CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
3.2 APPROACHES TO RESEARCH
3.2.4 Quantitative Study
Quantitative studies are described as being concerned with the statistical aspects of a phenomena (Babbie & Mouton, 2002, p. 272). In view of this, Macdonald and Headlan (2016, p.6); Babbie and Mouton (2002) state that quantitative studies are more concerned with the quantifying of data and then generalizing from a representative sample from the population of interest. Kothari (2004, p.5) adds that quantitative data analysis is formal, rigorous and rigid and is characterized by subjective assessment of attitudes, opinions and behaviour (Kothari, 2004, p. 5).
One of the advantages of quantitative research is that it maximizes objectivity, replicability, and generalizability of findings. It is because of these characteristics that the researcher decided to adopt it in this study as this approach gives a fair objective analysis of data (students’ reading profile) from the study. What also makes this design appropriate is the fact that the researcher’s experience, perceptions, and biases are set aside, unlike in a qualitative research which is more subjective (Conrad & Serlin, 2011, p.149; Tashakkori & Teddlie, 2003, p.21).
3.2.5 Qualitative Study
A qualitative study is a research paradigm that focuses on social action as its departure (Babbie & Mouton, 2002, p.270). The social action is about the description and understanding of human behaviour. In addition to the above, Harwell, in Conrad and Serlin (2011, p.148) also share the view that the qualitative method focuses on discovering and understanding the experiences, perspectives, and thoughts of
participants. Qualitative research is then a collection of methods and techniques which share a certain set of principles or logic (Babbie & Mouton 2002, p.270). Conrad and Serlin (2011, p.218) view the qualitative study as being relevant when one conducts a study which is socially-oriented. One of the importance of qualitative research is that it leads to the understanding of a particular context within which the participants act and the influence this context has on their actions. In adopting this approach, the researcher wanted to develop an understanding of science foundation students’ academic reading profiles so as to come up with an intervention strategy to enhance science students’
reading levels. Furthermore, the qualitative study identifies unanticipated phenomena and influences or generates new “grounded” theories. Additionally, it leads to the understanding of a particular context within which the participants act and the influence this context has on their actions and to an understanding of the process through which events and actions take place. It also helps in the development of casual explanations of events in the study. This, it is through the qualitative analysis of data that the researcher was able to give a thorough explanation of students’ performance in different academic reading domains identified by the NBT.
Qualitative research is said to be inductive in nature hence, a researcher can construct theories or hypothesis, explanations, conceptualizations, profiles from details provided by participants and on materials they have interacted with (Conrad & Serlin, 2011, p.148). Students’ academic reading profiles were investigated in their own specific context, that is, in the Univen’s SFP. This is consistent with Winsker (2008, p.75);
Babbie and Mouton (2002) when they state that qualitative research is used when one wishes to understand meanings, interpretations, look at, describe and understand experience, ideas, beliefs and values within a particular context. This also emphasizes the relevance of the qualitative research design to this study.
The qualitative research approach has its disadvantages as well as disadvantages. One of the disadvantages of the qualitative research method is that researchers become imbedded in the study. They cannot detach themselves from the study by setting aside their own experiences, perceptions, and biases (Conrad & Serlin, 2011, p.149).
3.2.6 Mixed method approach
Johnson and Unwuegbuzie (2007, p.123) define the mixed method design as “a type of a research in which the researcher or team of researchers combine elements of qualitative and quantitative research approaches, for example, use of qualitative and quantitative viewpoints, data collection, analysis, inference, and techniques for the broad purposes of breadth and depth of understanding and corroboration”.
Similarly, Clark and Creswell (2008, p.21); Arthur et al., (2012, p.148); and Johnson and Unwuegbuzie (2007) state that the mixed methods research is one that combines the qualitative and quantitative approaches into the research methodology of a single study or multi-phase study. This view is extended by Clark and Creswell (2008, p.195) who define mixed methods as:
Involving the collection or analysis of both quantitative and/or qualitative data in a single study in which the data collected concurrently or sequentially, are given a priority, and involve the integration of the data at one or more stages in the process of research.
Tashakkori and Teddlie (2003, p.191), in agreement with Johnson and Unwuegbuzie (2007, p. 123) also describe the mixed method approach as a standard part of the method in each of the major qualitative/quantitative research designs. In addition to the above, Arthur et al., (2012, p.147) describe mixed method approach as a:
Combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches with the ambition to generate a more accurate and adequate understanding of the phenomena than would not be possible by using only one of these approaches.
The mixed method approach may be used when dealing with a single study that incorporates both the features of a qualitative and quantitative study (Tashakkori &
Teddlie, 2008, p. 195). The above authors also state the importance of mixed method as allowing the research to develop as comprehensively and completely as possible.
This means that such a study should attend to both the description of the data and the
statistical analysis of the data. The use of mixed methods has some advantages to the researcher in the sense that it may be used for:
Testing the agreement of findings obtained from different measuring instruments,
Clarifying and building on the results of one method with another method,
Demonstrating how the results from one method can impact subsequent methods or inferences drawn from the results (Conrad & Serlin, 2011, p.151;
Tashakkori & Teddlie, 2003, p. 21).
The researcher used the mixed methods approach in this research because he wanted to extract in-depth data on students’ academic reading profiles, describe the profiles and then intervene through recommended activities. Denscombe (2013, p.138) postulates that the relevance of the mixed method lies in the fact that it is problem- driven. In other words, it seeks to find solutions to the existing real life problems which in the current case is the problem of SFP students’ lack of academic reading skills.
Through the mixed method, findings which are objective and unbiased were obtained and these helped the researcher in drawing inferences about students’ academic profiles and the necessary intervention strategy.
The profiling of students’ academic reading abilities was done through the administration of the NBT whose results/findings produced quantitative data about the reading domains. The description and analysis of the quantitative data on the domains in the NBT was done following a qualitative approach (case study) and in the designing of an intervention strategy to address students’ academic reading weaknesses (see appendix 5).
Tashakorri and Teddlie (2003, p.152) outline the importance of the mixed method as being used for complementarity to assess and remedy overlapping but distinct facets of a phenomenon under study. It is through the mixed method approach that this study could initiate new directions for intervention based on statistical data from part one, the NBT results.
Fig 3.1 Framework for mixed methods (adapted from Creswell 2008)
The discussion on mixed methods may simply be illustrated through the use of the diagram above.