HANDOUT 2 (Week 2)
Activity 1. 1. Explain how the quantitative and qualitative approaches differ in their assumption about facts. Quantitative approach assumes that facts are external and independent to the researchers and should be treated objectively. Qualitative approach assumes that facts are relative and there is always a subjective element to them; in this approach opinions or judgment of the researchers are more obvious than in the former. 2. Which one of the approaches is referred to as objective, and why? Quantitative approach is referred to as objective because the result or outcome is based on the data collected. It is the data that speak, and the subjective opinions could be avoided. 3. Which one is often termed soft, and for what reason? The qualitative approach is often termed soft because it is naturalistic, uncontrolled and aimed at describing human behavior which dynamic and giving meaning through words or pictures. 4. Each term in the following list is associated with either quantitative or qualitative approach to research. Next to each term, write N for quantitative, and L for qualitative: Terms associated with quantitative (N) approach are: measurement objective controlled generalizable variable Terms associated with qualitative (L) approach are: subjective grounded naturalistic holistic inductive meaning process oriented
Activity 2. 1. Is the psychometric tradition qualitative, or quantitative? Why? The psychometric tradition is quantitative as it investigates language achievement from different kinds of methods and materials through experimental studies and therefore it uses numerical measurement (how much, how many) and statistical analysis to make conclusion. 2. Give examples of activities characterizing quantitative research! Examples of activities characterizing quantitative research: - comparing two set of students achievements as a result of applying two different teaching methods in the classroom. - conducting a survey to people toward the application of the district law against smoking at the workplace. 3. Give examples of activities characterizing qualitative research! Examples of activities characterizing qualitative research: 1
to what degree is the improvement of workers motivation after being raised the wage for 20%. observing how significant is the students pronunciation improving after being taught by a native speaker for three months.
4. In what way do quantitative and qualitative approaches supplement each other? Provide examples! Quantitative and qualitative approaches supplement each other in the case of, for example, testing hypotheses using a quantitative method of how much, how many or to what degree the result of the study is expected is often based on conceptual considerations. Before we make calculation, we have to decide what categories to be considered. Activity 3. 1. Based on the different characteristics of qualitative and quantitative research presented in Table 2 (Merriam, 1988:18), discuss the way(s) in which combination of the two approaches is possible, and the way(s) in which it is impossible. The way in which combination of two approaches may apply when inference of certain phenomena could not be understood without calculation of the samples or instances taken from different existing conditions as a means of supporting description. Another way in which the two approaches may stand alone is when they do not need to support one another or when interpretation can be made clear by using one kind of data. 2. Based on the examples of qualitative and quantitative procedures presented in Figure 3 (Allwright and Bailey, 1991:66), specify the methodological adjustment needed when qualitative data are to be analysed quantitatively and vice versa. Although the two methods may be applied to two different kinds of data collection and data analysis meaning that sometimes data clearly show quantity such as test scores, how may true or false responses, and they can show quality like interviews, audio and video tapes, transcripts etc.. The analysis of both kinds of data may use qualitative as well as quantitative methods. After counting and measuring a researcher can arrive at the conclusion that certain numbers or amount are significant and the others are not; he may also need to describe them into a graph or chart to show how good or bad is the result. In this case he applies qualitative method to quantitative data. On the other hands to say that some facts or conditions are high or low, hard or soft, challenging or stressing, we may need some calculations.
