RESEARCH IN MATH EDUCATION-3 CONTINUE…

QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE APPROACHES So far we learned that research consists of the six steps. We will learn another fact that research can be design in two ways: quantitative and qualitative

In this lesson we will; explore how these approaches differ throughout the six steps define quantitative and qualitative research, explain the main ideas and paradigms that influenced the development of quantitative and qualitative research; identify similarities and differences between these two research approaches in terms of the six steps; see the factors useful in deciding whether quantitative or qualitative research is best for studying our problem;

Quantitative Research Positivist tradition Objectivist Testing Determining Generalizing Numerical data Statistical techniques

Quantitative Research……. We can summarize the characteristics of quantitative research as below: focusing on collecting and analysing information in the form of numbers; testing cause and effect relationship; comparing different groups with regard to different variables; designing experimental inquiries—pre-post test and control-experimental groups.

Qualitative Research Relativist Subjectivist Understanding Views, ideas, values as data Themes as findings

Qualitative Research……. We can summarize the characteristics of qualitative research as below: focusing on themes coming from participants’ views; collecting data from the settings people live and work; sharing researcher’s ideas, comments, values and assumptions within the research report; interpreting qualitative data for not testing hypothesis or conjectures.

Similarities and Differences…… What are the similarities and fifferences of qualitative and qualitative esearch? 1. Identifying research problem quantitative qualitative Problem requires a description of trends or explanation of the relationship among variables We know much about particular variables in the setting. Problem requires; an exploration in which little is known about the issue, A detailed understanding of a central phenomenon. We don’t know much about variables in the setting

Similarities and Differences…… What are the similarities and fifferences of qualitative and qualitative esearch? 2. Reviewing the literature quantitative qualitative The literature plays a major role; for especially ensuring that the problem original and unique, to be objective and, to generalize conjectures or hypothesis The literature plays a minor role for justifying that the problem is unique and original. Literature review provides speculative ideas rather than objective results

Similarities and Differences…… What are the similarities and fifferences of qualitative and qualitative esearch? 3. Specifying a pupose of research quantitative qualitative The purpose statement; is specific and narrow; Seeks to describe measurable and observable data on variables. is general and broad; seeks to understand the participants’ experiences

Similarities and Differences…… What are the similarities and fifferences of qualitative and qualitative esearch? 4. Collecting data quantitative qualitative The data collection consists of; using instruments with preset questions and responses; gathering numeric data; Gathering information from a large number of individual. using forms with general questions, open-ended questions to permit the participants to generate responses; gathering words, pictures, symbols; Obtaining information from a small number of individuals.

Similarities and Differences…… What are the similarities and fifferences of qualitative and qualitative esearch? 5. Analyzing and interpreting data quantitative qualitative The data analysis consists of; statistical inferring; describing trends; comparing groups’ differences; relating variables generalizing conjectures. text analysis; developing an understanding; identifying themes; stating the larger meaning of the findings (speculation)

Similarities and Differences…… What are the similarities and fifferences of qualitative and qualitative esearch? 6. Reporting and evaluating research quantitative qualitative Report uses standard, fixed structures and evaluative criteria. Researchers take an objective and unbiased manner in presenting findings Report uses a flexible structure and evaluate criteria. Researchers take a subjective (reflective) position and biased approach.

Quantitative Steps Qualitative Description and explanation oriented Major role, justification for the research problem, specification for the need for the study Specific and narrow, measurable and observable data Predetermined enstruments, numerical data, large number of people Statistical analysis, description of trends, comparision of groups, relationship among variables Standard and fixed, objectivist and unbiased Identifying research problem Reviewing literature Specifying purpose Collecting data Analyzing and interpreting data Reporting and evaluating research Exploratory and understanding oriented Minor role, justification for the research problem General and broad, understanding participants’ experiences İnterviews, observations, text, pictures, symbols, small number of people Text analysis, thematic organisation, understanding meanings Flexible and emerging, reflexive and biased

What are the research designs associated with quantitative and qualitative research? It is not enough to know the steps differ in quantitative and qualitative procedures, We also need to go into detail to see how research designs differ in both approaches. Research designs differ for quantitative and qualitative research. Experimental design Correlational design Survey design Grounded theory design Ethnographic design Narrative design Mixed methods design Action research design (teacher as researcher)

