PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2

Linabuan National High School – Senior High

Ma. Nelyn Amor I. Ricarto, T -I

Content: Nature of Inquiry and Research

Content Standard:
The learner demonstrates understanding of:
1. the characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and kinds of quantitative research
2. the importance of quantitative research across fields
3. the nature of variables
Performance Standard: The learner is able to decide on suitable
quantitat ive research in dif ferent areas of interest
Learning Competencies:
--Describes characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and kinds of quantitative research CS_RS12 -Ia -c-1

LESSON 1: Character istics, Strengths, Weaknesses, a nd Kinds Of Quantitative Research

Time Frame: Week One

OVERVIEW

Humans are 'intuitive' scientists ....always asking questions and testing theories about themselves, others,
events, the environment and the world around them.
Research is asking a question and finding out the answer…
1. It is looking into something.
2. It is looking for something.
3. It is comparing and contrasting things.
4. It is finding out more information...it is counting things ...making inquiries...being curious...finding out what
people think...finding out what people do....finding out what works.... finding out what doesn't work...finding out what
people want...
What research have you conducted recently?
1. What decisions have you made about your day?
2. What decisions have you made today?
3. What influenced your decision to take this course?
4. How do you prepare and write assignments?
5. How do you decide how to provide the best quality of service for your service users?
We all engage in or do social research as we act on the basis and results of our own research and theorizing, therefore, what
we think affects the way we behave....
What do we research?
We research people and their behaviour, opinions, attitudes, trends and patterns, also politics, animals, health
and illness. Research can be conducted either informally for our own benefit, through asking questions, watching,
counting or reading and formally, for medical or academic purposes, as a marketing strategy, to inform and
influence politics and policy.
Research may be carried out in our own lives, through the media, in our place of work, with our friends and family
or through reading past research.
Our views - personal, social, community and worldwide and our own identities are socially constructed through our
own theorizing.
Research gives us information about:
1. Thoughts and opinions 5. Norms
2. Attitudes 6. Scientific facts
3. Habits 7. Medical information
4. Culture

What do we do with research?

1. Have it as interesting fact
2. Use it to make decisions
3. Use it to persuade influence others
PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2
Linabuan National High School – Senior High
Ma. Nelyn Amor I. Ricarto, T-I
4. Use it to affect change
5. Use it to change behaviour
6. Use it to better use...medical ...improve customer care...write better funding applications....monitor and evaluate
our provision....

We research in order to understand society and social processes, as well as to test and or create theories in
order that we are better able to inform about social action and potentially 'improve' social conditions.

QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

Quantitative research is defined by Bryman and Bell (2005, p. 154) that ‘entailing the
collection of numerical data and exhibiting the view of relationship between theory and research as
deductive, a predilection for natural science approach, and as having an objectivist conception of
social reality’.
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.
Quantitative research is the systematic empirical investigation of observable phenomena via
statistical, mathematical or computational techniques.

The objective of quantitative research is to develop and employ mathematical

models, theories and/or hypotheses pertaining to phenomena. The process of
measurement is central to quantitative research because it provides the fundamental
connection between empirical observation and mathematical expression of quantitative
relationships. Quantitative data is any data that is in numerical form such as statistics,
percentages, etc. The researcher analyzes the data with the help of statistics.
The researcher is hoping the numbers will yield an unbiased result that can be generalized to
some larger population.

"Qualitative research, on the other hand, asks broad questions and collects word data from
phenomena or participants. The researcher looks for themes and describes the information in themes and patterns exclusive
to that set of participants. "

This research method is used:

• to describe variables;
• to examine relationships among variables;
• to determine cause-and-effect interactions between variables.' (Burns & Grove 2005:23)

Quantitative research is generally made using scientific methods, which can include:
• The generation of models, theories and hypotheses
• The development of instruments and methods for measurement
• Experimental control and manipulation of variables
• Collection of empirical data
• Modeling and analysis of data

Use of statistics
Statistics is the most widely used branch of mathematics in quantitative
research outside of the physical sciences, and also finds applications within the
physical sciences.
Quantitative research using statistical methods starts with the collection of
data, based on the hypothesis or theory. Usually a big sample of data is collected –
this would require verification, validation
PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2
Linabuan National High School – Senior High
Ma. Nelyn Amor I. Ricarto, T-I
and recording before the analysis can take place. Software packages such as SPSS and R are typically used for this
purpose.

