1. Quantitative Research Design
EDU 521: Research Methods in Education
By
Prabin Shakya, PhD Fellow
School of Education
Kathmandu University
8 April 2013
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2. Organization of Presentation
• Meaning of research design
• Components of research design
• Meaning of quantitative research
• Characteristics of quantitative research
• Basic principles of quantitative research design
• Philosophical worldview of quantitative research
• Strategy of inquiry in quantitative research
• Research methods in quantitative research
• Types of quantitative research
• Review of Thesis
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3. Meaning of Research Design
• Conceptual structure; blue print for the collection, measurement
and analysis of data (Kothari, 1999).
• Plan and procedure for conducting research that spans the
decisions from broad assumption to detailed methods of data
collection and analysis (Creswell, 2011).
• For me..whole package of assumptions (philosophical
worldviews), strategy of inquiry, date collection, data analysis
and interpretation of findings.
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4. Components of research design
A framework for research design- interconnection of worldviews, strategies of inquiry and research methods (adapted from Creswell, 2011; pp5)
Research design
Qualitative
Quantitative
Mixed
Philosophical world view
Post positivist
Constructivism
Advocacy/participatory
Pragmatic
Strategy of inquiry
Qualitative e.g. ethnography
Quantitative e.g. experimental
Mixed e.g sequential
Research methods
Questions: open or closed
Data collection : numeric or text or pictorial
Data analysis
Data interpretation
Validation
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5. Meaning of Quantitative Research
• A formal, objective, systematic process in which numerical
data are utilized to obtain information about the world (Burns
& Grove, as cited by Cormack, 1991, p. 140)
• An inquiry of social or human problem based on testing a
theory composed of variables, measured with numbers, and
analyzed with statistical procedures, in order to determine
whether the predictive generalizations of the theory hold true
(Creswell, 1994)
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6. Characteristics of Quantitative Research
• Quantitative research is about quantifying the relationships
between variables, cause and effect relationships
• We measure them, and
• construct statistical models to explain what we observed
• The researcher knows in advance what he or she is looking for
• All aspects of study are carefully designed before data collection
• Test hypothesis/theory and establish new theory-deductive
• Goal: Prediction, control, confirmation, test hypotheses
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7. Quantitative research design is rooted in
• Postpositivistic approach
• Scientific and quantitative strategy of inquiry
• Use of quantifiable data, measures and statistical tools
• Test hypothesis and interpretate cause-and-effect relationships
Basic Principles of Quantitative Research Design
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8. Quantitative researchers test objective hypothesis/theories deductively
Researcher tests or verifies a theory
Researcher tests hypotheses or
research questions from the theory
Researcher defines and operationalizes
variables derived from the theory
Researcher measures or observes variables using an
instrument to obtain scores
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9. Philosophical worldview of quantitative research
• Use postpositivist philosophical worldview
• Knowledge is conjectural- absolute truth can never be found
• Research is the process of making claims
• Quantify relationships between variables
• Supports or refutes hypothesis
• Shape new knowledge based on collective date and evidences
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10. Strategy of Inquiry in Quantitative Research
• Provides specific direction for procedures in research design
• Approaches to inquiry (Creswell, 2011)
• Research methodologies (Mertens, 1998 cited in Creswell, 2011)
•Employs two strategies of inquiry
• Experimental research
• Determine if a specific treatment influences an outcome
• Controlled empirical test of a hypothesis
• Survey research
• Quantitative description of trends, attitude or opinions with
intent of generalizing from sample to population (Babbie,
1990 cited in Creswell, 2011)
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11. Research methods in quantitative research
• Questions: predetermined and instrument based
• Data collection: performance, attitude, observation and census
• Data analysis: statistical analysis
 Descriptive statistics
 Inferential statistics: test of significance e.g t test , ANOVA
• Data interpretation: statistical interpretation
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12. • Validity - Are we measuring what we want to measur?
• Objectivity - Researchers stand outside the phenomena they
study. Data collected are free from bias.
• Reliability - If something was measured again using the same
instrument, would it produce the same or nearly the same
results?
• Accuracy – Are the methods adequate to answer our questions?
reveal credible information? convey important information?
• Precision – How much trustable, how confident is the result.
All measures should fulfill….
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13. • Descriptive research
• Correlation research
• Evaluative
• Meta Analysis
• Causal-comparative research
• Experimental Research
• True experiments
• Quasi-experiment
• Single subject experiment
• Ex post facto experiment
Types of quantitative research
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14. References
Creswll, J. W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative and
mixed methods approachs (3rd ed.). India: Sage Publication
Cormack, D. (1991). Team spirit motivation and commitment team
leadership and membership, team evaluation. Grand Rapids, MI:
Pyranee Books.
Creswell, J. W. (2004). Educational research: Planning, conducting,
and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (2nd
ed.). Ohio: Merrill Prentice Hall.
Kothari, C.R. (1999). Research Methodology: Methods and techniques
(2nd ed.).India: Wishwo Prakashan
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