Types of Research Descriptive Research

1. WELCOME

2. DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH
Descriptive study
describes and
interprets what is.
‘Descriptive research is
concerned with conditions or
relationships that exist,
opinions that are held,
processes that are going on,
effects that are being felt, or
trends that are developing’
(Best,1970)

3. DESCRIPTIVE RESERACH
Descriptive research is
designed to obtain
pertinent and precise
information concerning the
current status of
phenomena and to draw
valid general conclusions
from the facts discovered.

4. Descriptive
research studies
the relationship
between variables
that exist at
present in their
natural setting.
The researcher
does not
manipulate the
variables.
It involve events
that have already
taken place and
are related to a
present condition.
It also tests
hypotheses,
develop
generalizations
and results in
some prediction.

5. VALUES OF DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH IN EDUCATION
The descriptive
research method
has undoubtedly
been the most
popular and the
most widely used
research method
in education.
The descriptive
investigations are of
immense value in
solving problem
about children,
school organization,
supervision and
administration,
curriculum,
teaching method
and evaluation

6. It helps to explain
educational phenomena in
terms of the conditions or
relationships that exist,
opinions that are held by
the students, teachers,
parents and experts,
processes that are going on,
effects that are evident, or
trends that are developing.
The descriptive type of
research is useful in the
development of data
gathering instruments and
tools like checklists,
schedules, questionnaire
and rating scales.

7. FEATURES OF DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH
It gathers data
from a relatively
large number of
cases.
It is concerned not
with the
characteristics of
individuals but
with generalized
statistics of the
whole population.
It is an important
type of research
involving clearly
defined problems
and definite
objectives.
It requires an
imaginative
planning, a careful
analysis and
interpretation of
the data and a
logical and skillful
reporting of the
findings.

8. The variables and procedures are described as
accurately and completely as possible so that the
study can be replicated by other researches.
They are characterized by disciplined inquiry,
requiring expertise, objectivity, and careful
execution.
They use techniques of observation, description
and analysis.
They are non-experimental, for they deal with
relationships between non-manipulated variables
in a natural, rather than artificial setting.
They may involve hypothesis formulation and
testing.

9. NATURE OF DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH
Descriptive research is
designed for the investigator
to gather information about
present existing conditions.
It involves collection of data
in order to test the
hypothesis or to answer
questions concerning the
current status of the subject
of study.
Descriptive study
determines and reports the
way things are. It has no
control over what is, and it
can only measure what
already exist.

10. Steps in Descriptive Research
Selection of the
problem
Statement and
definition of the
problem
Identification of
Data
Sectional or
development of
Tools
Selection of the
sample
Collection Data
Analysis and
Interpretation of
data
Writing of the
Research Report

11. Selection of the problem: The
researcher may select the problem
accordingly from the area or field in
which he is interested.
Statement and definition of the
problem: The researcher must state the
problem clearly as it is done in case of
other types of research.
Identification of Data :The researcher
has to specify whether the data are of
qualitative or a quantitative nature and
whether the data will be collected in
the form of counts, test scores,
responses to questionnaires,
interviews, and so on.

12. Sectional or development of Tools: The
nature of the data to be collected helps the
researcher to select the appropriate tools
for the study. If the ready – made tools are
not available, the researcher has to
develop his own tools. Questionnaires,
interviews, psychological tests, rating
scales, schedules and attitude scales are
the most frequently used tools for
descriptive research.
Selection of the sample: Researcher
must select the sample about which
he wishes to seek information using
appropriate sample techniques. The
sample selected should adequately
represent the population.

13. Collection Data: The researcher should specify the
practical schedule for gathering the data from the
sample selected for the study with the help of
appropriate tools.
Analysis and Interpretation of data: The collected is
quantified in the form of counts, test scores,
responses to questionnaires, etc. These are
analyzed and interpreted with the help of
appropriate parametric or non-parametric
statistical tests and qualitative techniques.
Writing of the Research Report: The researcher
should exercise extreme caution in generalizing
conclusions and reporting them with all the limitations
of the study.

14. SIGNIIFICANCE OF DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH
It determines the
present trends and
solves current
practical problems.
It suggests the
course of future
developments.
It contributes to
advancement of
knowledge because it
affords penetrating
insight into the nature
of what one is dealing
with. ex: by studying
children of various age
levels one can
differentiate according
to age and obtain some
picture of the trend of
development.

15. TYPES OF DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH
Descriptive
research mainly
classified in to
three categories:
Survey studies
Interrelationship
studies
Developmental
studies

16. Interrelationship
studies
• Case study
• Causal- comparative
studies
• Correlational studies

17. SURVEY
Survey research is mostly
devoted to the study of large
and small populations under
investigation
It is approached through the
methods of personal
interviews, mailed
questionnaires and personal
discussion besides indirect oral
investigation.