SPSS Statistics is a software package used for logical batched and nonbatched
statistical analysis. Long produced by SPSS Inc., it was acquired
by IBM in 2009. The current versions (2015) are officially named IBM SPSS
Statistics. Companion products in the same family are used for survey authoring and
deployment (IBM SPSS Data Collection), data mining (IBM SPSS Modeler), text
analytics, and collaboration and deployment (batch and
automated scoring services).
The software name originally stood for Statistical
Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS),[2] reflecting the original market, although the software
is now popular in other fields as well, including the health sciences and marketing.
International Business Machines Corporation (commonly referred to as IBM)
is an Americ an multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York,
United States, with operations in over 170 countries.
R is an open source programming language and software environment for statistical computing and graphics that is
supported by the R Foundation for Statistical Computing.[6] The R language is widely used among statisticians and
data miners for developing statistical software[7] and data analysis.[8] Polls, surveys of data miners, and studies of
scholarly literature databases show that R's popularity has increased substantially in recent years. [9]

CHARACTERISTICS OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

Your goal in conducting quantitative research study is to determine the relationship between one
thing [an independent variable] and another [a dependent or outcome variable] within a population.
Quantitative research designs are
either descriptive [subjects usually measured once] or experimental [subjects
measured before and after a treatment]. A descriptive study establishes only
associations between
variables; an experimental study establishes causality.

Quantitative research deals in numbers, logic, and an objective stance. Quantitative research focuses on numeric
and unchanging data and detailed, convergent reasoning rather than divergent reasoning [i.e., the generation of a variety of
ideas about a research problem in a spontaneous, freeflowing manner].

Its main characteristics are:

• The data is usually gathered using structured research instruments.
• The results are based on larger sample sizes that are representative of the population.
• The research study can usually be replicated or repeated, given its high reliability.
• Researcher has a clearly defined research question to which objective answers are sought.
• All aspects of the study are carefully designed before data is collected.
• Data are in the form of numbers and statistics, often arranged in tables, charts, figures, or other non-textual forms.
• Project can be used to generalize concepts more widely, predict future results, or investigate causal relationships.
• Researcher uses tools, such as questionnaires or computer software, to collect numerical data.

The overarching aim of a quantitative research study is to classify features, count them,
and construct statistical models in an attempt to explain what is observed.


 The weight of aperson (in kilograms)
• The height of a person (in metres)
PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2
Linabuan National High School – Senior High
Ma. Nelyn Amor I. Ricarto, T-I
• The age of a person (in years and months)
• The gender of a person (using a numerical system of categorisation, e.g. 1 for female, 2 for male)
• A person’s education (e.g. number and grade of school certificates; classification of undergraduate degree)
• A person’s political views (e.g. using a scale that goes from 0 for extreme left-wing to 10 for extreme right-wing)
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

• Allows for a broader study, involving a greater number of subjects, and enhancing the generalization of the results;
• Allows for greater objectivity and accuracy of results. Generally, quantitative methods are designed to provide
summaries of data that support generalizations about the phenomenon under study. In order to accomplish this,
quantitative research usually involves few variables and many cases, and employs prescribed procedures to ensure
validity and reliability;
• Applying well-establshed standards means that the research can be replicated,
and then analyzed and compared with similar studies;
• You can summarize vast sources of information and make comparisons across categories and over time; and,
• Personal bias can be avoided by keeping a 'distance' from participating subjects and using accepted computational
techniques.
• Quantitative data is more efficient and able to test hypotheses, but may miss contextual detail;
• Uses a static and rigid approach and so employs an inflexible process of discovery;
• The development of standard questions by researchers can lead to
"structural bias" and false representation, where the data actually reflects the view of the
researcher instead of the participating subject;
• Results provide less detail on behavior, attitudes, and motivation;
• Researcher may collect a much narrower and sometimes superficial dataset;
• Results are limited as they provide numerical descriptions rather than detailed narrative and generally provide less
elaborate accounts of human perception;
• The research is often carried out in an unnatural, artificial environment so that a level of control can be applied to the
exercise. This level of control might not normally be in place in the real world thus yielding "laboratory results" as
opposed to "real world results"; and,
• Preset answers will not necessarily reflect how people really feel about a subject and, in some cases, might just be the
closest match to the preconceived hypothesis.

KINDS OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2
Linabuan National High School – Senior High
Ma. Nelyn Amor I. Ricarto, T-I

There are four (4) main types of quantitative designs: descriptive , correlational ,
quasi -experimental , and experimental .

Descriptive research is a study designed to depict the participants in an

accurate way. More simply put, descriptive research is all about describing people who
take part in the study.

