MODULE 2: QUALITATIVE VS.

QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
LESSON PLAN

Date of Meetings: July 04-15, 2016 (2 weeks)

Lesson Title: Senses Against Measurement
Topic: Module 2: Qualitative versus Quantitative Research
Objectives: At the end of this module, the students can:
 Differentiate quantitative and qualitative research
 Provide examples of research in areas of interest

Day 1-4. Objective:

 Differentiate quantitative and qualitative research

I. Introduction
A. Activating Prior Knowledge
 Activity 1 MIND THE GAP
The teacher posts the two statements on the board:

1. You got 75 passing mark!

2. Your classmate seems uninterested to study the lessons.
Scenario 1:
Boy: Words can’t even describe how beautiful you are
Girl: Ahh, thank you!!
Boy: But numbers can 2/10
Processing:
1. Which do you think is qualitative? Quantitative? Why?
Giving points:
1. list down 5 examples of quantitative observation and 5 examples of qualitative observations. The first 5 who
will pass their notes shall be given points.
B. Contextualizing Learning:
E.Q. What is qualitative research? What is quantitative research? What is the difference between them?
Is one better than the other depending on the type of research being performed?
II. Interaction
A. Development of Knowledge
 Every researcher needs data for his or her research. Since research is systematic, a researcher employs
one or more techniques to gather data for the study. These techniques can be classified into two broad
categories—quantitative and qualitative methods.
 Quantitative techniques (from the root word quantity) collect data in the form of numbers (i.e.
quantitative observation.) Examples of quantitative data are the height, weight, age of a person; the daily,
monthly, or annual income of an employee; and your grades in your academic subjects.
 Qualitative techniques (from the root word quality), on the other hand, collect data in the form of words
or statements (i.e. qualitative observations, religious affiliati0ns, civil status, nationality, common
language used at home etc. )
 Researches that use quantitative techniques are broadly classified as quantitative researches while
researches that use qualitative techniques are classified as qualitative researches.
 Qualitative research is concerned with finding the answer to questions which begin with why? how? In
what way?
  Quantitative research is concerned with questions about: how much? How many? How often? To what
extent?
Table 2.1 Characteristics of Qualitative and Quantitative Researches

Qualitative
Subjective
Research questions answer what and why
Literature review may be done as the study
progress
Develops theory
Interpretive
Reports rich narrative, individual interpretation
Basic element of analysis is words/ideas
Research is part of the process
Participants
Context dependent
Reasoning is dialectic and inductive
Describes meaning, discovery
Quantitative
Objective
Research questions answer how many or strength
of relationship or difference
Literature review is usually done before the study
Tests theory
Measurable
Reports statistical analysis
Basic element of analysis is numbers
Research is separate
Subjects
Context free
Reasoning is logistic and deductive
Establishes relationships and causation

As shown in the Table 2.1, qualitative research usually describes meaning based on the subjective data collected through
interviews and observations. The analysis in this kind of research is also based on the context of the subjects. This is the
reason why qualitative research helps to develop a theory. On the other hand, quantitative research is more objective. The
data collected are usually numerical and based on the assumptions of the hypothesis. Quantitative research is more
structured and thus useful in testing a theory.
Reflect Upon
1. If you were to choose between qualitative and quantitative research, which would you choose? Why?

2. Assuming you want to do research on the marketability of your product, why is it necessary to do qualitative
research?

Examples of Qualitative Research Topics

1. Students’ images of chemistry
2. Gender and cultural gaps in the classroom
3. Science practices of the Mangyan tribe
 Data can be best collected through interviews and observations.
Examples of Quantitative Research Topics
1. Predictors of science performance
2. Growth performance of graphic fertilizer
3. Population rate in Metro Manila in the next 20 years (projective)
 Data is obtained from an experiment or from an existing document

B. Exploration
 Suppose a marine biologist observes the behavior and activities of dolphins. She identifies different dolphins
within the group and observes them every day for a month. She records detailed observations about their
behaviors. Some of her observations are qualitative data and some are quantitative data.

Qualitative data examples

• Dolphin colors range from gray to white.
• Dolphins in a pod engage in play behavior.
• Dolphins have smooth skin.

