Qualitative VS Quantitative

Last Friday, in her Grade 6 class Cobalt,

Kelsi had a 10-item spelling test in her
English class. After checking, her English
teacher said, “Kelsi, you got a 100%
passing mark!” She also commented,
“your classmates though seem
uninterested in the lessons these passed
days.”
QUANTITATIVE
Rootword: quantity
Collects data in the form of numbers
(Quantitative observation)
Examples:
height, weight, age of a person
daily, monthly, yearly income of an
employee
grades of a student in his/her
academic
QUALITATIVE
Rootword: quality
Collects data in the form of
words and statements
(Qualitative observation)
QUANTITATIVE

Objective
Answers research questions:
1. how many?
2. strength of relationship
3. difference
Literature review is done BEFORE the study
QUANTITATIVE

TESTS theory
Reports: statistical analysis
Basic research element: NUMBERS
Researcher is SEPARATE
Subjects
Context/Situation FREE
QUANTITATIVE

Reasoning is: LOGISTIC and DEDUCTIVE

ESTABLISHES relationship and causation
QUALITATIVE

Subjective
Answers research questions:
1. what?
2. why?
Literature review is done AS THE STUDY
PROGRESSES
QUALITATIVE

DEVELOPS theory
Reports: rich, narrative, individual
interpretation
Basic research element: WORDS/IDEAS
Researcher is PART OF THE PROCESS
Participants
Context DEPENDENT
QUALITATIVE

Reasoning is: DIALECTIC and INDUCTIVE

DESCRIBES meaning and discovery

Anderson, John D. “Qualitative and Quantitative Research” 2006

Qualitative
 The aim is a detailed description.
 Researcher may only know roughly
in advance what he/she is looking
for.
 The design emerges as the study
unfolds.
 Researcher is the data gathering
instrument.
 Data is in the form of words, pictures
or objects.
 Subjective - individuals’
interpretation of events is important
 Qualitative data is more 'rich', time
consuming, and not generalizable.
 Researcher tends to become
subjectively immersed in the
subject matter.
Quantitative
 The aim is to classify features, count
them, and construct statistical
models in an attempt to explain
what is observed.
 Researcher knows clearly in
advance what he/she is looking for.
 All aspects of the study are carefully
designed before data is collected.
 Researcher questionnaires or
equipment to collect numerical
data.
 Data is numerical in nature.
 Objective – seeks measurement &
analysis of target concepts.
 Quantitative data is more efficient,
able to test hypotheses.
 Researcher tends to remain
separated from the subject matter.
References

 Practical Research 1
Esther L. Baraceros
 Practical Research 1
Diwa Learning Town
QUANTITATIVE
RESEARCH
is objective and the data collected are
usually numerical and based on the
assumptions of the hypothesis
is more structured and is thus useful in
testing a theory
QUANTITATIVE
RESEARCH
involves measurement of data
presents research findings referring to the
number of frequency of something in
numerical forms (using percentages,
fractions)
QUALITATIVE
RESEARCH
describes meaning based on the
subjective data collected through
interviews and observations (on people’s
thoughts, beliefs, feelings, views, lifestyles
regarding the object of the study)
analysis is based on the context of the
subjects – the reason why qualitative
research helps to develop a theory
Activity: