CO QAH + MELC LW

HANDOUT No. 6
Course Outline &Quality Assured
Handouts paired with MELC- inINQUIRIES, INVESTIGATION AND
Based Learner’s Worksheet IMMERSION

MELC: Chooses appropriate quantitative research design. (CS_RS12Ila-c-1)

Semester:2nd SEMESTER Week No. 6 Day: 1 - 4

LESSON: (Quantitative Research Design)

This handout explains on how a researcher plan the research design of a study. A research design is the
overall concept or strategy to put together the components of your study in logical manner. To start
writing paper, you have to plan the research design of your study. The design ensures that the research
problem is appropriately addressed. Take note that the research problem and questions shall determine
the type of research design you should use.
The choice of a correct research design is important prior to obtaining information relevant to your
research study. You can review and synthesize literature of studies that have used the same research
design and which are relevant to your research study.

TOPIC 1: (Quantitative Research Design)

Quantitative Research Design

Research design is a researchers’ plan of action and guide of what to do in the research study.
There ae four main types of Quantitative research: Exploratory Research Design, Descriptive Research
Design, Causal Research Design and Experimental Research

1. Exploratory Research Designis often used to establish an initial understanding and

background information about a research study of interest, oftenly with very few or no earlier
related studies found relevant to the research study.
a. This research design is described as an informal or unstructured way of investigating
available sources. You may conduct library search, secondary data analysis, experience
surveys, opinionnaire, case analysis, focus groups, projective techniques and Internet
searches. Secondary data include information which you may gather from books, journals,
proceedings, newsletters, magazines, annual reports and many others. Experience
surveys refer to gathering data from key informants about a research topic. In case
analysis, you may review past experiences or situations that may have some similarities
with the present research problem. You can gather small groups of people and conduct
focus group discussions. Through an unstructured discussion, you can gain information
relevant to the research study that you plan to undertake.
b. If the sample size in exploratory studies is small, the results of the study cannot be
generalized for a population.

2. Descriptive Research Design is used to gather information on current situations and

conditions. It helps provide answers to the questions of who, what, when, where and how of a
particular research study. Descriptive research studies provide accurate data after subjecting
them to a rigorous procedure and using large amounts of data from large numbers of samples
This design leads to logical conclusions and pertinent recommendation s. However, the
descriptive research design is independent to a high degree on data collection instrumentation for
the measurement of data and analysis.
According to Polit and Hungles (1999), the following research designs are classified design:
 Survey Research
The survey research design is usually used in securing opinions and trends through the
use of questionnaires and interviews. A survey is used in gathering data from institutions,
government and businesses to help in decision-making regarding change strategies,
improving practices, analyzing views on choice of products or market research. Surveys
can be conducted face-to-face or online. Online surveys are widely used because
gathering data from the target respondents or completing of questionnaires.

 Correlation Research
Correlation research design is used for research studies aimed to determine the existence
of a relationship between two or more variables and determine the degree of the
relationship.
Example of correlational research involving two (2) quantitative variables that can be
correlated are: mental ability and grade in math; gender and math performance;
advertising costs and sales; and income and expenses.

 Evaluation Research
Evaluation research is conducted to elicit useful feedback from a variety of respondents
from various fields to aid in decision making or policy formulation.

Commonly used types of evaluation based on the purpose of the study are Formative and
Summative evaluation.

Formative evaluation is used to determine the quality of implementation of a project, the

efficiency and effectiveness of a program, assessment of organizational processes such
as procedures, policies, guidelines, human resource development and the like.

On the other hand, Summative evaluation is done after the implementation of the
program. It examines the outcomes, products or effects of the program.

Here are some examples of formative evaluation:

 Needs Assessment
Evaluates the need for the program or project. For example, how great is the need
for a remedial program in mathematics? Who needs the program? When can the
program start? Where or in what college will the program be implemented and
what are needed to implement the program?

 Process Evaluation
Evaluates the process of implementation of a program. For example, you may
want to conduct a study on the implementation of the Student information System
(SIS) in your school. Some questions would be: how will students and teachers
assess the efficiency of the current process of the SIS? Is it working well? What
suggestions may be implemented to improve the program? When will the
recommendations from the teachers and students be implemented to improve the
program considering the cost and other technicalities?

 Implementation Evaluation
Evaluates the efficiency or effectiveness of a project or program. For example,
how effective is the scholarship program in your school? Are the criteria followed?
How many students availed themselves of said scholarships and how many
students graduated successfully?

