LESSON 1: QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE DATA

ABSTRACTION

LANGUAGE RESEARCH APPROACHES AND DESIGN

A. Qualitative Research is a scientific investigation wherein researchers are interested

in understanding the meaning people have constructed. It is assumed that meaning is
mediated through the investigator’s perceptions. Qualitative research is an effort to
understand situations in their uniqueness as part of a particular context and the
interactions there (Patton, 1985).
This type of research usually involves fieldwork. The researcher must go to the people,
setting, site, institution to observe behavior in its natural setting. It uses an inductive
research strategy as this type of research builds abstractions, concepts, hypotheses, or
theories rather than tests the existing theory.
Typically, qualitative findings are in the form of themes, categories, concepts, or tentative
hypotheses or theories. The product of a qualitative study is richly descriptive. As this is
useful in providing detailed descriptions of complex phenomena, it is also helpful in
crafting theories or conceptual frameworks in explaining these phenomena.

Main Types of Qualitative Research

Case Study This attempts to shed light on a phenomenon by studying in depth a
single case example of the aspects. The case can be an individual
person, an event, a group, or an institution.
Grounded Theory Here, theory is developed inductively from a corpus of data acquired
by a participant-observer.
 Phenomenology This describes the structures of experience as they present
themselves to consciousness, without recourse to theory, deduction,
or assumptions from other disciplines.
Ethnography This focuses on the sociology of meaning through close field
observation of socio-cultural phenomena. Typically, the
ethnographer focuses on a community.
Historical This is a systemic collection and objective evaluation of data related
to past occurrences to test hypotheses concerning causes, effects,
or trends of these events that may help to explain present
circumstances and anticipate future events. (Gay, 1996)
Table adapted from Posecion, O, Go, M. & Albano, H. (2011). Language Research: Principles
and Application. Quezon City, Metro Manila: Lorimar Publishing, Inc.

TYPICAL METHODS OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

1. Lincoln (2007) explained that naturalistic inquiry balances the inquiry focus by
moving beyond tangible or measurable variables to focus on the social constructions of
research participants.
Working in the places where people live and work, naturalistic researchers draw on
observations, interviews, and other sources of descriptive data, as well as their own
subjective experiences (Salkind, 2010).
2. When ‘how’ or ‘why’ questions emerge; the preferred strategy is through a case study.
It is best used when there is no clear boundary between the context and phenomenon. It
is also applicable to studies that focus on events within the contexts of real-life situations
as it generally observes a person or a small number of individuals on their own or in a
group (e.g., a family, a class, a work team, or a community of practice).
According to Duff (2014), the cases are studied to provide an understanding of
individuals’ experiences, issues, insights, developmental pathways, or performance
within a particular linguistic, social, or educational context.
3. Content analysis is widely used for identifying patterns in communication. To conduct
this type of study, it involves a systematical collection of data from written sources (books,
newspapers, and magazines), oral references (Speeches and interviews), or visual
materials (films, photographs) and even available web content and social media posts.
Luo (2020) wrote that “researchers use content analysis to find out about the purposes,
messages, and effects of communication content. They can also make inferences about
the producers and audience of the texts they analyze”.
4. Focus Group Discussion (FGD) is a method used for specific concerns. It is also an
excellent way to gather individuals with similar experiences to discuss particular issues
or topics of interest.
FGD draws upon its respondents' beliefs, reactions, and experiences, which means
narrowing down individuals of the community who will provide the researcher with the
best information needed for Research.

MAIN TYPES OF QUALITATIVE DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Three Main Types of Data Collection:

Interactive Interviewing People asked to describe their experiences of
phenomena verbally.
Written Descriptions by People asked to write descriptions of their experiences of
Participants the phenomenon.
Observation Descriptive observations of verbal and non-verbal
behavior.
Table adapted from Posecion, O, Go, M. & Albano, H. (2011). Language Research: Principles
and Application. Quezon City, Metro Manila: Lorimar Publishing, Inc.

