chapter 2: quantitative, qualitative and mixed research a powerpoint presentation by roger pence
TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 2: Quantitative, Qualitative and Mixed
ResearchA PowerPoint presentation by Roger Pence
Learning Objectives Describe the characteristics of quantitative
research
List and explain the different types of variables used in quantitative research
Explain the difference between experimental and nonexperimental research
Describe the characteristics of qualitative research
List and explain the differences among the different types of qualitative research
Describe the characteristics of mixed research
What is a research paradigm?
The set of shared perspectives, values, assumptions, concepts and practices shared by a community
An approach to thinking about and doing research
What is meant by the “incompatibility
thesis”? A notion or belief that both
quantitative and and qualitative research cannot exist in the same research study. (An either-or position)
The incompatibility thesis has been pushed out of favor by pragmatism, which states that whichever approach, even a mixture, that best answers the question should be used.
The Research Continuum
Salient characteristics of the three paradigms
Emphasis of each Research Paradigm
Feature Qualitative Research
Mixed Research
Qualitative Research
Scientific Method
Confirmatory or “top-down”Hypothesis testing
Confirmatory or Exploratory
Exploratory or “bottom-up”Hypothesis generation
View of Human Behavior
Behavior is regular and predictable
Behavior somewhat predictable
Behavior is fluid, dynamic, situational, social, contextual, personal
Most Common research objectives
Describe, explain, predict
Multiple objectives
Explore, discover, construct, describe
Research Paradigm Emphasis Continued…
Feature Quantitative Research
Mixed Research
Qualitative Research
Focus Narrow-angle lensSpecific hypothesis testing
Multilens focus Examines breadth and depth to learn what is going on
Interest General laws Connection between the local and the general
Local: particular groups and people
Nature of Observation
Controlled conditionsCause and Effect
Study in more than one context
Study in natural environments, contexts, multiple factors
Research Paradigm Emphasis Continued…
Feature Quantitative Research
Mixed Research
Qualitative Research
Nature of reality
Objective Pragmatism and realism
Subjective, personal, socially constructed
Form of data collected
Quantitative data based on measurement
Multiple forms Qualitative data based on interviews, observations, notes
Nature of data Variables Mixture of variables, words, images
Words, images, categories
Research Paradigm Emphasis Continued…
Feature Quantitative Research
Mixed Research
Qualitative Research
Data Analysis Identify statistical relationships
Quantitative and qualitative combination
Search for patterns, themes, holistic features
Results Generalizable findings
Provision of viewpoints
Present multiple perspectives
Form of Final Report
Statistical Report
Mixture of numbers and Narrative
Narrative report with contextual description and direct quotations from participants
Quantitative Research Methods Terms
Variable: Condition or characteristic that can take on different values or categories
Constant: A single category of a variable
Quantitative Variable: Varies by degree or amount (e.g. income)
Categorical Variable: Varies by type or kind (e.g. religion)
Independent Variable: Presumed to change another variable
Dependent Variable: Influenced by independent variable
Quantitative Research: Cause and Effect
Changes in independent variable produce changes in dependent variable (one changes causes another)
Example: More fertilizer produces bigger plants
Quantitative Research Terms: Other Variables
Intervening Variable: A variable that stands between the
independent and dependent variable and may also explain changes observed in the dependent variable
Moderator Variable: Changes the relationships between other variables (e.g. teaching delivery and personality style)
Quantitative Research:Experimental Research
Used to determine cause and effect relationships through manipulation of independent variable.
Must consider extraneous variables (a variable that may compete with the independent variable and change the experimental outcome) What if the results are due to some other
factor?!
Must also consider confounding variables (variable that was not controlled) Sorry, we couldn’t do anything about that!
Quantitative Research:Non-Experimental
Research
No manipulation of the independent variable and no random assignments to groups
Causal-comparative research: Primary independent variable of interest is a categorical variable (like religion, gender, etc.) More difficult to establish cause and effect
relationships
Correlational research: Primary independent variable of interest is quantitative (how does an amount of an independent variable change the dependent variable?)
Quantitative Research:Correlation
Coefficients Positive correlation: When the variable move in the same
direction
Negative correlation: When the variables move in opposite directions
Strength of correlation: Ranges from +1 to -1 with 0 representing no correlation at all
Qualitative Research Methods
Phenomenology: How does the experience of a phenomenon affect something? Example: How does divorce affect learning?
Ethnography: Interest in how a group’s culture influences a question. Example: Do skateboarders have a better innate
understanding of physics?
Qualitative Research Methods
Case Study Research: Detailed account(s) of one or more cases Example: Students using filmmaking to learn science
Grounded theory: Generating and developing a theory from qualitative research Example: Factors that affect student’s homework turn-
in rate
Historical Research: Research about people, places and events from the past Example: How did Sputnik affect science education?
Mixed Research
Fundamental principle of mixed research: It is wise to collect multiple sets of data using different research methods to “cover holes” that might exist with only one type of research.
Allows confidence to be placed in findings arrived at from more than one angle.
If data suggests conflicting conclusions, then more research will be needed to explore the phenomenon.
The mixed approach often best answers questions in a complex and ever-changing world.