NATURE OF INQUIRY AND

RESEARCH
MODULE 1
 Lesson 1

QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH:
Characteristics, Strengths,
Weaknesses and Kinds
 What I Need to Know

• Define what quantitative research is;

• Compare and contrast qualitative and quantitative research
based on criteria and standards; and
• Describe characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and kinds of
quantitative research CS_RS12-Ia-c-1
 What I Know

• Let us assess how much you already know

about the lessons. Answer the following
questions by writing the letter of the correct
answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate
sheet of paper.
1. Which of the following best defines quantitative research?
a. It is an explanation associated with libraries, books, and
journals.
b. It is a systematic process obtaining numerical information
about the world.
c. It is an activity concerned with finding new truth in education
d. It is an activity of producing or proving a theorem
2. It uses numbers in stating a generalization about a given problem or
inquiry.
a. Quantitative research
b. Applied research
c. Qualitative research
d. Basic research
3. People inclined to do quantitative research wants to discover the
truth in _______
a. an exact manner
b. a careful way
c. an indirect way
d. a personal way
4. One of these is NOT a strength of quantitative research.
a. Real and unbiased
b. Analyzed in a quick and easy way
c. Requires a large number of respondents
d. Replicability
5. It describes the characteristics of research where data are in the
form of statistics.
a. Replication
b. Large sample size
c. Objective
d. Numerical data
6. Which of the following variables is most likely to be used as a
categorical variable?
a. Length of a garden hose
b. Flower color
c. Recorded rainfall for a day
d. Weight of books on a shelf
7. In the acronym SMART, what does R stands for?
a. Reliability
b. Reasonability
c. Realistic
d. Rigor
8. Which of the following variables is most likely to be used as
quantitative data?
a. Zip code
b. Country of birth
c. Google Drive capacity
d. Car manufacturer
9. This characteristic of quantitative research refers to its necessity to
arrive at more reliable data analysis.
a. large sample size
b. objective
c. numerical data
d. replication
10. Which of the following is not a characteristic of quantitative
research?
a. systematic
b. subjective
c. objective
d. structured
11. What are the two variables in experimental research?
a. Independent and dependent
b. Descriptive and observation
c. Quantitative and qualitative
d. Predatory and pricing
12. One of the weaknesses of quantitative research is
a. related secondary data is always available
b. easy to understand the context of a phenomenon
c. accessing available data is easy and possible
d. data may not be robust enough to explain a complex issue.
13. Which presents the findings of quantitative research?
a. Many prefer to study with textbooks.
b. Perhaps, 30% consider textbook unnecessary in their studies
c. Students find textbook indispensable or necessary
d. Out of 100 Senior High School students, 90 find textbook
beneficial to their studies
14. What is the independent variable (cause) in this question?
“Which type of soil is best for plant growth?”
a. type of soil
b. amount of medium
c. height of plant
d. types of plant
15. What is the dependent variable (effect) in this experiment?
“Does eating breakfast improve test scores?”
a. eating breakfast
b. what time you get up in the morning
c. the grade you got in the test
d. taste of the breakfast
 What’s In

• You will be challenged to dig deeper into your prior

knowledge and previous understanding through the
conduct of qualitative research in your Practical
Research 1 Subjects. Let’s look back.
• Direction: Put a check (/) if the statement describes
qualitative research.
1. It uses smaller pools of participants.
2. It relies more on the researcher’s interpretation.
3. It uses statistical analysis to prove or disprove a particular
hypothesis based on theory or previous studies.
4. It could test the relationship between the scores on an
intelligence test and scores on a personality test.
5. It observes the effects of using a treat as a reward to teach
a dog to sit on command.
 What’s New

• Read and analyze these two statements. Which

of these two sets of statements is more precise
and easier to understand?
Set A – Eighty-five percent (85%) of the examinees passed the
National Achievement Test.
Thirty (30) pages of the book contain ungrammatical
sentences.

