LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET
INFORMATION SYSTEM AND RESEARCH SP-ICT 10
Second Quarter, Week 2
Name of Learner: __________________________ Date: _____________________
Section: _________________________________Grade Level___________________
Quantitative Design
I Background Information
Quantitative research is influenced by the empiricist paradigm, which means that
it is concerned with cause and effect of social phenomena and uses the data - which is
based on empirical observation and their critical interpretation
Qualities of quantitative research
1. Deductive
2. Begins from theory - i.e. it is established to test theory
3. Can be used to make generalizations and / or to test hypotheses
Popper and Falsification '...theories cannot be verified absolutely and forever; however,
they can be falsified - i.e. they can be proven to be wrong - given a certain degree of
certainty (or probability)' (The Logic of Scientific Discovery, 1959)
1. Testing theories can 'improve ' them, but it cannot 'prove' them
2. Quantitative research needs to be open and open to criticism - which should be
at the heart of quantitative research
3. Theories that cannot be tested, re-tested and (based on their falsification) be
changed should be dismissed
4. Theory - concept - indicator
Importance of Quantitative Research
1. More reliable and objective
2. Can use statistics to generalize a finding
3. Often reduces and restructures a complex problem to a limited number of
variables
4. Looks at relationships between variables and can establish cause and effect in
highly controlled circumstances
5. Tests theories or hypothesis
6. Assumes sample is representative of the population
7. Subjectivity of researcher in methodology is recognized less
8. Less detailed than qualitative data and may miss a desired response from the
participant
Quantitative Analysis
Laboratory experiments
deliberate manipulation of independent variable, strict control of other variables
test cause and effect relationship
Field experiments
natural environment but independent variable still manipulated
difficulty in controlling the situation so more likelihood of extraneous variables
ethical problems of consent, deception, invasion of privacy
Quasi-or natural experiments
examine effects of independent variable without control over independent
variable itself which often occurs naturally
unable to manipulate independent variable because of ethics or because it is
impossible
Quantitative Observation
Observation can also be carried out in a quantitative context and may involve:
1. Counting the use of services
2. Number of people accessing services
3. Ascertain busy/quiet times
Questionnaires
Questionnaires or social surveys are a method used to collect standardized data from
large numbers of people -i.e. the same information is collected in the same way. They
are used to collect data in a statistical form.
In Data Collection in Context (1981), Ackroyd and Hughes identify three types of survey:
1. Factual surveys: used to collect descriptive information, i.e. the government
census
2. Attitude surveys - i.e. an opinion poll - rather than attempting to gather
descriptive information, an attitude survey will attempt to collect and measure
people's attitudes and opinions, i.e. 4 out of 5 people believe...
3. Explanatory survey - goes beyond the collection of data and aims to test theories
and hypotheses and / or to produce new theory.
Researchers usually use questionnaires or surveys in order that they can make
generalizations, therefore, the surveys are usually based on carefully selected samples.
Questionnaires consist of the same set of questions that are asked in the same order
and in the same way in order that the same information can be gathered.
Questionnaires can be:
1. Filled in by the participant
2. Asked in a structured and formal way by an interviewer
a. Interviewer bias must be considered when done in this way, however, an
advantage of this method over a participant filling in a questionnaire is that
the interviewer may assist if there are any ambiguous questions or if the
participant is confused in any way
3. Postal questionnaire can be used, whereby a questionnaire is posted to the
sample group and returned to the researcher by a specified time and date
4. Administration of a questionnaire to a group is an option - i.e. at centre, school or
group. The researcher needs to consider if the group will affect each other's
responses and the concentration levels etc when undertaking this approach
5. Telephone questionnaire
6. Email questionnaire
Developing a Questionnaire
Developing a Questionnaire
The process of developing a questionnaire involves the following four steps:
1. Choosing the questions by operationalizing concepts, which involves translating
abstract ideas into concrete questions that will be measureable (i.e......class,
power, family, religion....add some sort of example)
2. Operationalizing concepts involves a set of choices regarding the following:
a. units of analysis
i. units that can be analyzed:
i. individuals (i.e. students, voters, workers)
ii. groups (families, gangs)
iii. organizations (churches, army, corporations)
iv. social artefacts (buildings, cars, pottery, etc)
ii. points of focus
iii. treatment of the dimension of time
iv. nature of measurement
3. Establish an operational definition which involves breaking the concept down into
various components or dimensions in order to specify what is to be measured
4. Once the concept has been operationally defined in terms of a number of
components, the second step involves the selection of indicators for each
component.'