B. Quantitative research emphasizes objective measurements and the statistical,

mathematical, or numerical analysis of data collected through polls, questionnaires, and
surveys, or by manipulating pre-existing statistical data using computational techniques
(Babie, 2010).
It is to determine the relationship between the independent and the dependent variable.
Quantitative research primarily deals with logic, numbers, and objective stance. The data
is usually gathered using structured research instruments and data are in the form of
numbers and statistics, often arranged in tables, charts, figures, or other non-textual
forms.

TYPICAL METHODS OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

1. Study population and sampling: where did the data come from; how robust is it; note
where gaps exist or what was excluded. Note the procedures used for their selection.
2. To describe the tools and methods used to collect information and identify the
variables being measured is called data collection. Data may be pre-existing [i.e.,
government data] or you gathered it yourself as a researcher.
3. Data Analysis describes the procedures for processing and analyzing the data. If
appropriate, specify the specific instruments of analysis used to study each research
objective, including mathematical techniques and the type of computer software used to
manipulate the data.

C. Descriptive Research can be heuristic or deductive. It aims to describe the

population, occurrence, or phenomenon systematically. Kamil et. Al. (1985) claimed that
descriptive research differs from qualitative research based on how data analysis is
carried out. Unlike qualitative research, a descriptive study may provide an in-depth
analysis of some areas of the linguistic ability of the language learner.

Tools in Descriptive Research

Surveys and It is used to gather data from a large group of respondents.
Questionnaires
Self-reports They are utilized to describe the ‘language capability’ of a
learner.

Language Tests These may be in the form of writing assignments or

communicative activities.
Observations It is used to gather data already identified before the
investigation begins.
Table adapted from Posecion, O, Go, M. & Albano, H. (2011). Language Research: Principles
and Application. Quezon City, Metro Manila: Lorimar Publishing, Inc.

SAMPLING PROCEDURE
Sampling in research is a word that refers to a method or process of selecting
respondents or people to answer questions meant to yield data for a research study
(Paris, 2013).
Selection of Participants or Respondents
Probability Sampling Non-probability Sampling
An equal chance of participation Disregards random selection of subjects, thus,
in the sampling in the sampling or choosing the topic based on their availability or the
selection process is given to purpose of the study
every member

TYPES OF PROBABILITY SAMPLING:

1. Simple Random Sampling- choosing respondents from the population
2. Systematic Sampling- picking out from the list every 5th or 8th member listed until the
completion of the desired total number of respondents
3. Stratified Sampling- the group comprising the sample is chosen in a way that such a
group is liable to subdivision during the data stage analysis
4. Cluster Sampling- selecting respondents in clusters rather than separate individuals

TYPES OF NON-PROBABILITY SAMPLING:

1. Convenience Sampling- known as accidental or incidental sampling
2. Quota Sampling- choosing specific samples that correspond to the population in terms
of one, two, or more characteristics
3. Availability Sampling- picking out people who are easy to locate and willing to
establish contact with the researcher
4. Snowball Sampling- selecting samples from several alternative samples like drug
dependents, human traffickers, street children, and others

Corpora Selection
According to David (1992), corpus is “a collection of linguistic data, either compiled as
written texts or as a transcription of recorded speech. The primary purpose of a corpus is
to verify a hypothesis about language - for example, to determine how the usage of a
particular sound, word, or syntactic construction varies.”
Research Locale
Research locale is the place or setting of the study. Briefly, it
describes the site from where the study is conducted. It also
shows the target population. According to Given (2008),
“The research setting can be seen as the physical, social,
and cultural site in which the researcher conducts the study.
[...] In these studies, the influence of cultural behavior in
understanding a phenomenon gets recognized; therefore, it
is central in defining the setting.” Furthermore, the results
may give way for future projects which can be applied outside of the research setting.