Set B – A big number of examinees passed the National

Achievement Test.
Several pages of the book contain ungrammatical
sentences.
• You may notice that statement in Set A is more precise and
easier to understand because of the use of numbers.
Expressions like numerical forms, statistical methods, and
measurement signal the existence of quantitative research. If
your study aims to find out the answer to an inquiry through
specific numerical evidence, then you should make use of
quantitative research.
 What Is It

• Quantitative research makes you focus your

mind on specific things using statistics that
involve the collection and study of numerical
data (Baraceros,2017).
• According to Williams (2011), the research methodology is
the holistic step the researcher employs in embarking on
research work. It deals with quantifying and analyzing
variables to get results and involves the utilization and
analysis of numerical data using specific statistical
techniques to answer questions like who, how much, what,
where, when, how many, and how.
• Since quantitative research uses numbers and figures to
denote a particular thing, this kind of research requires you
to focus your full attention on the object of your study. This
is why quantitative research is described as objective
research in contrast to qualitative research that is quite
subjective.
• Having known to an extent what quantitative research is all
about, it is vital to analyze the difference between
quantitative and qualitative research. Below is a table that
gives a clear description of the difference between
qualitative and quantitative research.
 Qualitative Research Versus Quantitative Research

Criteria Qualitative Research Quantitative Research

To understand and interpret To test hypotheses, look at
Purpose social interaction cause and effect, and make
predictions
Smaller and not randomly Larger and randomly selected
Group Studied
selected
Study of the whole, not Specific variables studied
Variables
variables
Type of Data Words, images, or objects Numbers and statistics
Collected
 Qualitative data such as open- Quantitative data based on
ended responses, interviews, precise validated data-
Form of Data participant measurements collection instruments
Collected using structured
&observations, field notes,
and reflections.
Type of Data Identify patterns, features, Identify statistical
Analysis themes. relationships.
Objectivity and Subjectivity is expected. Objectivity is critical.
Subjectivity
Particular or specialized Generalizable findings that
Results findings that are less can be applied to other
generalizable. populations
 Researcher & their biases Researcher and their biases
may be known to participants are not known to participants
in the study, and participant in the study, and
to participants in the study, characteristics may be known
Role of the
and participant characteristics
to the characteristics are
Researcher
may be known to the deliberately hidden,
researcher researcher. from the
researcher (double-blind
studies).
Exploratory or bottom-up: the Confirmatory or top-down:
researcher from the data the researcher generates a
Scientific Method collected. new hypothesis and theory
tests the hypothesis and
theory with the data
View of Human Dynamic, situational, social, Regular and predictable.
Behavior and personal.
Most Common Explore, discover and Describe, explain and predict.
Research construct.
Objectives
Wide-angle lens; examines Narrow-angle lens; tests a
Focus the breadth and depth of specific hypotheses
phenomena.
Study behavior in a natural Study behavior under
Nature of
environment. controlled conditions; isolate
Observation
causal effects.
Nature of Reality Multiple realities; subjective. Single reality; objective.
Narrative report with Statistical report with
contextual research correlations, description and
participants. direct quotations from
Final Report comparisons of means, and
statistical significance of
findings.
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. Data are
normally gathered using structured research tools
such as questionnaires to collect measurable
characteristics of the population like age, socio-
economic status, number of children, among others.
• Numerical data. Figures, tables, or graphs showcase
summarized data collection to show trends,
relationships, or differences among variables and
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.
Random sampling is recommended in determining the
sample size to avoid the researcher’s bias in
interpreting the results.
• Replication. Quantitative methods can be repeated to
verify findings in another setting, thus strengthen and
reinforce the validity of findings eliminating the
possibility of false conclusions.
• Future outcomes. By using complex mathematical
calculations and with the aid of computers, scenarios
may be formulated thus predicting future results.
Quantitative research emphasizes proof, rather than
discovery.
Strengths of Quantitative Research
• It is objective. The most reliable and valid way of
concluding results, giving way to a new hypothesis, or
to disproving it. The results or generalizations are
more reliable and valid because of the bigger number
of the sample of a population. Since it provides
numerical data, it can’t be easily misinterpreted.
• The use of statistical techniques facilitates
sophisticated analyses and allows you to comprehend
a huge amount of vital characteristics of data.
• It is real and unbiased. If the research is properly
designed it filters out external factors, and so can be
seen as real and unbiased.
• The numerical data can be analyzed quickly and easily.
By employing statistically valid random models,
findings can be generalized to the population about
which information is necessary.
• Quantitative studies are replicable. Standardized
approaches allow the study to be replicated in
different areas or over time with the formulation of
comparable findings.
• 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.
Weaknesses of Quantitative Research
• The information is contextual factors to help interpret
the results or to explain variations are usually ignored.
It does not consider the distinct capacity of the
respondents to share and elaborate on further
information, unlike qualitative research.
• Quantitative research requires a large number of
respondents. It is assumed that the larger the sample
is, the more statistically accurate the findings are.
• It is costly. Since there are more respondents
compared to qualitative research, the expenses will be
greater in reaching out to these people and in
reproducing questionnaires.
• Much information is difficult to gather using
structured research instruments, specifically on
sensitive issues like pre-marital sex, domestic
violence, among others.
• If not done seriously and correctly, data from
questionnaires may be incomplete and inaccurate.
Researchers must be on the look-out on respondents
who are just guessing in answering the instrument.
Kinds of Quantitative Research
• Experimental research:
True experimental
quasi-experimental
single subject
pre-experimental.
Quasi-experimental: matched comparative
group, time series, and counterbalanced quasi-
experimental.
• Non-experimental research.
Survey
Historical
Observational
Correlational
Descriptive
Comparative research
 What’s More

