Qualitative Research for Instructional Technology Essay -- Qualitative

Qualitative Research for Instructional Technology earth A trend of the past some(prenominal) years has been the growing engagement of soft look into for educational research. Qualitative research, broadly defined, means all kind of research that produces findings not arrived at by means of statistical procedures or other means of quantification. Where quantitative researchers seek causal determination, prediction, and inductive reasoning of findings, qualitative researchers seek instead illumination, understanding, and extrapolation to similar situations. Qualitative analysis results in a different type of knowledge than does quantitative inquiry. (Hoepfl, 1997, p.13). During the past several decades, particularly during the 1970s and 1980s, naturalistic inquiry (or qualitative research) has gained considerable acceptance. Nevertheless, the fight between quantitative and qualitative methodologies, as competing positions, persists. It is important to recognize the limitati ons of see quantitative and qualitative methods as completely different or competing approaches (Custer, 1996, p. 4). What just are the basic differences between the two forms of research? Hoepfl (1997) explains it by saw that phenomenological inquiry, or qualitative research, uses a naturalistic approach that seeks to understand phenomena in context-specific settings. Logical positivism, or quantitative research, uses experimental methods and quantitative measures to test conjectural generalizations (p. 14). Custer (1996) also points out that the qualitative-quantitative dichotomy dates back as early as the 17th century where quantitativists were characterized by some as vulgar statisticians. elementary Features The following list... .... The decision to use qualitative methodologies should be considered carefully, though. By its genuinely nature, qualitative research can be emotionally taxing and inordinately time consuming. At the same time, it can yield rich teaching n ot obtainable through statistical sampling techniques (Hoepfl, 1997, p. 37). References Custer, R. L. (1996). Qualitative research methodologies. Journal of Industrial Teacher Education, 34, 3-6. Hoepfl, M.C. (1997, Fall). Choosing qualitative research A terra firma for technology education researchers. Journal of Technology, 9, 12-39. Johnson, S. D. (1995, Spring). Will our research hold up under scrutiny? Journal of Industrial Teacher Education, 32, 3-6. Sutton, B. (1993). The rationale for qualitative research A review of principles and theoretical foundations. Library Quarterly, 63, 411-430.