Understanding Quantitative and Qualitative Research: Definitions, Historical Trends, and Characteristics

1. Chapter 2 Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches John W. Creswell Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, third edition

2. By the end of this chapter, you should be able to: • Define quantitative and qualitative research • Explain what has influenced the development of quantitative research and qualitative research • Identify differences and similarities between quantitative and qualitative research • Identify the types of research designs used as procedures in quantitative, qualitative, or combined (mixed) research • Identify factors useful for deciding whether to use a quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods approach in a study John W. Creswell Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, third edition

3. 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. Definitions of Quantitative and Qualitative Research Quantitative Research A type of educational research in which the researcher decides what to study; asks specific, narrow questions; collects quantifiable data from participants; analyzes these numbers using statistics; and conducts the inquiry in an unbiased, objective manner. John W. Creswell Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, third edition

4. The Development of Quantitative Research: Historical Trends • Statistical procedures • Correlational procedures • Comparison of groups • Cause/effect relationships • Test and measurement practices • Testing mental abilities (late 19th century) • Measuring achievement (e.g., SAT) • Predicting achievement from standardized measurements John W. Creswell Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, third edition

5. Historical Trends: Quantitative Research Designs • Educational surveys (late 19th century) • Simple experiments (early 20th century) • Multiple groups and tests (by 1935) • Longitudinal designs • Books on research design (e.g., Campbell & Stanley, 1963; Kerlinger, 1964) John W. Creswell Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, third edition

6. Historical Trends and the Characteristics of Quantitative Research • An emphasis on collecting and analyzing information in the form of numbers • An emphasis on collecting scores that measure distinct attributes of individuals and organizations • An emphasis on the procedures of comparing groups or relating factors about individuals or groups in experiments, correlational studies, and surveys John W. Creswell Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, third edition

7. The Development of Qualitative Research: Major Themes • Philosophical ideas • Procedural developments • Advocacy practices John W. Creswell Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, third edition

8. Historic Trends: Qualitative Philosophical Ideas • Naturalistic inquiry or constructivism • Consider the participant’s point of view • Describe participant’s view within a setting or context • Alternative perspective to traditional research John W. Creswell Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, third edition

9. Historic Trends:Qualitative Procedural Developments • Central phenomenon rather than research question or hypothesis • Methods such as observations and interviews • Designs such as case studies, grounded theory, and narrative John W. Creswell Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, third edition

10. Historic Trends: Qualitative Advocacy Practices • The qualitative researcher is not an objective, politically neutral observer. • The qualitative researcher is an observer of the human condition. • The meaning of the research is plural, political, and open. • The project is collaborative and participatory. John W. Creswell Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, third edition

11. Characteristics of Quantitative and Qualitative Research in the Process of Research Quantitative Characteristics Steps in the Research Process Qualitative Characteristics • Exploratory/ • Understanding • a Central Phenomena • Descriptive/Explanatory Identify a Problem • Major Role • Justify Problem • Minor Role • Justify Problem Review the Literature • Specific and Narrow • Measurable/Observable • General and Broad • Participants’ Experience Specify a Purpose • Predetermined Instruments • Numeric Data • Large numbers • General, emerging form • Text or image data • Small Number Collect Data • Text Analysis • Description and Themes • Larger Meanings of Findings Analyze and Interpret Data • Statistical • Description of Trends • Comparisons/Predictions • Flexible and Emerging • Reflexive and Biased • Standard and Fixed • Objective and Unbiased Report and Evaluate John W. Creswell Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, third edition

12. Ways in Which Quantitative and Qualitative Research Are Similar • They both follow the steps in the process of research. • The format for reporting the research problem is the same. • Both have data collection steps. John W. Creswell Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, third edition

13. Relating Research Designs to Quantitative and Qualitative Research and Steps in the Research Process Two Approaches Steps in the Research Process Research Designs Quantitative Qualitative Identify a Problem Quantitative Qualitative Review the Literature • Experimental • Correlational • Survey Quantitative Qualitative Specify a Purpose Quantitative Qualitative Collect Data • Mixed • Action Quantitative Qualitative Analyze and Interpret Data • Ethnography • Grounded Theory • Narrative Quantitative Qualitative Report and Evaluate John W. Creswell Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, third edition

14. Quantitative Designs and Uses Nonintervention Research Intervention Research Associating or relating variables in a predictable pattern for one group of individuals Explaining whether an intervention influences an outcome for one group as opposed to another group Describing trends for the population of people Experimental Research Correlational Research Survey Research John W. Creswell Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, third edition

15. Qualitative Designs and Uses (cont’d) Exploring common experiences of individuals to develop a theory Exploring the shared culture of a group Exploring individual stories to describe the lives of people Ethnographic Research Grounded Theory Research Narrative Research John W. Creswell Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, third edition

16. Combined Designs and Uses Using quantitative and qualitative data for individuals to study problems that they face in their setting Combining quantitative and qualitative data to understand and explain a research problem better. Mixed Methods Research Action Research John W. Creswell Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, third edition

17. Choosing Whether to Use a Quantitative or Qualitative Approach • Match the approach to the problem • Fit the approach to your audience • Relate the approach to your experiences John W. Creswell Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, third edition