There are three ways a researcher can go about doing a descriptive research project,
and they are:
 Observational, defined as a method of viewing and recording the participants
 Case study, defined as an in -depth study of an individual or group of
individua ls
• Survey, defined as a brief interview or discussion with an individual about a specific topic

Correlational study is a quantitative method of research in which you have 2 or more

quantitative variables from the same group of subjects, & you are trying to determine if there
is a relationship (or covariation) between the 2 variables (a similarity between them, not a
difference between their means).
Theoretically, any 2 quantitative variables can be correlated (for example, midterm
scores & number of body piercings!) as long as you have scores on these variables from the
same participants; however, it is probably a waste of time to collect & analyze data when
there is little reason to think these two variables
would be related to each other.

Quasi-experimental design involves selecting groups, upon which a variable is tested,

without any random pre-selection processes.
For example, to perform an educational experiment, a class might be arbitrarily
divided by alphabetical selection or by seating arrangement. The division is often
convenient and, especially in an educational situation, causes as little disruption as possible.
After this selection, the experiment proceeds in a very similar way to any other experiment,
with a variable being compared between different groups, or over a period of time.
PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2
Linabuan National High School – Senior High
Ma. Nelyn Amor I. Ricarto, T-I
Experimental research is commonly used in sciences such as sociology and psychology,
physics, chemistry, biology and medicine etc. It is a collection of research designs which
use manipulation and controlled testing to understand causal processes. Generally, one or
more variables are manipulated to determine their effect on a dependent variable.
The experimental method is a systematic and scientific approach to research in
which the researcher manipulates one or more variables, and controls and measures any
change in other variables.
The word experimental research has a range of definitions. In the strict sense,
experimental research is what we call a true experiment.
This is an experiment where the researcher manipulates one variable, and
control/randomizes the rest of the variables. It has a control group, the subjects have been randomly assigned between the
groups, and the researcher only tests one effect at a time. It is also important to know what variable(s) you want to test and
measure.
ACTIVITY 1A.1.1

Direction: Put a tick (/) if it describes the characteristics of a Quantitative Research.

1. Data is in the form of words, pictures or objects.
* 2. The data is usually gathered using structured research instruments.
3. It is not based upon numerical measurements and does not use numbers and statistical
methods as key research indicators and tools.
4. It tends to be associated with small-scale studies and a holistic perspective, often studying a
single occurrence or small number of occurrences/case studies in great depth.
* 5. The research study can usually be replicated or repeated, given its high reliability.
* 6. Data are in the form of numbers and statistics, often arranged in tables, charts,
figures, or other non-textual forms.
7. Emphasis is on discovery rather than proof.
* 8. The results are based on larger sample sizes that are representative of the population.
9. It tends to be associated with emergent research design, using a wide range of approaches
* 10. Researcher has a clearly defined research question to which objective answers are sought.
SCORE: ____________________
Corrected by: __________________
ACTIVITY 1A.1.2

Answer the following questions comprehensively.

1. Discuss the strengths of a Quantitative Research.
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PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2
Linabuan National High School – Senior High
Ma. Nelyn Amor I. Ricarto, T-I
______________________________________________________________________________________
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SCORE: ____________________
Corrected by: __________________
ACTIVITY 1A.1.3

Describe the following Kinds of Quantitative Research.

1. Descriptive - __________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Correlational - ________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Quasi-experimental - _________________________________________________________________________
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4. Experimental - _______________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
SCORE: ____________________
Corrected by: __________________ TOTAL SCORE

REFERENCES

Burns N, Grove SK (2005) The Practice of Nursing Research: Conduct, Critique, and Utilization (5th
Ed.). St. Louis, Elsevier Saunders

[Link]

[Link] -methods/characteristics-of-quantitative-research

[Link]

[Link]

[Link]

[Link]

[Link] -[Link]
PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2
Linabuan National High School – Senior High
Ma. Nelyn Amor I. Ricarto, T-I

Content: Nature of Inquiry and Research Content Standard:

The learner demonstrates understanding of:
1. the characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and kinds of
quantitative research
2. the importance of quantitative research across fields
3. the nature of variables
Performance Standard: The learner is able to decide on suitable quantitative
research in different areas of interest Learning Competencies:
--Illustrates the importance of quantitative research across fields CS_RS12-Ia-
c-2

LESSON 1: Importance of Quantitative Research

Time Frame: Week Two

Importance of Quantitative Research

1. More reliable and objective

2. Can use statistics to generalise 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 hypotheses
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
PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2
Linabuan National High School – Senior High
Ma. Nelyn Amor I. Ricarto, T-I

