Quantitative Research

1. Quantitative Research
What is
?

2. Objectives
At the end of this chapter, the students will be able to:
1. discuss the basics of quantitative research; and
2. apply the quantitative method of their research.

3. Definition
“Explaining PHENOMENA by collecting numerical data
that are analyzed using mathematically based methods
(statistics).” Aliaga and Gunderson (2000)
What is a phenomenon?
-a peculiar incident that can happen anywhere, with any discipline or in
any organization.
Example:
• increase in sales
• change in turn-over rates
• change in drop-out rates
• decrease in the number of failing students in Math
• shift in percentage of dengue patients
• rise in the rate of youth drug addiction

4. Characteristics
1. It is reliable and objective
2. It uses statistics to generalize findings
3. It looks at the connections between variables and establishes
cause and effect relationships in highly controlled
circumstances.
4. It reduces and restructures a complex problem to a limited
number of variables.
5. It tests theories and hypothesis.
6. It assumes that the sample is representative of the
population.
7. The subjectivity of its methodology is a secondary concern.
8. It deals with the details of the subject.

5. Advantages
1. It allows the researcher to measure and analyze the data to arrive
at an objective answer to the problem posed or stated.
2. The result is reliable since the study uses a big sample of the
population.
3. Standards are usually used in choosing the instruments, the
sampling procedures, and in choosing the most appropriate
statistical treatment, thus making the research replicable.
4. Personal biases can be avoided since personal interaction is
not part of the research process.
5. Processes involved are simplified since the steps in doing
quantitative research are made easy and systematic.
6. Results can be reduced through statistical treatments and
interpreted in a few statements.

6. Disadvantages
1. The context of the study or the experiment is ignored in such a
way that it does not consider the natural setting where the study is
conducted.
2. Having a large study sample requires researchers to spend more
resources.
3. Results are limited since they are usually based on the analysis of
numbers and are not obtained from detailed narratives.
4. It provides less elaborate accounts of human perceptions.
5. In experimental research, the level of control might not be
normally placed in the real world because it is usually done in a
laboratory.

7. Disadvantages
6. Preset or fixed alternative answers may not necessarily reflect the
true answers of the participants.
7. Findings can be influenced by the researcher’s perspective since
most of the time, the participants are unknown to him/ her.

8. Importance of Quantitative Research
in different fields
1. Education
2. Business
3. Medical and Health Allied Services
4. Science and Technology

9. Summary

11. Activity 1
Nature of Quantitative Research
Answer the following questions based on your
knowledge gained from the discussion.
1.Define quantitative research.
2.Explain at least two (2) characteristics of
research.
3.Explain at least two (2) advantages and
disadvantages of quantitative research.
4.Specify the importance of quantitative research to
the different fields of study. Mention at least two
(2) fields of study as examples.