UNIT 1.

NATURE OF INQUIRY AND RESEARCH

WHAT THIS UNIT ALL

ABOUT?

Human history abounds with problems. Problems are everywhere in different variety in
different perspective which affect mankind. Problems are observed along political, social,
environmental and many aspects of life. This may between individuals, groups or in an
organization. In that, mankind wants solution to these problems. These solutions should not be
only effective but also be acquired and used for improvement. To be able to achieve that,
solutions must be based in knowledge, not on mere beliefs, guesses, or theories. To acquire this
knowledge it requires a well-planned and systematic procedure and should be continuously
evaluated on its accuracy and usefulness. In that, RESEARCH has been devised to meet this
need.
Research is a natural day-to-day activity of gathering information. It may in the form of
qualitative or quantitative. Qualitative researches are those studies in which the data concerned
can be described without the use of numerical data while quantitative research suggests that the
data concerned can be analyzed in terms of numbers.
Quantitative research designs use numbers in stating generalizations about a given
problem or inquiry in contrast to qualitative research that hardly uses statistical treatment in
stating generalizations. The numbers in quantitative research are the results of objective scales of
measurements of the units of analysis called variables.
Research findings are subjected to statistical treatment to determine significant
relationships or differences between variables, the results of which are the bases for
generalization about phenomena.
In this unit, you will be encountering also the characteristics of quantitative research, its
strength and weaknesses, its kinds and importance across disciplines. In here also, we will be
tackling kinds of variables and its uses.

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT TO LEARN?

After studying this unit, you are expected to be able to:

1. describe the characteristics, strengths, weaknesses and kinds of quantitative

research;
2. explain the kinds of quantitative research designs;
3. illustrate the importance of quantitative research across fields;
4. and differentiate kinds of variables and their uses.
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO LEARN?
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learner.
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then you may get your ball pen and notebook as I will request you to answer the questions
included herein.

Good luck, enjoy reading and doing the activity. God bless.
UNIT 1: NATURE OF INQUIRY and RESEARCH JAY-AR MARIO V. MARIANO
LESSON 1: QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH – CHARACTERISTICS, STRENGTH,
WEAKNESSES and KINDS
PRE-TEST QUESTIONS:
Answer the questions below. Follow instructions properly.
I. TRUE or FALSE. Write QUANTITATIVE after the item when the sentence is true
while QUALITATIVE if the statement is false.
1. In quantitative research, researchers know in advance what they are looking for.
_______________
2. Quantitative research can be easily misinterpreted because it provides numerical data.
_______________
3. Quantitative research puts emphasis on proof, rather than discovery. _______________
4. Normative research is conducted by researcher whose aim would be to find out the
direction and/or relationship between different variables or group of respondents under study.
_________________
5. Qualitative research requires a large number of respondents. It assumes that the larger the
sample is, the more statistically accurate the findings are. ___________________
6. Evaluation describes the status of a phenomenon at a particular time. It describes without
value judgment a situation that prevents. ____________________
7. Correlational is conducted by researchers whose aim would be to find out the direction
and/or relationship between different variables or groups of respondents under study.
_____________________
8. Methodological is the implementation of a variety of methodologies that forms a critical
part of achieving the goal of developing a scaled-matched approach, where data from
different disciplines can be integrated. ___________________
9. One characteristics of quantitative research is that its method can be repeated to verify
findings in another setting, thus, reinforcing validity findings. _____________________
10. In quantitative experiments it filters out external factors, if properly designed, and so the
results gained can be seen, as real and unbiased.