 Program Monitoring
Evaluates the performance and implementation of an unfinished program, the
evaluation is done prior to the completion of the program. It helps improve
implementation and achieve best results. The initial implementation of the K-12
program is a very good topic for evaluation under this type of research design.
 Whatever evaluation is to be done will be a part of a monitoring program for the K-
12 implementation.

Here are examples of summative evaluation:

 Secondary Data Analysis
You may examine existing data for analysis. For example, you may want to find
out the influence of gender and mental ability in the results of the National
Achievement Test (NAT) in your school or in your region.

 Impact Evaluation
This is used to evaluate the overall effect of the program in its entirely. For
example, you may want to determine the effect of remedial classes on the
performance of students in mathematics in your school.

 Outcome Evaluation
This is done to determine if the program has caused useful effects based on
target outcomes. For example, you may want to determine if a leadership training
program for officers of students’ organizations of a certain public secondary
school have enhanced the leadership skills of the participants.

 Cost-effectiveness Evaluation
Also called cost-benefit analysis, it compares the relative costs to the outcomes or
results of some courses of action. For example, you may conduct a study on the
value for money returns of a company brought about by an intensive training
investment for employees in the Sales department.

3. Causal Research Design

Causal research design is used to measure the impact that that an independent variable (causing
effect) has on another variable (being affected) or why certain results are obtained. A valid
conclusion may be derived when an association between the independent variable and the
dependent variable is obtained. It can also be used to identify the extent and nature of cause-and-
effect relationship. Causal research can help businesses determine how decisions may affect
operations. A restaurant owner may want to find out why he/she has fewer customers than their
neighboring restaurants that resulted in decline in sales. So, management may conduct his/her
study on the quality of food, the price of the food, cleanliness or the quality of services accorded
to the customers. Thus, the purpose of the research study is to find out the factors that cause the
decline in the number of customers in the said restaurant.

4. Experimental Research Design

Experimental research design is a quantitative research design that bases its research method on
a scientific activity called experiment, in which a test or examination of a thing under a
manipulated or controlled environment is done to determine the validity or truthfulness of such
thing. This design involves two groups of subjects: the experimental group on which the condition,
treatment, or intervention is applied and the control group that is not given any treatment or
condition.

Experimental research is categorized into two: True Experimental Research and Quasi-
Experimental Research.

4.1 True Experimental Design

 What proves this as a true experimental design is its random selection of participants. It is
a bias-free selection that ensures objectivity of results. This design is the best way to
examine causal relationships.

4.2 Quasi-Experimental Research

 Adopts a comparative technique in choosing the subject. It is a research with the capacity
to yield findings that are seemingly or more or less true. Prone to bias caused by your
purposive, rather random selection of participants, quasi-experimental design is incapable
of establishing cause-effect relationships.
 In addition to the discussion on the characteristics of the three main categories of quantitative
research designs, Table 1 outlines other points of comparison of their characteristics

Illustration:

Points of Exploratory Descriptive Causal Experimental

Comparison Research Research Research Research
Design Design Design Design
Research Unstructured and Formal and Highly Scientific
Approach flexible structured structured Approach
Degree of Not well-defined Variables are Variables and Manipulated and
Problem defined relationships controlled
Identification are defined
When to use? Initial research Often a follow-up Late stage of
to exploratory decision-
research making
Goals and Provides insights Describe Explains the Determines the
Objectives on a problem situations cause and validity and
effect truthfulness
relationship
between
variables
Sample size Small non- Large Large Randomly
representative representative representativ selected
sample sample e sample
Type of Research Hypothesis is Hypothesis is Hypothesis is
hypothesis questions only nondirectional directional directional
Data management Data may not be Data are Data are Data are
and statistically statistically statistically statistically
measurements measurable measurable measurable measurable

REFERENCES

Baraceros, Esther L., PRACTICAL RESEARCH II, First Edition 2016, Rex Book Store, 856 Nicanor, Sr. St.,
Manila, Philippines. Pp. 86-90
Prieto, N.G., Naval, V.C. & Carey, T.G. (2017). Practical research for senior high school 2. Lorimar
Publishing Inc. Pp. 96-100

Prepared by:

SUSANIE Y. DIOMANGAY
SHS- TII

Checked and Reviewed by: Noted by:

RHUEL R. YONGOTYONGOT ARNOLD M. JARABA

Principal I Education Program Specialist-TLE