Qualitative vs.

Quantitative
QUANTITATIVE

QUALITATIVE

Hypothesis: All beans

are alike.
NULL: No beans are
different.
Method: Count the
beans.

Question: What is a
bean? What does it
mean to be a bean?
Method: Examine
beanness in the
field.

Variety of qualitative methods

Case study (of 1 or more individuals)

Ethnography (study of cultural groups)
Phenomenology (individual point of view)
Grounded theory (link data to theory)
Action research
Historical analysis

Distinguishing Characteristics of
Quantitative and Qualitative
Research

Purpose
QUANTITATIVE

QUALITATIVE

to explain and predict

to test, confirm, and
validate theory

to describe and
explain
to explore and
interpret
to build theory

Research Process
QUANTITATIVE
focused
deals with known
variables
uses established
guidelines
static designs; contextfree; objective

QUALITATIVE
holistic approach
unknown variables
flexible guidelines
emergent design;
context-bound;
subjective

Form of Reasoning
QUANTITATIVE

QUALITATIVE

deductive analysis

inductive analysis

from general case

(theory) to specific
situations.

from specific
situation to general
case.

Description of findings
QUANTITATIVE

QUALITATIVE

Numerical data

Narrative description

Statistics

Words, quotes

Formal and scientific

Personal voice;
literary style

Which approach to educational

research should you use?

Do you believe that...

There is an objective
reality that can be
measured?
If so, use Quantitative
research.

There are multiple,

constructed realities
that defy easy
measurement or
categorization?
If so, use Qualitative
research?

Is your research question...

Confirmatory or
predictive in nature?

Exploratory or
interpretive in nature?

If so, use Quantitative

research.

If so, use Qualitative

research.

Is the available research

literature...
Relatively large?

Limited or nonexistent?

If so, use Quantitative

research.

If so, use Qualitative

research.

Do you have skills in...

Statistics and
Inductive reasoning,
deductive reasoning,
attentiveness to detail,
and able to write in a
and able to write in a
technical and scientific
more literary, narrative
style?
style?
If so, use Quantitative
research.

If so, use Qualitative

research.

Choosing the right method

Different research methods are
appropriate for different research
questions. No single approach is best
for all the questions that can be asked
regarding any particular behavioral
phenomenon.

What leads some students to be more

successful readers than other students?
Can I predict who is likely to have reading
difficulties? (Correlation/regression)
What is the best method of teaching reading?
(Experiment)
What are the norms for a population for the
development of reading skill? (Descriptive)
What are the conditions of reading instruction
and learning in todays classrooms? (Qualitative)