Educational Research Methods EDUC 3026 - Lecture 4 Quiz

What distinguishes quantitative from qualitative research? Choose as many that apply.

• Quantitative research measures variables in numeric form

• Quantitative research sometimes conducts experiments to test theories

• Quantitative research typically operates within the positivist or post-positivist paradigm, seeking to explain a single reality

• Quantitative research is harder than qualitative research, always

Which of the following describes the 'reductionist' problem of quantitative research?

• Quantitative research reduces the pragmatic possibilities of educational research

• Quantitative research reduces the number of people who can be involved in research

• Quantitative research tends to reduce the complexity of the phenomenon in a way that may clash with reality

• Quantitative research depletes the morale of its practitioners.

Denzin and Lincoln (2011) define qualitative research as...

• "a set of interpretive, material practices that make the world visible"

• "an array of research methods to convert hidden meanings and practices into legible and comprehensible forms."

• "a range of strategies to create new knowledge that differs from quantitative research"

• "a philosophy of research to systematically capture and codify elusive meanings"

Which of the following are advantages of qualitative research?

• Allows detailed study of the individual

• Looks at personal meanings, 'lived experience'

• Produces knowledge that are immensely practical and actionable

• Allows the researcher to find things they were not looking for

Which of the following are NOT valid criticisms of qualitative research?

• Qualitative research fails to meet the standards of positivist paradigm

• Studies may be more time- and resource-consuming

• It is much more challenging to generalise from the findings

• It is generally accepted that qualitative research is less valuable for society

Within thematic analysis, a 'theme' refers to something that...

• Captures an area of research interest that will be useful for society

• Represents some level of patterned response or meaning within the dataset

• Is a repetitive word or phrase that we find occurring verbatim in the dataset

• Is a predetermined concept that the researcher is interested in.

True or False: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) takes an ideographic approach to research, focussing on the specific and the individual, rather than the general.

• True

• False

Which of the following characteristics distinguish grounded theory from alternative approaches to qualitative research?

• GT pays closer attention to data than other methods

• GT uses an inductive approach, letting themes 'emerge' from the data as far as possible

• GT is led by well-defined research questions

• GT requires an extensive and careful literature review