1. The Nature of Inquiry and Research Quantitative Research Designs
Practical Research 2:
The Nature of Inquiry and Research Quantitative Research Designs
Good morning. T
VON CHRISTOPHER G. CHUA

2. What are the differences between quantitative and qualitative research?
What are the strengths of quantitative research? Its weaknesses?
What are variables?
How do we classify variables?
Single reality vs multiple realities; establishing relationships vs understanding perspectives; pre-established design vs emerging design; detached vs immersed; to generalize vs to assess applicability
Precision of numbers; level of significance can be computed; sample is less prone to sampling bias; error can be computed
Inadequacy of numbers, less than 100% accuracy; limited to proving or disproving an assumption
Variables are descriptions that have values that vary
Let’s look back…

3. A variable varies and has values
A variable varies and has values. The values of variables under study are the research data.
Are these variables? chair, shape of table, tweet, shirt style.
Classifying Variables according to Scales of Measure
Nominal scale is characterized by data that consist of names, labels, or categories only.
Ordinal scale involves data that may be arranged in some order but differences between data values either cannot be determined or meaningless.
Interval scale is data for which we can determine meaningful amounts of differences between data. However there is no inherent zero starting point.
Ratio scale is the interval scale to include the inherent zero starting point. For these values, differences and ratios are both meaningful.
Variables
NOMINAL
ORDINAL
RATIO
INTERVAL
IDENTITY
MAGNITUDE
EQUAL INTERVALS
ABSOLUTE ZERO

4. Daily Allowance
Availability of Internet Connection
Time
Temperature
Test Score
Position in Student Government
Cellphone Brand
Height
Cellphone number
Class rank in the honor roll
ACTIVITY ONE
Which goes where?
AGE
GRADE LEVEL
GENDER
Classify the variables at the right based on their “likelihood” to the three others in the color-coded columns.

5. Our Learning Goals:
The Nature of Inquiry and Research
After this discussion, you are expected to have the ability to…
describe characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses of quantitative research;
differentiate kinds of variables according to scales of measure; and
contrast kinds of quantitative research.
This slideshow presentation will be made available through the trainer’s website: mathbychua.weebly.com.
Download the document to use it as reference.

6. Quantitative Research Designs
Correla
tional
Experi
mental
Manipulating conditions and studying effects
Studying relationships
Non-experimental research
Descrip
tive
Describing characteristics

7. Observational methods
Quantitative Research Designs
Descriptive
Research
TYPES
This design aims to describe systematically the facts and characteristics of a given population or area of interest, factually and accurately
Observational methods
are used to document and describe animal and human behavior in a natural or artificial environment.
Survey research designs involves administering a survey to a sample or the entire population of people to describe the attitudes, opinions, behaviors, or characteristics of the population
Survey research designs
Case Studies
Involves an in-depth study of an individual or a small group of individuals

8. TYPES Survey research designs Use it when…
Cross-sectional survey is used when the researcher collects data at one point in time. The purpose is to examines current attitudes, beliefs, opinions, or practices
Compare two or more groups in terms of attitudes, beliefs, opinions, or practices.
Evaluates a program.
Longitudinal survey designs involves the survey procedure of collecting data about trends with the same population, changes in a cohort group or subpopulation, or changes in a panel group of the same individuals over time.
Use it when…
Describing trends
Determining individual opinions about policy issues
Identifying important beliefs and attitudes of individuals
When an entire population is surveyed, it is called census.
Trend showing a tendency to follow a pattern.
Individual opinion is seen as quantitative if these opinions are reflected as level of agreement to statements in a questionnaire.
Opinion on War on Drugs: I feel safer walking alone in streets after the War on Drugs campaign. SA A N D SD
Beliefs and attitudes work in the same way.