Grounded theory Research Quantitative research designs Qualitative research designs Combined quantitative and qualitative research designs Intervention Research Non-intervention Research Exploring common experiences of individuals to develop a theory Exploring the shared culture of a group of a people Combining quantitative and qualitative data to best understand and explain a research problem Using qualitative and quantitative data for individuals’ practices within an educational Setting Mixed methods Research Explaining whether an intervention influences an outcome for one group as opposed to another group Describing trends for a population of people Exploring individual stories to describe the lives of people Narrative Research Action Research Associating or relating variables in apredictable pattern for one group of individuals Ethnographic Research Experimental Research Correlational Research Survey Research Grounded theory Research

Experimental Design Some researchers seek to test whether a particular practice has any effect on individuals. For example, in education, does problem solving based teaching has any effect on students’ cognitive development? In this case, an experimental design is suitable for you. In experimental design, researchers try to determine whether an activity or materials make difference in results for participants. You assess this impact by giving one group set of activities (called an intervention) and keeping another group out of activities (called non-intervention) Experimental-control groups Pre-and-post test Dependent and independent variables Testing hypothesis

Correlational Design In some inquiries, you may be unable to provide an intervention or to assign individual to groups, but you want to focus on examining the relationship of one or more variables. In this case, you need to conduct a correlational study. Correlational design is a procedure in quantitative research in wich researcher tries to measure the degree of relationship between two or more variables by using the statistical procedures of correlational analysis. Correlational statistics: whether the two variables are related or whether one can predict another.

Survey Design Survey is another form of quantitative research. You may not want to test an activity (you don’t have any way to intervention) or may not be interested in the relationships among variables. Instead, you may want to seek to describe trends in a large population of people. In this case, a survey is a good procedure for you to use. In this procedure, you use questionnaire with some group of people (called sample) in order to identify trends, attitudes, opinions, views, believes or behaviours of a large group of people (called population). Choosen sample must present every aspects of the population

Grounded Theory Design Instead of studying a single group, you may want to examine a number of individuals. In this case, you need to conduct a grounded theory design. It is a form of qualitative research. This design enables you to generate a broad theory about phenomenon grounded in the data. As a systematic procedure, it is used by a wide range of educational researchers to generate a general explanation that explains a process, action or interaction between people. In this process, researcher uses interview (or clinic interview) as a data collection tool. Researcher focuses on categories and themes emerged from the qualitative data. These categories and themes help researcher to construct predictive statements about the experiences of individuals

Ethnographic Design You may be interested in; studying one group of individuals, examining them in the natural setting where they live and work; developing a portrait of how they interact. In this case, it is good for you to use ethnographic design as a qualitative research. Ethnographic design is a qualitative procedure for describing, analyzing and understanding a cultural group’s shared patterns of behaviours, believes, values and language that developed over time. Ethnographic research provides a detaled picture of the culture of group drawing from various sources of information. Researcher describes the group within their natural setting, explores themes, meanings and issues that develop over time as the group interact, and presents a detaled picture of the group. While doing these researcher also put him/herselves into the report with his/her biases and conceptions. Entring the field as observer as participants

Narrative Design You may not be interested in describing, explaining or interpreting the actions, ideas, behaviours or experiences of people within their own culture and setting as researchers do in grounded theory research and ethnographic designs. Instead, you may want to tell the stories of one or two individuals. Or you may want to tell some thing about the lives of individuals. In this case, it is good for you to use narrative design as a form of qualitative research. Researchers collect detailed information about these individuals and tell stories about these individuals’ lives and write personal narratives. In education, these stories often relate to school classroom experiences or activities in schools.

Mixed Methods Design If you decide to collect both quantitative and qualitative data, it is good for you to use a mixed methods design. This design may provide a better understanding of a research problem than one type of data alone. This design as a procedure links both quantitative and qualitative data in a single study. It is important that you should decide how you integrate and connect two kinds of data during the process of data analyzing.

Action Research Design Like mixed methods design, action research design often utilizes both quantitative and qualitative data. But it focuses on procedures useful in explaining practical problems take place in schools and classroom settings. Action research design is a systematic procedure used by teachers as researcher within actual settings. While teaching the researcher tries to obtain qualitative and quantitative data through intervention or non-intervention. I mean that teacher as a researcher can continue his/her inquiry without changing anything in the setting or can study any innovation put into the setting. Through this type of designs, teachers as researchers have an opportunity to obtain first hand data about what is going on within the setting in terms of learning and teaching.