Chapter 2: Quantitative, Qualitative and Mixed Research A 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 Quantitative research Mixed research Qualitative research

Salient characteristics of the three paradigms Quantitative Uses numerical data A “narrow-angle lens” Mixed A Blend of both numerical and naturalistic observation Borrows from both ends of the continuum Qualitative Observes qualities in their “natural setting” Uses verstehen “wearing the other person’s shoes”

Emphasis of each Research Paradigm Feature Qualitative Research Mixed 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 lens Specific 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 conditions Cause 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 Small plants Add fertilizer 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 X I Y 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.