Name : Anita Kurniasih

Reg.No : 1930104008
Class : TBI-4A
Summary Qualitative Research On ELT

A. Definition Qualitative Research

Qualitative research is a research involves collecting and analyzing non-numerical
data (e.g., text, video, or audio) to understand concepts, opinions, or experiences. It can
be used to gather in-depth insights into a problem or generate new ideas for research.
Qualitative research is used to understand how people experience the world. While there
are many approaches to qualitative research, they tend to be flexible and focus on
retaining rich meaning when interpreting data. Common approaches include grounded
theory, ethnography, action research, phenomenological research, and narrative research.
They share some similarities, but emphasize different aims and perspectives.

B. Characteristic Qualitative Research on ELT

1. Real-world Setting
The real-world setting is the first characteristic of qualitative research. In qualitative
research methods like observation method, ethnographic research, focus group, one-to-
one interviews, the behavior of the participants of study is observed, and the conclusion is
drawn based on their answers and their behavior.
For example, A teacher will conduct qualitative research if he wants to know about the
reason for the declining performance of students in the class. Qualitative research is
conducted in natural settings to get real information.

2. Researcher Plays an important role

A researcher is a person who performs qualitative research. Qualitative research can be
conducted by a group of people or by an individual. The purpose of a researcher is
essential in qualitative research. The researcher of qualitative research is responsible for
choosing the research method and for making a plan to conduct effective research.
The researcher is also responsible for participating in the study to make the right
observations. He participates in the research and engages the participants in the study. He
also explains the procedure of research to the participants and answers their queries.

3. Different Research methods

Another vital characteristic of qualitative research method is the various methods of
research. For example, focus group, face-to-face interview, observation research
methods, case study, content analysis, ethnography, phenomenology, ground theory,
group discussions.
Each qualitative research method has different significance and is used for different
scenarios and research situations. Sometimes, researchers make the use of more than one
qualitative research method to obtain the accurate output.  Research methods like a case
study and Content analysis are also used to compare the results of quantitative research.
4. Complex reasoning
An essential characteristic of the qualitative research method is that it is beneficial for
complex reasoning. Sometimes, there are search situations which are required to have
complex rationale to get the right results rather than direct statistical answers.
For example, if a restaurant owner wants to know about what kind of entertainment
people prefer at different hours of the day and why then he is required to adopt one of the
qualitative research methods to understand the psychology of customers behind the
choice of their entertainment.
In addition to this, qualitative research methods are also used to explain the outcome of
quantitative research methods.

5. Participants meanings
In qualitative research, like the researcher, the role of a participant is also very important.
During the whole research process, the focus of a researcher is to understand and
determine the meaning that a participant brings to the research rather than the definition
given or thought by the researcher based on the literature reviews.
Based on the different perspectives of participants, different meaning of research is
observed.

6. Flexible
Qualitative research is flexible. It can change at any stage of the research and based on
the change, the course of research might also get changed. Therefore, qualitative research
is used in such a scenario where the flexible nature of research is acceptable.

7. Reflexivity
In qualitative research, the researchers share everything about themselves like their
background and their purpose of research with the participants. Reflexivity also makes
them participate In the research openly and willingly.

8. Holistic Account
The purpose of conducting qualitative research is to paint the larger picture. While doing
qualitative research, the researcher focuses on different perspectives and determine
various factors involved in the research.
The research works to develop a complex description of the research problem. A
researcher should not try to identify a cause and effect type relationship between two or
 more factors but should try to establish a complex cause and relationship between
different elements.

9. Ongoing data analysis

The analysis of data in qualitative research does not take place at the end of the
completion of the research process. Data analysis is an on-going process in the qualitative
research method.
The researcher can analyze as well as draw conclusions, and based on the outcome of the
research process is modified.

10. Purposeful selection of participants

In qualitative research, participants are selected randomly from a carefully chosen
segment of potential participants. The persistent range of participants increases the
accuracy of the outcome of the research.
Therefore, the selection of participants is an important stage of qualitative research,
unlike quantitative research, where participants are chosen randomly.

11. Emergent Design

A unique characteristic of qualitative research is its new design. That means a qualitative
research method can remain the same as decided by the researcher at the beginning of the
research process. The research process changes at every stage of the research.
Sometimes, change in the research process changes when the researcher starts collecting
data for the research problem.

C. Function Of Qualitative Research

Qualitative research is aimed at gaining a deep understanding of a specific organization
or event, rather a than surface description of a large sample of a population. It aims to
provide an explicit rendering of the structure, order, and broad patterns found among a
group of participants.