PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2
CHAPTER 1: NATURE OF INQUIRY AND RESEARCH
Content Standard
In this chapter, the learner demonstrates understanding of:
1. the characteristics, strengths and weaknesses, and the kinds of quantitative research
2. the importance of quantitative research
3. the nature of variables
Performance Standard
In this chapter, the learner is able to:
1. decide on suitable quantitative research in different areas of interest
Learning Competencies
1. Describes characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and kinds of quantitative research
(Code: CS_RS12-IA-c-1)
2. Illustrates the importance of quantitative research across fields (Code: CS_RS12-IA-c-2)
3. Differentiate kinds of variables and their uses (Code: CS_RS12-IA-c-3)
CHAPTER 1: NATURE OF INQUIRY AND RESEARCH
Lesson 1—Inquiry vs. Research: A Review
Inquiry is a term synonymous with the word investigate. When you inquire or investigate, you tend to
ask questions to probe or examine something. You do this kind of examination through your HOTS or
higher-order thinking strategies of inferential, analytical, critical, creative, and appreciative thinking to
discover more understandable or meaningful things beyond such object of your inquiry. (Small 2012)
Research is a scientific, experimental, or inductive manner of thinking. Starting from particular to more
complex ideas, you execute varied thinking acts that range from lower to higher-order thinking strategies
reflected by these research activities:
Identifying the topic or problem > Gathering data > Making theories > Formulating hypotheses >
Analyzing data > Drawing conclusions
Cognitively driven terms like empirical, logical, cyclical, analytical, critical, methodical, and replicable
are the right descriptive words to characterize research. The data you work on in research do not come
mainly from yourself but also from other sources of knowledge like people, books, and artworks, among
others. (Muijs 2011; Ransome 2012)
Lesson 2—Quantitative Research
Definition of Quantitative Research
Expressions like numerical forms, objective thinking, statistical methods, and measurement signal the
existence of quantitative research. One word that reflects the true nature of this type of research is
numerical. Numerical is a descriptive word pertaining to or denoting a number or symbol to express how
many, how much, or what rank things are or have in this world. Expressing meaning through numerals or
a set of symbols indicates specificity, particularity, or exactness of something.
Quantitative research makes you focus your mind on specific things by means of statistics that involve
collection and study of numerical data. (Suster 2012; Russell 2013)
Numerical data may include age, salary, performance rating, satisfaction score, IQ scores, test results, etc.
These data are collected by means of survey, questionnaire, or some secondary documentation. The
analysis uses mathematically-based methods and statistics.
Characteristics of Quantitative Research
The table below illustrates the characteristics of Quantitative Research.
Focus Characteristics Explanation
Scope Broad Unlike qualitative research, quantitative research is broad in its
scope. It might even study the overall performance of the
students in a certain exam; the connection between training and
skills assessment results of some professionals across regions in
the country.
Question type Numerical in Questions have to bring out numerical answers as in the
nature questions: “What percentage of students have improved
performance?”
Population Big sample Quantitative research abides with the principle the bigger the
sample, the better it is to talk of the population; hence the
research becomes more reliable.
Analysis Statistical Since numerical data are gathered, the analysis used is statistical
in nature. Computations are required to answer directly the
given research questions.
Presentation Tabular, Unlike qualitative research, quantitative research makes use of
graphical tables, graphs, charts, etc. to summarize the quantitative results.
The quantitative results will serve as the point for analysis of the
study being conducted.
Data Gathering Quantitative The methods used are surveys, questionnaires, checklists, and
Tools methods tests.
Strengths and Weakness of Quantitative Research
Strengths Weaknesses
1. Provides estimates of population at large. 1. It may be time consuming considering a
2. Indicates the extensiveness of attitudes large sample.
held by people. 2. Exact answers may not be properly
3. Provides results which can be condensed represented because they are
to statistics. quantitatively expressed.
4. Allows for statistical comparison between 3. Statistical calculations are complex for
various groups. some people.
5. Has precision, is definitive and 4. Too much methodology may dismay
standardized. researchers, especially on randomization
6. Measures level of occurrence, actions, in the selection of a sample.
trends, etc. 5. Not all quantitative data are extensively
7. Can answer such questions as “How discussed and interpreted.
many?” and “How often?”
Nature of Variables
Variables are “changing qualities or characteristics” of persons or things like age, gender, intelligence,
ideas, achievements, confidence, and so on that are involved in your research study. Made up of the root
word “vary” which means to undergo changes or to differ from, variables have different or varying values
in relation to time and situation. For instance, as years go by, your intelligence increases. But placed in a
situation where you are afflicted with a disease or have no means of reading or no access to any source of
knowledge, your intelligence tends to decrease.
Basic Types/Kinds of Variables
Basically, variables are of two types: independent variables and dependent variables. Independent
variables are those that cause changes in the subject, while dependent variables are those that bear or
manifest the effects caused by the independent variables.
In a causal relationship, the cause comes from the independent variables; the effects, on the dependent
variables.
Variable Relationships
As you carry out your research, it is possible that one, two, or more variables or extra variables crop up to
create an impact on the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. Being extra
variables, they form this other type of variables called extraneous variables.
For example, in the case of determining the positive effects of one modern grammar theory called SFG
(Systemic Functional Grammar) on IC (Intercultural Competence), (SFG as the independent variable; IC
as the dependent variable), extraneous variables like age, gender, or personality traits may suddenly
surface to create effects on the relationships of the two basic variables. Such extraneous variables are
called participant variables if they refer to the moods, emotions, or intelligence of the subject;
situational variables, if they pertain to nature of the place: smelly, chilly, cold, hot, spacious, and the
like.
Other Types of Variables
Extraneous variables are to be controlled by the researcher. But if they do not give in to your control,
they become confounding variables that can strongly influence your study. The involvement of
confounding variables in the research results in the production of “mixed up, confusing, or bewildering
results”.
There are other types of variables which are as follows (Russell 2013; Babbie 2013):
1. Constant—do not undergo any changes during an experiment
2. Attribute—characteristics of people: intelligence, creativity, anxiety, learning styles, etc.
3. Covariate—included in the research study to create interactions with the independent and
dependent variables
4. Continuous—quantitative in nature and is used in interval or ratio scale of measurement
5. Dichotomous—has only two possible results: one or zero
6. Latent—cannot be directly observed like personality traits
7. Manifest—can be directly observed to give proofs to latent variables
8. Exogenous—found outside an identified model
9. Endogenous—found inside; as a part of identified model
