Bambang Ruby S, NIM: 0203513037, Smester 1

PPs Unnes Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris (Kelas Khusus) 2013/2014

HANDOUT 2
Research in English Language Teaching

Activity 1
How the quantitative and qualitative approaches differ in their assumptions
about facts
Nunan (1992) argued that quantitative research is obtrusive and controlled,
objective, generalisable, outcome oriented, and assumes the existence of fact
which are somehow external to and independent of the observer or researcher.
Qualitative research, assumes that all knowledge is relative, there is a subjective
element to all knowledge and research, and that holistic, ungeneralisable studies
are justifiable.
Based on the explanation above, quantitative is the analysis of numerical data to
describe and explain the facts. On the other hand, qualitative is the analysis of
interpretation non numerical data to emphasize beliefs rather than facts.
Which one of the approaches is referred to as objective and why?
Based on the figure 1.1 (terms commonly associated with quantitative and
qualitative approaches to research), it is known that quantitative approach is
referred to objective because:

Removed from the data (outsider perspective)

Ungrounded, verification-oriented, confirmatory, reductionist, inferential,
and hypothetical deductive.
Outcome oriented
Reliable: hard and replicable data generalisable: multiple case studies
assume a stable reality.
Controlled measurement
Seeks causes of social phenomena

Which one is often termed soft and for what reason?

Nunan (1992) stated that in metaphorical terms, qualitative research is soft.
From figure 1.1, it is known the reason why qualitative is soft. Those are:

Close to the data: the insider perspective

Grounded, discovery oriented, exploratory, expansionist, descriptive, and
inductive.
Process oriented
Valid: real, rich, and deep data ungeneralisable: single case study assumes a
dynamic reality.
Concerned with understanding human behavior

The following list is associated with either quantitative or qualitative approach

to research.
Qualitative
Subjective
Grounded
Naturalistic
Holistic
Inductive
Process oriented
Meaning

Quantitative
Objective
Measurement
Controlled
Generalizable
Variable

Activity 2
Is the psychometric tradition qualitative or quantitative? Why?
Chaudron (1988) stated that the psychometric tradition is the most quantitative
in approach. It is because its method and instruments involve numerical
measurement and statistical analysis and inference.
Give examples of activities characterizing quantitative research?
The quantitative research concerns with product outcomes, counting events and
correlating them with others. It analyzes numerical data to explain, predict, and
control phenomena. For example, I will use the quantitative approach when I
want to know Can the National Examination make Students Better in Learning
English? in this study, I need the participants (students), overview the data (the
result of students Exam), and correlating the participants and the data using
statistical approach to know the outcome.

Give examples of activities characterizing qualitative research?

The qualitative research concerns with the process oriented, it involves
naturalistic, uncontrolled, subjective, and analyze meanings. It analyzes and
interprets data to gain insight of phenomena. For example, I will use the
qualitative approach when I want to know The Power of New Curriculum 2013 in
the Globalization Era. In this study, I will identify research topic, reviewing
literature, selecting participants, collecting data, interpret and evaluate it to
report the study.
In what way do quantitative and qualitative approaches supplement each
other? Provide examples
Quantitative in the process of testing hypotheses needs qualitative conceptual
considerations. While qualitative must be concerned about the result of
description and categories.
Example, I interested to analyze Students motivation in Learning English through
active learning activities. In this study, I will collect quantitative survey data in
the first phase and follow with the qualitative data in the second phase. My
question in the first quantitative survey is what are the factors that affect
Students motivation in Learning English? in the second phase, (qualitative) my
research question is how the students mention active learning activities as an
influencing factor according to their motivation in learning English.

Activity 3
Based on the different characteristics of quantitative and qualitative research
presented in table 2 (Merriam, 1988:18) in which combination is possible and
impossible?
Possible combination:
Allwright and Bailey (1991) argued that various combinations of quantitative and
qualitative data collection and analysis are possible. The data can be quantified
when an observer counts the frequency of certain behaviors. Any sort of
measurement that yields numerical information generates quantitative data.
Based on the explanation above, the quantitative data is needed to make clear
the result of qualitative study, while the qualitative approach is used to follow up
the result of numerical quantitative data.

Impossible combination:
Merriam (1988) argued that two important aspects that differs the qualitative
and quantitative are description and induction. Qualitative research is interested
in process, meaning, and understanding. This type of research builds
abstractions, concepts, hypotheses or theories rather than testing existing
theory. On the other hand, quantitative is obtrusive, controlled, objective, and
product oriented.

Based on the figure 3 (Allwright and Bailey, 1991:66) specify the

methodological adjustment needed when qualitative data are to be analyzed
quantitatively and vice versa
Based on the figure 3, the model involves two intersecting continua, one for the
type of data collected, and one for the type analytical procedures used in a
study.
Qualitative data, such as a set of diaries kept by learners, would typically be
considered subjective. It can be analyzed by quantitative approach to see if there
are any significant differences between groups of learners.
Quantification has a similar appeal to objectively if we can count things then we
can subject them to statistical analysis. It can be analyzed qualitatively to
determine acceptable level of proficiency.