9. Examples of Research Questions for Descriptive Research
What are the sleeping habits of SHS students in DLSAU?
What factors affected the SHS track choice of SHS students?
What do teenagers consider when buying a new phone?
What are the most common stressors that affect professors?
What is the level of marketability of personalized phone cases on DLSAU students?

10. Quantitative Research Designs TYPES Correlational Research
Explanatory research design determines the extent to which two variables (or more) co-vary.
Co-vary means to predict a score on one variable with knowledge about the individual’s score on another variable.
Prediction research design seeks to identify variables that will predict an outcome or criterion.
Variables can be the predictor variable or the criterion variable.
aims to describe and measure the degree of association between two or more variables or sets of scores.
An explanatory research design is a correlational design in which the researcher is interested in the extent to which two variables (or more) co-vary, that is, where changes in one variable are reflected in changes in the other.
prediction research design is to identify variables that will predict an outcome or criterion. In this form of research, the investigator identifies one or more
predictor variable and a criterion (or outcome) variable.
A predictor variable is a variable used to make a forecast about an outcome in correlational research.

11. Examples of Research Questions for Correlational Research
Does wearing school uniform have any relationship with students’ ability to participate in class?
Is there a relationship between phone brand and Facebook usage among teens?
Does mathematical competence have any relationship with a person’s willingness to do business?
Is there a relationship between a student’s attitude towards research and his/her real world problem solving skills?

12. Variables that cause change in the subject.
Quantitative Research Designs
Experimental
Research
Variables that cause change in the subject.
Independent variable
An experiment tests an idea to determine whether it influences an outcome.
Used when the researcher wants to establish possible cause and effect between variables.
Dependent variable
In an experimental study, researchers look at the effect(s) of at least one independent variable on one or more dependent variables.
The independent variable in experimental research is also frequently referred to as the experimental, or treatment, variable. The dependent variable, also known as the criterion, or outcome, variable, refers to the results or outcomes of the study.
True experiments, the researcher randomly assigns participants to different conditions of the experimental variable.
Quasi-experiments include assignment, but not random assignment of participants to groups.
Factorial designs represent a modification of the between group design in which the researcher studies two or more categorical, independent variables, each examined at two or more levels (Vogt, 2005)
A time series design consists of studying one group, over time, with multiple pretest and posttest measures or observations made by the researcher.
Variables that bear or manifest the effects caused by the independent variable.

13. (assigning individuals randomly to groups)
Experimental Research Designs
TYPES
In true experiments, the researcher randomly assigns participants to different conditions of the experimental variable.
EG: R O1 x O2
CG: R O1 x O2
Quasi-experiments include assignment, but not random assignment of participants to groups.
EG: O1 x O2
CG: O1 x O2
Experimental group (treatment group)
post-test
pretest
Control group
(non-treatment group)
treatment
Randomization
(assigning individuals randomly to groups)

14. Can peer counseling improve a person’s school anxiety?
Examples of Research Questions for Experimental Research
Does the use of audio-visuals in class have any effect on students’ memory?
Does playing indie pop music improve students’ ability to solve Math problems while in class?
Does a meme-based ad on social media improve a product’s name recall as compared to an ordinary ad?
Can peer counseling improve a person’s school anxiety?

15. ACTIVITY ONE
Internet availability at home and student’s average sleeping time at night
Social media involvement and practices of Grade 12 HUMSS students
The effect of the use of <a local packaging material> on the shelf life of a product.
The marketability of <innovative product> to SHS students.
Children of single parents and their level of Math anxiety.
Determine the design
Correlational
Descriptive
Experimental (True)

16. Quest for Questions Be creative. No idea is crazy.
ACTIVITY TWO
As a group, decide on a topic of interest for your research.
For the next 10 minutes, come up with at least three research questions, one for each quantitative research design based on that topic and relevant to your SHS track.
Present your group’s ideas to the rest of the class by sharing why your group thinks the question is interesting and how you see the group doing it.
Quest for Questions
Be creative. No idea is crazy.
The more innovative the idea, the better.