5. '...indicators of each dimension are put into the form of a series of questions that
will provide quantifiable data for measuring each dimension.'
Questionnaire Questions
Questions in the questionnaire can then be:
1. Open ended (more difficult to extract quantifiable data)
a. This form of question requires the researcher to code the answers. Coding
identifies a number of categories in which people have responded, more
detail of this process is covered in the qualitative research unit
2. Closed
3. Fixed-choice
4. Likert scale - where participants are given a range of options, i.e. agree, strongly
agree.
5. The difficulty or negative of all of the close and fixed are that participants may be
forced into an answer or may not be able to qualify or explain what they mean by
what they have answered
The advantages and disadvantages of questionnaires
The advantages of questionnaires
1. Practical
2. Large amounts of information can be collected from a large number of people in
a short period of time and in a relatively cost effective way
3. Can be carried out by the researcher or by any number of people with limited
affect to its validity and reliability
4. The results of the questionnaires can usually be quickly and easily quantified by
either a researcher or through the use of a software package
5. Can be analyzed more 'scientifically' and objectively than other forms of research
6. When data has been quantified, it can be used to compare and contrast other
research and may be used to measure change
7. Positivists believe that quantitative data can be used to create new theories and /
or test existing hypotheses
The disadvantages of questionnaires
1. Is argued to be inadequate to understand some forms of information - i.e.
changes of emotions, behavior, feelings etc.
2. Phenomenologists state that quantitative research is simply an artificial creation
by the researcher, as it is asking only a limited amount of information without
explanation
3. Lacks validity
4. There is no way to tell how truthful a respondent is being
5. There is no way of telling how much thought a respondent has put in
6. The respondent may be forgetful or not thinking within the full context of the
situation
7. People may read differently into each question and therefore reply based on their
own interpretation of the question - i.e. what is 'good' to someone may be 'poor'
to someone else, therefore there is a level of subjectivity that is not
acknowledged
8. There is a level of researcher imposition, meaning that when developing the
questionnaire, the researcher is making their own decisions and assumptions as
to what is and is not important...therefore they may be missing something that is
of importance
The process of coding in the case of open ended questions opens a great possibility of
subjectivity by the researcher
II Learning Competency
Describes qualitative and quantitative designs and apply design principles and
theories to create project study.
III Activities
Directions: Search the following words in the puzzle:
Questionnaire Hypothesis Deductive
Survey Observation Theories
Statistics Experiments Interpretation
Quantitative
Activity 1.2: Using your Self Learning Modules, review triangulation and write
your reflection on Qualitative Research Design. The following guide question will help
you write your reflection.
Guide Questions
1. What is Quantitative Design?
2. What makes Quantitative Design different from Qualitative Research
Design?
3. How does Quantitative Design help you in solve a question in
research?
IV Reflection
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Rubric for Activity 1.2 (Reflection)
Features 1 3 5
Organization Information is not Information is Information is very
only organized but appears to be organized and
innacurate organized and factual
factual
Content Lacks Demonstrate a Demonstrate a
development and reflective analysis thorough self-
self-reflection reflective analysis
Sources Sources are not some sources are Sources are
documented not accurately documented
documented
References:
https://www.le.ac.uk/oerresources/lill/fdmvco/module9/page_44.htm
Prepared by: MARCELINO C. COLLADO III
Name of Writer
Noted by: LABERNE A. LADIGNON, JR
Division ICT Coordinator/ OIC EPS