Quantitative data examples

• There are nine dolphins in this pod.
• Dolphins eat the equivalent of 4-5% of their body mass each day.
• The sonar frequency most often used by the dolphins is around 100kHz.

Notice the qualitative data are descriptions. The quantitative data are objective, numerical measurements.
Do this!
Identify Data Types
Suppose that you are a biologist studying elephants in their natural habitat in Africa. You observe their
behaviors and interaction, and take photographs of their interactions to study later. Examine the photograph of the
elephants shown below.

1. Analyze. Give two examples of qualitative data that could be obtained from the photograph of the elephants.
 2. Analyze. Give two examples of quantitative data that could be obtained from the photograph of the elephants.

Qualitative vs. Quantitative Sorting Activity

1. Decide whether the data is qualitative or quantitative.
2. Sort and paste the data on the chart provided.

The gummy worm increased by 2 inches.

There were four dogs in the group.

The dogs were small.

The sample contained 3 different types of bacteria.

The patient complained of aches and pains.

The patient had a temperature 102 degrees.

The chimp identified 12 pictures correctly.

The parrots range from bright green to dark red.

The balloon increased in size from 5 inches to 8 inches around.

The birds were young.

The rock sample consisted of 25 grams of quartz

The rock sample was reddish brownish.

The sample with the baking soda appeared bubbly

The leaves on the first plant specimen appeared healthier.

The first plant specimen had 3 more leaves than the second specimen.

The leaves on the second plant specimen were green, while the leaves on the first plant
specimen were turning brown.

III. Integration
A. Synthesis
 Observation is a good tool in research. This can be quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative observation
deals with numerical characteristics, whereas qualitative observation represents verbal descriptions. Both
observations give meaning.
 Qualitative and quantitative researches are both important types of researches with the same purpose of
finding meanings and contributing to a body of knowledge.
  Qualitative research goes beyond words and ideas. It highlights finding meanings and relationships.
What Have I Learned So Far?
 What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative research in terms of the following:
1. Aim of Research

2. General Method of Research

3. Sample Size

4. Role of the researcher

 Can a research be done using both qualitative and quantitative data? Why or why not?

-end-
Day 5-10. Objectives:
 understand the differences between quantitative and
qualitative research including:
 the differing assumptions underlying the two approaches;
 the methods typical of each approach;
 analyze qualitative and quantitative research in order to assess which would work best in
their field of interest.
 Provide examples of research in areas of interest

I. Introduction
A. Activating Prior Knowledge
 As a review of the past lesson, the teacher presents the two statements below. The
students will identify which is a correct example of qualitative and quantitative research?
1. What proportion of smokers have tried to give up?
2. What stops people giving up smoking?

B. Contextualizing Learning:
E.Q. What type of research works best in your field of interest?
II. Interaction
A. Development of Knowledge

Methods Used in Qualitative and Quantitative Research

Table 2.2

Quantitative Methodologies Qualitative Methodologies

Preference for precisely describing procedure
Data reduced to numerical scores
Preference for random sampling for obtaining
meaningful samples
Preference for statistical summary of results
Willingness to manipulate aspects, situations, or
conditions in studying complex phenomena
Preference for narrative/literary descriptions of
procedures
Preference for narrative descriptions
Preference for expert informant samples
Preference for narrative summary of results
Unwillingness to tamper with naturally occurring
phenomena

B. Exploration
The students perform the activity below to explore their knowledge about the methods used in
quantitative and qualitative research.
Part 1
Conduct a poll in which half the class gathers qualitative data, and the other half gathers quantitative data.
(Later, these groups will switch roles.)
Write the topic of the poll on the board:
Although the Internet brings people together via chatrooms, e-mail, etc., it ultimately isolates people from one
another because they talk less face-to-face and over the phone.

Break the class into two groups of equal size. Group one will begin as the qualitative group and group two will
begin as the quantitative group.

Tell the students from the qualitative group to each pick one person from the quantitative group to interview. The
qualitative student should ask the quantitative student to respond to the statement, and record their response.
Then, the quantitative student should ask the qualitative student to respond to the question using a scale of one to
five.

Once the students have gathered their data, ask both groups to compile and assess their findings using the
information on their handouts.

Have each group share their data and findings.

