Notes on Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Research

Definition: qualitative research focuses on words, experiences, and meanings.
- It answers questions like why and how people feel or behave in certain ways.
Example: imagine you're a researcher interviewing teachers about how they feel about using technology in the classroom.
Data collected: personal stories, insights, and opinions.
What the data provides: detailed answers that help you understand experiences.
Purpose/significance:
- Explore the why behind people's behavior.
- Offer deep, descriptive insights that go beyond numbers.
Key takeaway: qualitative research emphasizes understanding phenomena from the perspective of participants, through rich description rather than numeric measurement.

Definition: quantitative research is a systematic investigation that focuses on quantifying data.
- It involves the collection and analysis of numerical data to identify patterns, relationships, or trends.
Core questions: how many, how much.
Output: objective, measurable results.
Example in education: measuring student performance after introducing a new math curriculum.
- Design described: collect test scores from $n = 100$ students before and after using the new curriculum to see if there's an improvement.
Data characteristics: numerical data, statistics, and patterns.
What the data provides: patterns, relationships, and trends that are quantifiable and comparable across samples.
Key takeaway: quantitative research aims for objectivity and generalizable findings through numerical evidence.
Numerical example details from transcript:
- Sample size: $n = 100$ students.
- Pre- and post-intervention measurements: $s<em>{pre}$ and $s</em>{post}$ representing scores before and after the curriculum.
- Improvement measure: $\Delta s = s<em>{post} - s</em>{pre}$ .

Definition: mixed methods blends qualitative and quantitative techniques.
- It combines numbers and personal narratives to provide a fuller picture.
Why use mixed methods: to gather both hard data (trends) and deeper insights (personal stories).
Example from transcript:
- Start with a survey to measure how many students prefer online learning (quantitative).
- Follow up with interviews to understand why they like online learning (qualitative).
Data integration: mixed methods allow you to gather data that show trends and explanations that justify or enrich those trends.
Key takeaway: mixed methods aim to leverage the strengths of both qualitative and quantitative approaches.

There are types of each of these research. We will dig into those in separate videos.
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