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

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Properties or attributes of objects

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Development is of interest to the researcher 

Objects normally are not assumed to change during course of study

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Intensive study of small number of individuals 

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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

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Explanations based on cause and effect relations, fetch explanation from the past for the state of things. Object has no will of its own

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Mainly study quantities

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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
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Observation: as participant; as non-participant
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Observational records:
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Interviews: structured;