• Activity 1. Complete me
• Give the six (6) strengths of quantitative research by
completing the shapes below.
1

3
4

6
• Activity 2. Complete me too
• Identify the kinds of research by completing the
graphic organizer below.
KINDS OF EXPERIMENTAL
RESEARCH
KINDS OF NON-EXPERIMENTAL
RESEARCH
 What I Have Learned

• Understanding Quantitative Research

• There are ways in which you can understand the
concepts and aspects of quantitative research
better. Let’s try this. Put a check (/) if it
describes the characteristics of quantitative
research.
It tends to be associated with small-scale studies and a holistic
perspective, often studying a single occurrence or a small
number of occurrences/case studies in great depth.

It tends to be associated with emergent research design, using

a wide range of approaches
The data is usually gathered using structured research
instruments.
Data are in the form of numbers and statistics, often arranged
in tables, charts, figures, or other non-textual forms.
The results are based on larger sample sizes that are
representative of the population.
It is not based upon numerical measurements and does not
use numbers and statistical methods as key research
indicators and tools.
Researchers face problems to control the environment
where the respondents provide answers to the questions in
the survey.
Data is observed in the form of words, pictures, or objects.
All aspects of the study are carefully designed before data
is collected.
The research study can usually be replicated or repeated,
given its high reliability and generalizability.
 What I Can Do

• Tell your friend.

• Direction:
A friend of your was absent last meeting. As a
result, she did not learn anything from the discussion.
She approached you to tell what we discussed. What
would you tell him about our lesson?
 Assessment

• Concept Elaboration
• Direction: Read each statement carefully and
fill in the blank(s) with the correct answer
found inside the box.
quantitative research measurable
numerical data measurement
large sample size questions
replication numerical
hypotheses clearly defined
research questions objective
empirical observation
(1) _______ uses numbers in stating generalization about a
given problem or inquiry.
(2) Quantitative research involves looking at ________ data.
(3) Close ended _______ can be conducted in quantitative
research.
(4) Quantitative research is described as ________ research in
contrast to qualitative research that is subjective.
(5) Only ________ quantitative data are being gathered and
analyzed.
(6) _________ describes the characteristics of research were
data are in a form of statistics.
(7) _________ refers to its necessity to arrive at more reliable
data analysis.
(8) The process of _________ is central to quantitative
research because it provides the fundamental connection
between (9) _________ and mathematical expressions of
quantitative relationships.
(10) _________described a research when all aspects of the
study are carefully designed before data are gathered.
 Additional Activities

• Submit a research title with at least three

research questions.