Importance of Quantitative Research across fields

In the social sciences, it is also common to count frequencies of observations; i.e. frequencies of observable
outcomes in an experiment.
Examples include the number of correct scores on an assessment of an ability, and the number of statements on a
questionnaire endorsed by respondents.
Provided each observable outcome is the manifestation of an underlying quantitative attribute, such frequencies will
generally indicate relative magnitudes of that attribute.
Strictly speaking, however, counts and frequencies do not constitute measurement in terms of a unit of continuous
quantity.
Use in prosody and poetry
In prosody and poetic meter, syllable weight can be a governing principle.
Many linguists use morae as a unit of syllable weight—a syllable with more morae is heavier than one with fewer morae.
Commonly, syllables with naturally long vowels, diphthongs, and vowels followed by two or more consonants
are said to be “heavy”, “long”, or “bimoraic”, whereas syllables with naturally short vowels, followed by only one or
no consonant, are said to be “light”, “short”, or “monomoraic”.

Quantitative research is widely used in both the natural and social sciences, from physics and biology to sociology
and journalism.
It is also used as a way to research different aspects of music education.
The objective of quantitative research is to develop and employ mathematical models, theories and hypotheses pertaining to
natural phenomena.
The process of measurement is central to quantitative research because it provides the fundamental connection between
empirical observation and mathematical expression of quantitative relationships.
The term quantitative research is most often used in the social sciences in contrast to qualitative research.
Virtually all research in physics is quantitative whereas research in other scientific disciplines, such as taxonomy
and anatomy, may involve a combination of quantitative and other analytic approaches and methods.

In the social sciences particularly, quantitative research is often contrasted with qualitative research
which is the examination, analysis and interpretation of observations for the purpose of discovering underlying
meanings and patterns of relationships, ……
…….. including classifications of types of phenomena and entities, in a manner that does not involve mathematical
models.
Approaches to quantitative psychology were first modelled on quantitative approaches in the physical sciences by
Gustav Fechner in his work on psychophysics, which built on the work of Ernst Heinrich Weber.
Although a distinction is commonly drawn between qualitative and quantitative aspects of scientific investigation, it has
been argued that the two go hand in hand.
For example, based on analysis of the history of science, Kuhn (1961, p. 162) concludes that “large amounts of qualitative
work have usually been prerequisite to fruitful quantification in the physical sciences”.

Qualitative research is often used to gain a general sense of phenomena and to form theories that can be tested
using further quantitative research.
For instance, in the social sciences qualitative research methods are often used to gain better understanding of such
things as intentionality (from the speech response of the researchee) and meaning (why did this person/group say
something and what did it mean to them?).

Although quantitative investigation of the world has existed since people first began to record events or
objects that had been counted, the modern idea of quantitative processes have their roots in Auguste Comte's
positivist framework.

Quantitative research using statistical methods typically begins with the collection of data based on a theory or
hypothesis, followed by the application of descriptive or inferential statistical methods. Causal relationships are studied
PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2
Linabuan National High School – Senior High
Ma. Nelyn Amor I. Ricarto, T-I
by manipulating factors thought to influence the phenomena of interest while controlling other variables relevant to the
experimental outcomes.
In the field of health, for example, researchers might measure and study the relationship between dietary intake and
measurable physiological effects such as weight loss, controlling for other key variables such as exercise.

Quantitatively based opinion surveys are widely used in the media, with statistics such as the proportion of
respondents in favor of a position commonly reported.
In opinion surveys, respondents are asked a set of structured questions and their responses are tabulated. In the field of
climate science, researchers compile and compare statistics such as temperature or atmospheric concentrations of carbon
dioxide.

Examples of Quantitative research

1. Has the change in household size over the years affected the economy?
2. Is the price of gasoline related to demand or price of oil?
3. Has public consumption changed over the years?
4. How has the increase in minimum wage affected small business?
5. Has the new health insurance laws threatening small business?
6. What happens to student loans if students fail to graduate from college?
7. Does unemployment directly affect changes in consumption?
8. Is the economy causing some home health care workers to disappear?

REFERENCES

[Link] mation
%20Leicester/page_45.htm

ACTIVITY 1A.2.1

Explain the importance of Quantitative research. Answer in 3 to 5 sentences.

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SCORE: ____________________
Corrected by: __________________

ACTIVITY 1A.2.2

Choose one field and explain the importance of quantitative research.

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PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2
Linabuan National High School – Senior High
Ma. Nelyn Amor I. Ricarto, T-I
______________________________________________________________________________________
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SCORE: ____________________
Corrected by: __________________

TOTAL
SCORE