Name: Dino Sigit Adiharsa

Nim: 53200873

APPROACHES, TYPES, AND METHODS OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

Based on the underlying approach, broadly speaking, two types of research can be distinguished,
namely quantitative and qualitative research. The two approaches have different assumptions,
objectives, characteristics, and procedures. However, the problem does not lie in the advantages
or disadvantages of each approach, but the extent to which researchers are able to be responsive
by developing appropriate designs for their research. The following discussion does not intend to
question the veracity or inadequacy of the two research approaches, but rather to describe the
basic differences between research using quantitative and qualitative approaches with an
emphasis on qualitative research (considering that qualitative research approaches are rarely
used), as well as the possibility to combine the two research approaches. the. Research using a
quantitative approach has long dominated not only research in the natural sciences but also in the
social sciences. The theoretical principles of quantitative research, one of which is constructing
knowledge in explicit, exact, formal procedures in defining concepts and measuring concepts and
variables (Poerwandari, 1998). However, some social researchers who conduct qualitative
research argue that social phenomena are so unique that they are difficult to standardize based on
certain measurements and can even eliminate their true meaning. Several previous explanations
suggest that scientific research is a systematic process. This means that research is carried out in
a certain order and procedure that is fixed and researchers follow that way in their research. The
research procedure is a guideline for researchers to conduct research in the right way.
Researchers cannot conduct research only by collecting data and analyzing it, but research must
start from problem discovery and continue to the next stages. The scientific research process in
general must meet the stages of problem formulation, theoretical study, data verification, and
conclusions. These stages apply to the quantitative approach. The quantitative approach is one of
the scientific inquiry efforts based on the philosophy of logical positivism (logical positivism)
which operates with strict rules regarding logic, truth, laws, and predictions (Watson, in Danim
2002). The focus of quantitative research is identified as a work process that takes place in a
concise, limited manner and breaks down problems into parts that can be measured or expressed
in numbers. This research was conducted to explain, examine the relationship between variables,
determine the causality of the variables, test theories and look for generalizations that have
predictive value (to predict a symptom). Making boundaries or definitions of qualitative research
is not easy, given the many different views that exist. As already stated, there are two approaches
in research, namely qualitative and quantitative approaches. The basis of qualitative research is
constructivism which assumes that reality has multiple dimensions, is interactive and an
exchange of social experiences that are interpreted by each individual (Sukmadinata, 2005).
Qualitative researchers believe that truth is dynamic and can be discovered only through the
study of people through their interactions with their social situations (Danim, 2002). Qualitative
research examines participant perspectives with interactive and flexible strategies. Qualitative
research is aimed at understanding social phenomena from the participant's point of view. Thus,
qualitative research is research that is used to examine the condition of natural objects where the
researcher is the key instrument (Sugiyono, 2005). The previous discussion has described
research with a quantitative approach. The quantitative approach begins with a deductive
thinking process to obtain hypotheses, then verify empirical data, and test hypotheses based on
empirical data, and draw conclusions based on the results of hypothesis testing. For this reason,
the role of statistics is needed in the process of data analysis. Educational research has recently
begun to focus on concepts that arise from data. Thus the attention is not to the numbers obtained
through empirical measurements, but to the concepts contained in them. An empirical event can
produce a concept. The concepts that arise from empirical data are searched for relationships to
form theories.