DIFFERENCES BETWEEN QUALITATIVE

AND QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

METHODS

Qualitative

Aspect

Quantitative

Emphasizes on observations and interpretations

Definition

Emphasizes on numbers, measurements and

experimentation

Informal and general

Design

Formal, structured and specific

Small scale and non representative

Samples

Large scale and representative

Case studies and ethnographies

Methods

Experiments and surveys

More subjective: describes a problem or condition

Form

More objective: provides observed effects (interpreted

from the point of view of those experiencing it

Verbal descriptions, observations, documents,

by researchers) of a program on a problem or condition

Collected data

photographs, peoples own words and narration

More in-depth information on a few cases

Quantities, counts, measures, instruments, numbers and

statistics

Depth

Less in-depth but more breadth of information across a

large number of cases

1.) Provides deeper understanding of issues

Benefits

2.) Recognition of new and untouched phenomena

1.) Enables gathering information from a relatively large

number of participant
2.) Can conduct in a number of groups, allowing for
comparison

Cannot generalize to the general population

Limitations

3.) Allows generalizing to broader population

Difficulty in recognizing new and untouched phenomena

Quantitative research

EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH

PURPOSE
To compare
To determine the best method/solution

SAMPLE
Teaching grammar in isolation & teaching
grammar in context
2 groups
Test/quiz

CHARACTERISTICS
Manipulates variables
Subjects are randomly assigned
The features being tested are the same
Measures are appropriate for testing

QUASI EXPERIMENTAL
RESEARCH

 Purpose:
-attempts to establish cause-effect relationships
among the variables.
- When it is not possible to randomly assign
subjects to groups
-to test the effectiveness of a programme

 Characteristics:
-similar to true experiments, but with some key
differences.
-independent variable is identified but not
manipulated by the experimenter, effects of the
independent variable on the dependent variable are
measured

 Examples of Quasi Experimental Research:

The effect of taking multivitamins on a students
school absenteeism
The effect of gender on language learning

SURVEY

PURPOSE
Administer a survey to a sample to describe the
attitudes, opinions and behaviours, or
characteristics of the population. Does not involve
a treatment given to participants.

CHARACTERISTICS
Can focus on opinions
Can be based on information facts depending on
its purposes
Questionnaire and interview

EXAMPLE
A survey on college students beliefs about what
constitutes abusive behaviours in dating
relationship.

CORRELATIONAL
RESEARCH

 Purpose:
-attempts to determine the extent of a relationship
between two or more variables using statistical data
Characteristics:
- relationships between and among a number of facts
are sought and interpreted (trends and patterns in
data).
- cause and effect is not the basis of this type of
observational research
- The data, relationships, and distributions of
variables are studied only.
- Descriptive research (no variables are manipulated)

 Sample Research:
1) Positive correlation
-the more the headmaster performs
transformational leadership, the performance of
pupils will increase
2) Negative correlation
-the less the headmaster performs transformational
leadership, the performance of pupils will decrease

 Examples of Correlational Research:

Effects of giving tokens to disciplinary problems
The relationships between the types of activities
used in english classrooms and student
achievement

Qualitative research

ETHNOGRAPHY

 Ethnography deals with the study of the diversity

of human cultures in their particular cultural
settings.

PURPOSE
To obtain an understanding of the shared beliefs
and practices at a particular group or culture
To provide rich, holistic insights into peoples
views and actions as well as the nature of the
location they inhabit, through the collection of
detailed observations and interviewed.

CHARACTERISTICS
A strong emphasis in exploring the nature of a
particular social phenomenon, rather than to
setting out to test hypotheses about it
A tendency to work primarily with unstructured
data that is data that have not been coded at
the point of data collection
Investigation of a small number of cases

EXAMPLE
What is the nature of the problems teachers
encounter when they begin using a constructivist
approach to instruction after having taught using
a very traditional approach for ten years?
Why does a sense of failure permeate everything
about the particular high school?

PURPOSE
D E S C R I B E I N - D E P T H T H E E X P E R I E N C E
O F O N E P E R S O N , FA M I LY , G R O U P ,
COMMUNITY, OR INSTITUTION

CASE STUDY

Characteristics
Direct observation and interaction with subject
gather data through the collection of stories that
are used to construct a narrative about the
individuals experience and the meanings he/she
attributes to them.
Analysis - synthesis of experience
Outcomes - in-depth description of the experience

Sample of Research
A study of the experiences of an autistic student
who has moved from a self-contained program to
an inclusion setting
Examples of topic
-Use song to motivate a weak student to learn
English

HISTORICAL

Purpose
describe and examine events of the past to
understand the present and anticipate potential
future effects
describes past events, problems, issues and
facts.

Characteristics
Data are gathered from written or oral
descriptions of past events, artifacts, etc
describes what was in an attempt to recreate
the past
different from a report (it involves interpretation
of events and its influence on the present)
Answer the question: What was the situation?

Sample research
A study of the factors leading to the historical
development and growth of cooperative learning
Examples of topic
-PISMP
-SBA
-PPSMI