Nature of Inquiry and Research: A Guide to Quantitative Research Methods, Essays (high school) of Environmental science

Download Nature of Inquiry and Research: A Guide to Quantitative Research Methods and more Essays (high school) Environmental science in PDF only on Docsity!

NATURE OF

INQUIRY

AND

RESEARCH

by: Albert U. Laguitan

Nature of inquiry and research

• Inquiry is a term that is synonymous with the word ‘investigation’ when you inquire or investigate, you tend to ask question to prove or examine something (HOTS question).

Nature of inquiry and research

• (^) Research is a scientific, experimental, or inductive manner of thinking, starting from particular to more complex ideas, execute varied thinking acts that range from lower-order to higher order thinking strategies reflected by the steps in the research process.

● (^) We research people and their behavior, opinions, attitudes, trends and patterns, also politics, animals, health and illness. Research can be conducted either informally for our own benefit, through asking questions, watching, counting or reading and formally, for medical or academic purposes, as a marketing strategy, to inform and influence politics and policy. What do we research?

Research gives us information

about

1. Thoughts and opinions 5. Norms
2. Attitudes 6. Scientific facts
3. Habits 7. Medical information
4. Culture

1. Have it as interesting fact.

2. Use it to make decisions.

3. Use it to persuade influence other.

4. Use it to affect change.

5. Use it to change behavior.

What do we do with research?

Quantitative

Research

Quantitative research designs use numbers in stating generalizations about a given problem or inquiry in contrast to qualitative research that hardly uses statistical treatment in stating generalizations

CHARACTERISTICS OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH OBJECTIVE Quantitative research seeks accurate measurement and analysis of target concepts. It is not based on mere intuition and guesses. Data are gathered before proposing a conclusion or solution to a problem. CLEARLY DEFINED RESEARCH QUESTIONS The researchers know in advance what they are looking for. The research questions are well-defined for which objective answers are sought. All aspects of the study are carefully designed before data are gathered. STRUCTURED RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS Standardized instruments guide data collection, thus, ensuring the accuracy, reliability and validity of data. NUMERICAL DATA

. Figures, tables or graphs showcase summarized data collection in order to show trends, relationships or differences among variables. In sum, the charts and tables allow you to see the evidence collected. LARGE SAMPLE SIZES . To arrive at a more reliable data analysis, a normal population distribution curve is preferred. This requires a large sample size, depending on how the characteristics of the population vary. REPLICATION. Quantitative methods can be repeated to verify findings in another setting, thus strengthen and reinforcing validity of findings eliminating the possibility of spurious conclusions. FUTURE OUTCOMES. . By using complex mathematical calculations and with the aid of computers, if-then scenarios may beformulated thus predicting future results. Quantitative research puts emphasis on proof, rather than discovery.

STRENGHTS OF QUANTITATIVE

RESEARCH

3. It is real and unbiased
4. Quantitative experiments are useful for testing the results gained by a series of qualitative experiments, leading to a final answer, and narrowing down of possible directions to follow.
5. The use of statistical techniques facilitates sophisticated analyses and allows you to comprehend a huge amounts of vital characteristics of data.
6. Quantitative studies are replicable
7. It is objective.
8. The numerical data can be analyzed in a quick and easy way.

WEAKNESSES OF QUANTITATIVE

RESEARCH

The information is contextual factors to help interpret the results or to explain variations are usually ignored. 3 . Much information are difficult to gather using structured research instruments, specifically on sensitive issues like pre-marital sex, domestic violence, among others. 4 . If not done seriously and correctly, data from questionnaires may be incomplete and inaccurate. 5 . (^2) It is costly. . Quantitative research requires a large number of respondents. 1 .

KINDS OF QUANTITATIVE

RESEARCH DESIGNS

Research design refers to the overall strategy that you choose in order to integrate the different components of the study in a coherent and logical way, there by ensuring you will effectively address the research problem.Furthermore, a research design constitutes the blueprint for the selection, measurement and analysis of data. The research problem determines the research you should.

NON-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

In this research design, the variables are not deliberately manipulated nor is the setting controlled. Researcherscollect data without making changes or introducing treatments. This may also call as DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH DESIGN because it is only one under nonexperimental design.

DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH DESIGN’ main purpose is to observe, describe and document aspects of a situation as it naturally occurs and sometimes to serve as a starting point for hypothesis generation or theory development.

The types of descriptive

design are as follows:

A. SURVEY It is used to gather information from groups of people by selecting and studying samples chosen from a population. This is useful when the objective of the study is to see general picture of the population under investigation in terms of their social and economic characteristics, opinions, and their knowledge about the behavior towards a certain phenomenon.

The types of descriptive

design are as follows:

B. CORRELATIONAL It is conducted by researchers whose aim would be to find out the direction, associations and/or relationship between different variables or groups of respondents under study. Correlational Research has three types; these are:

Bivariate Correlational Studies ✓ It obtains score from two variables for each subject, and then uses them to calculate a correlation coefficient. The term bivariate implies that the two variables are correlated (variables are selected because they are believed to be related). Example: Children of wealthier (variable one), better educated (variable 2) parents earn higher salaries as adults.

Prediction Studies ✓ It uses correlation coefficient to show how one variable (the predictor variable) predicts another (the criterion variable). Example: Which high school applicants should be admitted to college?

Multiple Regression Prediction

Studies

✓ All variables in the study can contribute to the over-all prediction in an equation that adds together the predictive power of each identified variable. Example: Suppose the High School GPA is not the sole predictor of college GPA, what might be other good predictors?

EX-POST FACTO or CAUSAL-

COMPARATIVE

This kind of research derives conclusion from observations and manifestations that already occurred in the past and now compared to some dependent variables. It discusses why and how a phenomenon occurs.

EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH DESIGN

This allows the researcher to control the situation. In doing so, it allows the researcher to answer the question, “What causes something to occur?” This kind of research also allows the researcher to identify cause and effect relationships between variables and to distinguish from treatment effects.

B. QUASI – EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

In this design, the researcher can collect more data, either by scheduling more observations or finding more existing measures. Quasi-experimental design involves selecting groups, upon which a variable is tested, without any random pre-selection processes

A. PRE-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

A type of research applies to experimental design that with least internal validity. One type of pre-experiment, the simple group, pretest-post-test design, measures the group two times, before and after the intervention. Instead of comparing the pretest with the posttest within one group, the posttest of the treated groups is compared with that of an untreated group.

There are two types of quasi- experimental design, these are: a. Non-Equivalent Control Group This refers to the chance failure of random assignment to equalize the conditions by converting a true experiment into this kind of design, for purpose of analysis.

There are two types of quasi- experimental design, these are: b. Interrupted Time Series Design It employs multiple measures before and after the experimental intervention. It differs from the single group pre-experiment that has only one pretest and one posttest. Users of this design assume that the time threats such as history or maturation appear as regular changes in the measures prior to the intervention.