THE SCOPE AND NATURE OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
THE SCOPE AND NATURE OF
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
SFR780 GOODWIN
TWO CULTURES OF RESEARCH*
Humanistic Research
Natural Science Research
Individuals and relations
Properties or attributes of objects
Development is of interest to the researcher
Objects normally are not assumed to change during course of study
Intensive study of small number of individuals
Objects/individuals studied in natural surroundings Study many specimens, sample from a population. Goal is to make valid generalizations from sample data to population
Objects studied in an artificial situation, experiment, questionnaire
Explanations based on cause and effect relations, fetch explanation from the past for the state of things. Object has no will of its own
Mainly study quantities
Understanding is the goal. Explanations, if any, are usually in terms of intentions, accomplishments Mainly study of qualities
*Snow, C. P. (1959). The Two Cultures and the Scientific
Revolution. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Qualitative Research in Education generally includes approaches to inquiry that depend on:
elaborated and developed accounts of our experiences with others, our thoughts and total understanding about our experience during the research process, and
what we feel in our hearts. What is happening and why?
In other words, what we experience inside and out when learning more or gaining a deeper understanding becomes a central part of the research process.
(the above, all in relation to some topic of interest, phenomenon, or object of study)
Subjectivity in the participants and in the researcher is taken seriously.
It’s takes the meaning of experience seriously into account as part of the understanding.
QUALITATIVE DATA SOURCES
Observation: as participant; as non-participant
Observational records:
Interviews: structured;
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
SFR780 GOODWIN
TWO CULTURES OF RESEARCH*
Humanistic Research
Natural Science Research
Individuals and relations
Properties or attributes of objects
Development is of interest to the researcher
Objects normally are not assumed to change during course of study
Intensive study of small number of individuals
Objects/individuals studied in natural surroundings Study many specimens, sample from a population. Goal is to make valid generalizations from sample data to population
Objects studied in an artificial situation, experiment, questionnaire
Explanations based on cause and effect relations, fetch explanation from the past for the state of things. Object has no will of its own
Mainly study quantities
Understanding is the goal. Explanations, if any, are usually in terms of intentions, accomplishments Mainly study of qualities
*Snow, C. P. (1959). The Two Cultures and the Scientific
Revolution. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Qualitative Research in Education generally includes approaches to inquiry that depend on:
elaborated and developed accounts of our experiences with others, our thoughts and total understanding about our experience during the research process, and
what we feel in our hearts. What is happening and why?
In other words, what we experience inside and out when learning more or gaining a deeper understanding becomes a central part of the research process.
(the above, all in relation to some topic of interest, phenomenon, or object of study)
Subjectivity in the participants and in the researcher is taken seriously.
It’s takes the meaning of experience seriously into account as part of the understanding.
QUALITATIVE DATA SOURCES
Observation: as participant; as non-participant
Observational records:
Interviews: structured;