on research design (e.g. Kerlinger 1964)


The Development of Qualitative Research: Major Themes

Philosophical IdeasProcedural DevelopmentsAdvocacy Practices


Historical Trends: Qualitative Philosophical Ideas

Naturalistic Inquiry or Constructivismconsider the participant’s point of viewdescribe participant’s view within a setting or context

This is an alternative perspective to traditional research


Historical Trends: Qualitative Procedural Developments

Central Phenomenon rather than research question or hypothesisMethods such as interviews, observations and interviewsDesigns such as case studies, grounded theory and narrative


Historical Trends: Qualitative Advocacy Practices

The qualitative researcher is not objective, politically neutral observerThe qualitative researcher is an observer of the human conditionThe meaning of the research is plural, political and openThe project is collaborative and participatory


Characteristics of Quantitative and Qualitative Research in the Process of Research

Steps in the Research Process

Analyze and Interpret Data

Report and Evaluate

Collecting Data

Specifying a Purpose

Reviewing the Literature

Identifying a Problem

Quantitative Characteristics

Qualitative Characteristics

•Descriptive/Explanatory •Exploratory/ Understanding a Central Phenomena •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

•General, emerging form•Text or image data•Small Number

•Statistical•Description of Trends•Comparisons/Predictions

•Text Analysis•Description and Themes•Larger Meanings of Findings

•Standard and Fixed•Objective and Unbiased

•Flexible and Emerging•Reflexive and Biased


Ways in Which Quantitative and Qualitative Research are Similar• They both follow the steps in the

process of research• Format for reporting the research

problem is the same• Both have data collection steps


How Procedures or Research Designs Relate to Quantitative and Qualitative Research and Steps in the Process of Research

Steps in the Research Process

Analyze and Interpret Data

Report and Evaluate

Collecting Data

Specifying a Purpose

Reviewing the Literature

Identifying a Problem

Research DesignsTwo ApproachesQuantitativeQualitative

QuantitativeQualitativeQuantitativeQualitative

QuantitativeQualitative



•Experimental•Correlational•Survey

•Ethnography•Grounded Theory•Narrative

•Mixed•Action


Quantitative 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


Qualitative Designs and Uses

EthnographicResearch

Grounded TheoryResearch

NarrativeResearch

Exploring the sharedculture of a peoplegroup

Exploring commonexperiences ofindividuals todevelop a theory

Exploring individualstories to describethe lives of people


Combined Designs and Uses

Mixed MethodsResearch

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


How Do You Choose Whether to Use the Quantitative or Qualitative Approach?

• Match the approach to the problem• Fit the approach to your audience• Relate the approach to your

experiences

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Thesis.1.2