Part 2

Now, have the groups switch roles. The qualitative group becomes the quantitative and vice versa. Have students
conduct the poll again, and tell them to try to stay true to the opinions they expressed in part one.

After each group has shared their findings, ask the students to discuss the following questions as a class:

• Which data, the qualitative or the quantitative, provided you with more information about people’s
reactions to the poll topic? Why?

• Which type of data was easier to analyze and consolidate? Why?

• What types of information might be easier to collect using a qualitative approach? Why?

• What types of information might be easier to collect using a quantitative approach? Why?

Have students generate a list of the strengths and limitations of each kind of data and record on a piece of chart
paper. From this list generate a list of do's and don'ts for data collection.

Student Organizer Activity One- Quantitative Group

Poll Topic: Although the Internet brings people together via chatrooms, e-mail, etc., it ultimately isolates people
from one another because they talk less face-to-face and over the phone.
Quantitative Group
Members of the quantitative group, record the response of one member of the quantitative group to the poll topic
using the following scale.

1 2 3 4 5
Strongly Agree Agree Somewhat Don’t Agree or Disagree Disagree Somewhat Strongly Disagree

Analyzing by averaging
Note: In order to average your findings, add up all of your responses and then divide by the number of responses.
So, if you had three different responses of 2, 3, and 1, then you would use the following formula:

2+3+1 = 2 1/3
3

Analyzing by tallying
Or, you can create a graph that shows how many students chose strongly agree, how many chose agree somewhat,
don’t agree, or disagree, etc. It could look like this:

Strongly Agree Don’t Agree or Disagree Strongly

Rating
Agree Somewhat Disagree Somewhat Disagree
# of students who picked this
3 5 2 2 8
rating

In the above example, a total of 20 students answered (3+5+2+2+8).

So:

 8 students agreed, either somewhat or strongly,

 2 had no opinion,

 and 10 disagreed either strongly or somewhat.

You could simply summarize these findings by saying that more people disagreed than agreed.

Or:

 3/20 strongly agreed,

 5/20 agreed somewhat

 2/20 didn’t agree or disagree,

  2/20 disagreed somewhat,

 and 8/20 strongly disagreed.

If you convert these numbers into percentages, you could say that 15% strongly agreed, 25% agreed somewhat,
10% didn’t agree or disagree, 10% disagreed somewhat, and 40% strongly disagreed.

Tip: to check your math, make sure that your percentages add up to 100%.

Note: to convert fractions to percentages, divide the numerator (top number) by the denominator (bottom number)
and then move the decimal point over two places to the right.

When you are finished with your calculations, answer the following questions as a group:

 What question did you set out to answer?

 Do you feel you gained enough information to answer the question?

 Summarize your findings in one sentence.

 How did you analyze your findings? How long did it take you? Did you find that it was easy or difficult to
analyze the data? Why?

 In this study, you learned what peoples’ opinions were. Did you also learn why they felt the way they did?
If so, how? If not, why not? Did the responses you received raise any new questions you would like to
find answers to? If so, what were they?

 If you were to do this poll over again, how would you improve your analysis?

Student Organizer Activity One- Qualitative Group

Poll Topic: Although the Internet brings people together via chatrooms, e-mail, etc., it ultimately isolates people from one another because they
talk less face-to-face and over the phone.
Members of the Qualitative group, interview a Quantitative group member and record their comments in a chart similar to the one below. (You
will only need one row since you are only interviewing one person.)

general comments that support general comments that contradict general researcher
memorable quote
response response response notes
male
said he enjoys surfing on the “I don’t necessarily like it
agreed but didn’t seem to
agreed Internet more than hanging out none but I’m surfing the Web all
think that isolation was a
with friends the time.”
problem
said she feels more connected
says she misses the frequent phone has a computer at home
to her two older sisters who went
disagreed conversations she used to have with “I love the Internet.” female
away to college now that she has
her sisters was very talkative
an email account

Analysis questions:
Once you’ve filled in your chart, convene as a group. Create a chart like the one above that holds all of your data and then use the following
questions as a guide to help you analyze your data.

 How many people generally agreed? Disagreed? Were non-committal?

 Did you find that most of the statements people made actually supported their general response? If not, do you feel you can use the
general responses to accurately summarize your findings?

