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Qualitative research is an umbrella term covering an array of interpretive techniques. It describes, decode, translate and otherwise come to terms with the meaning, not the frequency, of naturally-occurring phenomena in the social world (Merriam,2009.13). Basically, in this method researchers are keen in understanding the meaning people have constructed to make sense of their lives, translate their experiences, how they contract their worlds, and what meaning they attribute to their experiences. Thus, in qualitative research, reality is considered fluid, shaped and influenced by social interactions. According to Merriam (2009, p.15) interpretative assumes that reality is socially constructed, and there is no single observable reality but multiple interpretation of a single event. Quantitative researchers explain the causes of changes in social facts through objective measurement and data analysis. They believe reality is controlled by cause and effect relationships. Quantitative researchers use numbers to study the phenomenon or occurrence. While quantitative research is rooted in the positivist paradigm, qualitative research is based on a phenomenological/interpretive paradigm(p.9). In addition, most researchers recognize the following major characteristics in qualitative research: The researcher is the primary instrument for data collection and analysis; the process is inductive and the researchers gather data to build concepts, hypotheses; the inquiry is richly descriptive; it is emergent and flexible; its design is non-random; purposeful and often the investigator spends a substantial amount of time in participant's natural setting (Merriam). Recently more and more researchers are embracing the mix method, where both subjective and objective phenomena are explored holistically. One such example is the Richland II School District in Columbia, SC (Schwatz, Gregory, Barth, Lemrow, & Gilbert,2013) the teacher, the two principals, and the curriculum director agreed that use of data in their respective schools informed instruction. However, they stated that cold data alone did not yield the desired results. They used both hard and interpretive data to connect the dots within the whole educational system. Mixing both data helped change the school climate. They created WOW initiative using the quantitative and qualitative data to assess the strength and challenges of their students. The group stressed that use of technology as an equalizer helped learning to be student-centered and more reflective. Sharing data created the opportunity for parents to know, where their child stands compared against other children, and also helped students assess their strength and needs. Use of both quantitative and qualitative data increased collaboration at all levels of the system that in turn created a school environment conducive for learning. What might be some of the key advantages related to qualitative inquiry? Why? Qualitative research allows in-depth examination of a phenomenon: Participants are selected on the basis of familiarity to the research question and interviewed in their natural environment. Qualitative research is based on open-ended question that gives ample opportunity to participants to respond posed by the researcher. Qualitative research uses subjective information based on people's interpretation, and the meaning they attribute to their experiences. It is not limited to rigidly defined data and procedure: Participants answer open-ended question and interviewed, observed by the researcher within their natural environment. Quantitative research investigates elaborate questions impossible to examine using quantitative methods: The researcher could explore feelings, emotion and other characteristic not definable in numbers. Quantitative research deals with value-laden questions that explore how people interpret, and characterize their experiences: The researcher enquires the values through open-ended questions. Using qualitative research the researcher explores fresh areas of research, a potential for new theories: The hypotheses are formed after the researcher begins data collection and modified throughout the process of the research. There is a possibility that the researcher would arrive to a new discovery that needs a follow-up (Lodico, Spaulding, & Voegtle,2010, p.277). In terms of disadvantages, what aspects should be considered when conducting research? Why? Subjectivity leads to procedural problems, and researcher bias is built in and unavoidable: Reduce researcher’s biases through self-awareness so that the researcher accurately represents what the participants think, feel and act. In-depth, comprehensive approach to data gathering limits the scope of the research making replication of finding difficult: To recognize that the lesson learned in one setting might be useful to others. Provide the reader richly detailed or thick description to decide the judgment of transferability so that the reader could decide the similarity of participants, sources, culture and other characteristics of the research for possible generalizability (Lodico, Spaulding, & Voegtle,2010,275). Broad and labor intensive: Follow proper planning, documentation of materials, and systematic review of literature. Use mutually agreed-upon location and time to interview participants, hence reduce unnecessary duplication, and waste of time. Need more, hire me. References Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Lodico, M. G., Spaulding, D. T., & Voegtle, K. H. (2010). Methods in educational research: From theory to practice. Danver, MA: Laureate Education Inc. Schwatz, M., Gregory, N., Barth, D., Lemrow, M., & Gilbert, D. (2013). Richland II School district in Columbia, SC. © Laureate Education2011
