A Research Study On Secondary School Teachers ' Perceptions Of Ipad Integration And The Meanings

There are various research methodologies in qualitative research. However researches sometimes do not find one particular methodology to fit the all types of research. When researches face this kind of challenging situation, they tend to accept ‘generic qualitative approach’.

According to Naoum (2013) quantitative research is “enquiry into a social or human problem based on testing a hypothesis or a theory composed of variables, measured with numbers and analysed with statistical procedures in order to determine whether the hypothesis or the theory hold true”(Naoum 2013,p.39). The approach is objective in nature and not abstract. It is associated with tangible, measurable and numerical data that may be analysed to produce conclusive and generalized answer. It is mostly applied when researchers want to prove or disprove a set of hypothesis and when enquiring realities about the theory, query or attributes (Saunders et al. 2012) by using primary collected data (Fellows 2003). Quantitative research is more structured and well defined that allow the researcher to do extensive planning before the actual research starts. In most cases the actual work tends to be consistent with the predetermined research question and conceptual framework (Bell 2014). This allows for easy forecast of ethical challenge and a plan on how to handle the challenges can be put in place before the actual work begins. It may be carried out by survey, structured interview or observation (Saunders et al. 2012).

Qualitative research reflects different ways that researcher’s collect data and explore all of the information through literature review. Participant’s that are reviewing is often observed for analysis while “the role of the researcher focuses as the primary data collection instrument necessitates the identification of personal values, assumptions and biases at the outset of the study; Qualitative researchers ask at least one central question” (Creswell, 2014, which can be explored in several contexts with further questions. According to the text Research Design (2014) “the researcher’s role is typically involved in a

Qualitative research is conducted in a natural setting and attempts to understand a human problem by developing a holistic narrative and reporting detailed views of informants about the culture of a problem. It forms a report with pictures and words. One of the most important distinctions that sets qualitative research apart from more traditional types of research is that qualitative research is holistic in that researchers study phenomena in their entirety rather than narrowing the focus to specific defined variables” (p. 93). Similarly, Cresswell (1984) indicated that qualitative research “is defined as an inquiry process of understanding a social or human problem, based on building a holistic picture, formed with words, reporting detailed views of informants, and conducted in a natural setting” (p. 2). Cresswell’s definition clearly delineates the major characteristics of qualitative research. Pg. 50 (Smith & Davis, 2010).

Therefore, a secondary qualitative design has been selected because it emphasises on the description and interpretation of the descriptive data leading to the generation of new concepts and organisational processes (Hancock et al., 2009). It allows performing the research in a way that facilitates the development of knowledge of the researcher and implication of the accountability, suggesting the fulfilment of the relationship of the researcher with the world (Hart, 2010). The secondary qualitative design has enabled the researcher to assemble the outcomes of several studies and deduce them to have a brief overview of the topic (Barbour, 2010). This research design allowed inspecting the available literature, as the researcher was able to collect noteworthy information (Jolley,

Maxwell, Joseph A. (2005): Qualitative Research Design. An Interactive Approach. Thousand Oak, California: Sage. 2nd edition.

Research design is the approach that the researcher utilizes apparatuses of a study to collect, analyze, and interpret data. There are three types of research designs: (a) qualitative – captures the description of the event that is taking place by the means of interviews and observation; (b) quantitative – employs statistical measures to interpret data taken from surveys; and (c) and mixed method – uses both qualitative and quantitative designs for an more in-depth study (Creswell, 2014; Stangor, 2014). This paper will focus on the comparison and contrast qualitative and quantitative design in relation to the selected journals.

“Qualitative research focuses on gaining insight and understanding about an individual’s perception of events” (Nieswiadomy, 2012). There are six common qualitative designs: phenomenological, ethnographic, grounded theory, historical, case study, and action research. Phenomenological studies are based on human “lived” experiences and what the experience means to the person being studied. The researcher has to put aside their own personal ideas or belief systems in order for them to be able to concentrate on the person in the study. Ethnographic studies which was used in this study, the researchers went in to the “field” to observe people of various cultures and ethnicities interacting together in their own environment. “Ethnographers study how people live and how they communicate with each other”

This paper will compare and contrast qualitative and quantitative research designs. While giving the information, I will also elaborate on the types of research designs that they both implore. At the end of the paper, the reader will have a better understanding for qualitative and quantitative research designs and when to use each type of design.

According to Yilmaz (2013) there exist two significant approaches to research with respect to studying the social and individual world. According to Creswell (2014) three types of design quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods should remain in consideration when choosing a research designs at the start of the process. The two methods exist a quantitative and

The grounded theory form of qualitative design is used to understand and identify issues that exists in society and how people react to and rectify them. The process of research is to constantly compare and evaluate the subjects and define the concept through the use of data that is acquired through observations, interviews of the subjects

Qualitative research plays an important role in evidenced-based practice. Qualitative research often lay down the platform for added official quantitative studies or a follow up to a broad quantitative study. Qualitative research is a subjective design that investigates exceptional life concepts in a naturalistic setting using narrative descriptions as the findings (Polit & Beck, 2017). There are six general types of qualitative research designs, namely phenomenological, ethnographic, historical, grounded theory, case study and action research, each one of these research design studies distinct human experiences phenomena (Polit & Beck, 2017). The phenomenological research design studies the human understanding or knowledge base through descriptions that are afforded from lived experiences while the ethnographic design comprises data collection and analysis related to cultural groups (Polit & Beck, 2017). Qualitative research is opposite of quantitative research, quantitative research counts on numerical and measurable with scales, tools, and intervention, it focuses on tightly controlled variables in a structured setting to provide explanation of laws and qualitative design is more flexible with variables and wants to understand the participants’ behaviors (Polit & Beck, 2017).

The qualitative research paradigm has its roots in cultural anthropology and American sociology (Crenshaw, 2014). The intent of the research is to understand a particular social situation, event, role, group, or interaction (Crenshaw, 2014). One of the assumptions that is made related to qualitative research is that the research occurs in natural settings, where human behavior and events occur (Crenshaw, 2014). The focus of the research will also document the participants’ perceptions and their experiences (Crenshaw, 2014).

There are also some differences between these study designs, which may cause some problems for the inexperienced researcher. “Quantitative research is objective; qualitative research is subjective. Quantitative research seeks explanatory laws; qualitative research aims at

When selecting a research approach, Creswell (2014) outlines criteria that affect the choice of one approach over another. I have already discussed how my worldview, personal experiences, and identified problem of practice and the questions affect my research. The design, methods, and audience of my emerging research will also be considered in terms of choosing a research approach.