 What similarities, if any, did you see between the statements of the people who generally agreed? Between the statements of the people
who generally disagreed? Between the people who didn’t have an opinion either way?

 Did you see any other potential patterns emerging, e.g., the people who had computers at home generally disagreed, twice as many
girls disagreed as boys, etc.?

 Were there any statements that seemed to come up over and over again?

Reflection questions:

 What question did you set out to answer?

 Do you feel you gained enough information to answer the question?

 Summarize your findings in one sentence.

 How did you analyze your findings? How long did it take you? Did you find that it was easy or difficult to analyze the data? Why?

 In this study, you learned what people’s opinions were. Did you also learn why they felt the way they did? If so, how? If not, why not?
Did the responses you received raise any new questions you would like to find answers to? If so, what were they?

 If you were to do this poll over again, how would you improve your analysis?

C. Apprenticeship
For each scenario listed below, identify whether it would be best to gather qualitative data,
quantitative data, or a combination of both to answer the questions being asked.

Scenario 1: You work in an office that has a water cooler. The water cooler holds twenty
gallons of water. Your boss asks you to figure out how many refills your office will need every
month, because she’s trying to do the budget.

1. Type of data collecting method you would use? (qualitative and/or quantitative) Why?

2. Briefly describe how you would collect the data (what tools would you used, e.g., a ruler, a
questionnaire).

Scenario 2: You’re a new restaurant owner. Your restaurant has been open for several weeks, and
so far, it looks like your customers enjoy your restaurant. But you want more information. You
want to get feedback from your customers on their dining experience, specifically their opinions
on your food, service, and ambiance.

1. Type of data collecting method you would use? (qualitative and/or quantitative) Why?
 2. Briefly describe how you would collect the data.

III. Integration
A. Synthesis
 In this module, you have learned that there are two major groups of research—qualitative
and quantitative. Quantitative research is more objective and uses numerical data and
statistical treatment in formulating conclusions. It is centered to test a theory and follows
a more structured methodology. On the other hand, qualitative research is more
subjective and develops theory based on in-depth observations and narratives. It often
uses symbols, meanings, and ideas derived from observations and interviews.

B. Authentic Assessment
 The teacher gives a quiz to the students.

Name: _________________________________ Score:

__________
Strand: ________________ Room: __________

Determining Whether to Use a Qualitative or Quantitative Approach

Objectives:

1. To determine if a researcher should use a qualitative or quantitative approach to study the

research problem outlined in the scenario.

2. To be able to locate words within the scenario that indicate whether a qualitative or
quantitative research approach should be used.

3. To be able to suggest quantitative or qualitative methods that could be used to study the
research problem outlined in the scenario.

Directions:
Each of the scenarios below describes a problem that the researcher wishes to study. For each
scenario, decide whether the researcher should use a qualitative or quantitative approach and why.
Also, specify what data a researcher should collect.

Questions
1. Will you design a quantitative or qualitative study?
2. What word(s) in the scenario gives you a clue as to whether you would design a quantitative
or qualitative study?
 3. What are some possible research methods that you might use?

Scenario 1

You have been reading in the area of online education and have become interested in several articles
that deal with the relationship between posting images online on a course website and the degree to
which the class feels connected. Little research has been done in that area so you decide to design a
study to test if there is a relationship between posting personal photos on the course website and the
degree of connectedness that the students in the class feel.

Scenario 2
You have been reading a journal article about the differences between sixth grade boys and sixth grade
girls in mathematics. The article states that girls are outperforming boys in their knowledge of math
skills. You have noticed that in your school that seems to be true. In fact, you find that the girls in your
school appear to have higher grades in math than the boys in your school. You decide to do some
research to determine if this is true.

Scenario 3
You want to explore how teen smokers describe their family environment to understand the role of
parents in their lives.

Scenario 4
You are asked to do some research to describe the meaning that individuals give to their failure in a
college statistics class

-end-
NOTE: Injection of some activities as intervening activities aside from the provided/suggested
ones in this lesson plan would be as a result of students’ needs and interests as the learning
process goes on and the assessment procedures respectively.

Prepared by:
Mr. Reynaldo Galapon
Mr. Darnel Cayog
Mr. Rocky James G. Sarasua