TYPES OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH VARIABLES

The term research can mean any sort of “systematic research in any
field of inquiry” (Kabir, 2016). Basic research is concerned with
clarifying underlying processes, with the hypothesis usually
expressed as a theory. On the other hand, applied research is
interested in examining the effectiveness of particular educational
practices. Researchers engaged in applied research studies may or
may not want to investigate the degree to which certain theories are
useful in practical settings.
1. Experimental Research
Experimental research is the most conclusive of scientific methods
because the researcher actually establishes different treatments and
then studies their effects. Results from this type of research are likely
to lead to the most clear-cut interpretation. It is very popular in
natural sciences such as the Science Investigatory Project (SIP) in the
junior high school.
2. Correlational Research
Correlational research is a type of research that is done to determine
relationships among two or more variables and to explore their
implications for cause and effect. An example question for
correlational research is, Is there a relationship between student’s
academic performance and availability of ICTs at home? Here, you
are going to gather the data and investigate the extent of
relationship between the academic performance and availability of
ICT at home. Perhaps, you can assume that students with more ICTs
available at home have better academic performance. But, without
manipulating the data, the researcher has to test using a statistical
tool if your assumption is right.
3. Causal-Comparative
Causal comparative is a type of research that is intended to
determine the cause for or the consequences of differences between
groups of people. Suppose you want to determine whether students
from single-parent families do more poorly in his/her course than
students from two-parent families. Here, you might compare two
groups of students who already belong to one or the other type of
family to see if they differ in their achievement. Suppose the groups
do differ, you can only conclude that the difference does exist.
However, you cannot conclude that the difference in the family
situation produced the difference in achievement. It’s because there
are other factors that may have caused/contributed the difference.
A variable is a concept, a noun that stands for variation within a class
of objects, such as chairs, gender, eye color, achievement,
motivation, or running speed. Even style and lust for life are
variables.
Quantitative versus Categorical Variables
Quantitative variables exist in some degree along the range from less
to more, and you can assign numbers to different individual or
subjects to indicate how much of the variable they possess. Few
examples are height (e.g. 5’2”, 6’1”) and weight (e.g. 46kg., 42kg.).
Oftentimes, quantitative variables can be subdivided into smaller
and smaller units such as length which can be measured in miles,
yards, feet, inches or in whatever subdivision of an inch is needed.
Categorical variables do not vary in degree, amount, or quantity but
are qualitatively different. Few of the examples are eye color,
gender, religious preference, occupation, position on a baseball
team, and most kinds of research “treatments” or “methods”. Even,
Learning Delivery Modality (e.g. Printed modular distance learning,
online distance learning, etc.)
Independent versus Depended Variable
Independent variables are those that the researcher chooses to
studying order to assess their possible effect(s) on one or more
variables. It is presumed to affect or somehow influence at least one
other variable.
Dependent variables are those variables that are presumed to be
affected by the independent variables. This means that dependent
variables “depends on”what the independent variables do to them,
or how independent variables affect them. It can be portrayed
graphically as follows:
Activity 2.1
Directions: Copy the diagram on your notebook and do what are
asked.

4. Survey Research

Survey research obtains data to determine specific characteristics of

a group. For an instance, you want to find out how the students feel
about the Modular Learning Modality and what they like about this
approach. You may get the data through a variety of survey
techniques that measure their views about the modular approach. A
descriptive survey involves asking the same set of questions of a
large number of individuals using a questionnaire. You can also
gather the data through interview. Data will be tabulated and
reported.