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Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods

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Title: Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods


1
Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods
Gillian Livesey LTSN-ICS University of Ulster
  • TEACHING RESEARCH METHODS
  • LTSN-BEST/ICS Workshop
  • 3rd October 2003

2
Overview
  • Qualitative and Quantitative Research
  • Purpose of Research
  • Qualitative and Quantitative Methods
  • Teaching
  • Resources
  • Assessment

3
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!

4
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.

5
Qualitative and Quantitative Research
6
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)

7
Descriptive Research
  • Seeks to accurately describe current or past
    phenomena - to answer such questions as
  • What is the absentee rate for particular
    lectures?
  • What is the pass rate for particular courses?
  • What is the dropout rate on particular degree
    programmes?
  • What effect does a particularly quality audit
    process have on teacher morale?

8
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
  • Why is there a preponderance of female students
    on 1st level teacher training programmes?
  • What factors might account for the high drop-our
    rate on a particular degree programme?

9
Predictive Research
  • Seeks to forecast the likelihood of particular
    phenomena occurring in given circumstances. It
    seeks to answer such questions as
  • Will changing the start time achieve a higher
    attendance rate at our lectures?
  • Will introducing anonymous marking reduce the
    gender imbalance in the achievement of 1st class
    degrees?
  • Will increasing the weighting for course work
    encourage students to adopt deep learning
    strategies?

10
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.

11
Typical Methods
12
Research Methods Categorised by Activity
13
Teaching Elementary Concepts
  • What is a Variable?
  • Scales of Measurement
  • Qualitative -v- Quantitative
  • Continuous -v- Categorical / Dichotomous
  • Independence -v- Dependence

14
Teaching Selecting Statistics
15
  • 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.

16
Teaching Software
  • Spreadsheets
  • EXCEL
  • Statistical Software
  • SPSS (http//www.spss.com/)
  • MINITAB (http//www.minitab.com/)
  • SAS (http//www.sas.com/)

17
Resources
http//trochim.human.cornell.edu/
18
Resources
http//www.socsciresearch.com/
19
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

20
Conclusion
  • What matters is that the methods used fit the
    intended purposes of the research!
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