18. Surveys are
confined to
gather all three
types of
Information.
•Data concerning existing
status
•Comparison of existing
status with the
established status and
standards
•Means of improving the
existing status

19. Survey studies describe and specify the properties of
educational phenomena
SCHOOL SURVEYS: The first school survey was
conducted in 1910 in USA.
The school survey
gradually is a
comprehensive study of
existing conditions.
Its main purpose is to
determine the overall
effectiveness of the school
programme and suggest
improvement if necessary.

20. JOB ANALYSIS
In education it is
employed together
information about
general duties and
responsibilities of
teaching, non-teaching
and administrative
personnel.
The method of job
analysis is generally
used in business and
industry.

21. PUBLIC OPINION
Educationists
conduct public
opinion services
to find out how
people feel about
public issues.
In public surveys
the researcher
usually makes use
of questionnaires,
schedules or
interviews to
gathers data from
the selected
groups.

22. SOCIAL SURVEY
This survey is also
called community
surveys.
The social surveys
are of great benefit
to the school in
clarifying the social
setting in which they
exists.
Social surveys are
generally
undertaken to study
health services,
employment
conditions, and
causes of juvenile
delinquency,
housing problems or
cast discriminations.

23. NORMATIVE SURVEY
• Descriptive surveys provide information regarding
how things are and normative surveys describe
things as they could be.
• In normative surveys, information about how things
should be or how they can be improved is gathered
through evaluative case studies, critique of the
object or process being studied and planning ways
to improve the object or process.

24. Steps in Normative Survey
Selection of the
problem
Statement and
definition of the
problem
Identification of
Data
Sectional or
development of
Tools
Selection of the
sample
Collection Data
Analysis and
Interpretation of
data
Writing of the
Research Report

25. CAUSAL-COMPARATIVE RESEARCH
• Definition
The researcher attempts to determine the
cause, or reason, for existing differences in the
behavior or status or individuals.
 It is also called “ex-post facto research”.
 Variables cannot manipulated.

26. CAUSAL-COMPARATIVE RESEARCH
• Causal-comparative research attempts to identify a
cause-effect relationship between two or more
groups.
• Basically the purpose of these studies is to find out
whether there is any relationship between a
phenomenon and certain other factors. Hence they
are called causal studies.
• They are also called comparative for the reason that
the causal relationship is established on the basis of
comparison of similarities and differences among
phenomena.

27. Values of Causal-comparative research
• Causal-comparative method is useful in the
situations when the experimental method is
impractical or costly in time, money and effort.
• This method provides a means of tackling problems
that cannot probed in laboratory situations.
• It is suited to many types of field studies seeking to
establish causal relationships.

28. Limitations
• When a relationship between variables is
established, it is difficult to determine which is the
cause and which is the effect.
• Researcher have no control over the selection of
subject.

29. CORRELATIONAL RESEARCH
• Correlational research attempts to determine how
related two or more variables are. This degree of
relation is expressed as a correlation coefficient.
• the variables are positively related correlation
coefficient near + 1.00 will be obtained.
• If the two variables are not related, a correlation
coefficient near .00 will be obtained.
• If the correlation coefficient is near -1.00, the
variables are inversely related.

30. • Correlational studies find out relationship between
variables and explain how much is the relationship.
Disadvantage
Do not explain which is the cause and which is
the effect.

31. REPLICATION
• Replication involves the process of repeating a
study using the same methods, different subjects,
and different experimenters.
• It can also involve applying the theory to new
situations in an attempt to determine the
generalizability to different age groups, locations,
races, or cultures.
• Replication is essential to the development and
verification of new generalizations and theories

32. SECONDARY ANALYSIS
• Secondary analysis means re analyzing the data
gathered by a previous investigator and may involve
different hypotheses, different experimental
designs, or different methods of statistical analysis.
• The subjects are the same, and the data are the
same. The differences are purpose of the analyses
and alternative methods of analysis.

33. Advantages
• The new investigator may bring objectivity or a
fresh point of view to the investigation.
• The reanalysis may involves less expense in both
time and money.
• It may provide useful experience for students of
research methodology by enabling them to use
real data

34. METAANALYSIS
• A procedure that allows a researcher to
systematically and statistically combine the findings
of several previous studies is known as meta
analysis, research synthesis, or research integration.
• A meta-analysis may be conducted on several
clinical trials of a medical treatment, in an effort to
obtain a better understanding of how well the
treatment works.

35. THANK YOU