NATURE OF

INQUIRY
AND RESEARCH
MS. JENIEFER C. ESPINO
 LEARNING COMPETENCIES

At the end of the discussion, the learner should be able to:

• describe characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and kinds

of quantitative research
• illustrate the importance of quantitative research across
fields
• differentiate kinds of research variables and their uses
 INQUIRY vs RESEARCH

Asking questions to Systematic inquiry to

investigate or examine describe, explain,
something predict and control the
observed phenomenon
RESEARCH

• ETYMOLOGY:
– “research” was coined from French word “cerhier”
which means “seek”
RESEARCH
• a natural day-to-day activity of gathering information
– QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
• seeks to answer questions about why and how people behave in the
way that they do. It provides in-depth information about human
behaviour.

– QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
• is “explaining phenomena by collecting numerical data that are
analysed using mathematically based methods (in particular
statistics).”
Comprehension Check
Determine whether INQUIRY or RESEARCH is applicable to the given
situations.
1. A person wants to know the occupant of one condominium.
2. A student wants to know the medicinal effects of guava leaves.
3. Mr. Cruz wants to know the technique to make his electric fan
function instantly.
4. Aling Rosa wants to know the reason behind the decrease of her
sales for the day.
5. Prof. Gomez wants to discover the impact of social networking on
his students’ learning abilities.
LESSON I.
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH –
CHARACTERISTICS, STRENGTH,
WEAKNESSES and KINDS
DEFINITION OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
Quantitative research
• an objective, systematic empirical investigation of
observable phenomena through the use of
computational techniques
• concerned with numbers and its relationship with events
• suggests that the data concerned can be analyzed in
terms of numbers
CHARACTERISTICS OF
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
• Seeks accurate measurement
Objective and analysis of target concepts

• Researchers know in advance

Clearly Defined Research what they are looking for
Questions

Standardized Research • Data re gathered using structured

research tools to collect
Instruments measurable data
CHARACTERISTICS OF
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
• Data are in form of numbers and
Numerical Data statistics

• To arrive at a more reliable data

Large Sample Sizes analysis

• Can be repeated to verify or

Replication confirm the correctness of the
results in another setting
• Allows researchers to predict
Future Outcomes future results
QUALITATIVE & QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
QUALITATIVE & QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
TURNING OPINIONS INTO NUMBERS
TURNING OPINIONS INTO NUMBERS
TURNING OPINIONS INTO NUMBERS
TURNING OPINIONS INTO NUMBERS
TURNING OPINIONS INTO NUMBERS
TURNING OPINIONS INTO NUMBERS
Comprehension Check
Determine whether the following questions are QUALITATIVE
or QUANTITATIVE.
1. How many times per month do you purchase a coffee from
a café or coffee shop?
2. How often do you drink coffee at home?
3. What do you like most about your favorite café or coffee
shop?
4. How could your favorite café or coffee shop improve?
5. Do you prefer to prepare coffee at home or purchase from a
café or coffee shop?
GROUP WORK
Formulate quantitative research questions about the
following topics:
1. Food at the school canteen
2. Philippine transportation system
3. Communication media
4. Social networking sites
5. After school
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
STRENGTHS:
1. It is objective.
2. It facilitates analysis and allows you to comprehend a huge
amount of vital characteristics of data.
3. The numerical data can be analyzed in a quick and easy way.
4. Quantitative research design is the most reliable and valid way
of concluding results.
5. Quantitative studies are replicable.
6. Quantitative experiments are useful for testing the results
gained by a series of qualitative experiments.
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
WEAKNESSES:
1. It requires a large number
of respondents.
2. It is costly.
3. The information and
contextual factors to help
interpret the results or to
explain variations are
usually ignored.
4. Many information are difficult
to gather using structured
research instruments.
5. If not done seriously and
correctly, data from
questionnaires may be
incomplete and inaccurate.
KINDS OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN
KINDS OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN
• treats or deals with the subject
in a definite or exact manner
• determines the causes and
extent of the effects of the
treatment on the subject
• allows the researcher to
distinguish placebo effects from
treatment effects
KINDS OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN

• research design with least

internal validity
• follow basic experimental steps
but fail to include a control
group
• a single group is often studied
KINDS OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN

• the researcher can collect more

data, either by scheduling more
observations or finding more
existing measures
• involves selecting groups
without any random pre-
selection processes
KINDS OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN
• employs both a control group
and a means to measure the
change that occurs in both
groups
• two or more differently treated
groups; and random assignment
to these groups
• offers the highest internal
validity of all the designs
GROUP WORK
Give a real-life example of where the research designs are
applied.
KINDS OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN
• also called DESCRIPTIVE
RESEARCH DESIGN
• researcher observes the
phenomena as they occur
naturally and no external
variables are introduced
• the variables are not
deliberately manipulated nor is
the setting controlled
• researcher collects data without
making changes or introducing
treatments
KINDS OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN

• used to gather information

from groups of people by
selecting and studying samples
chosen from a population
KINDS OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN

• conducted by researchers to
find out the direction,
associations and/or relationship
between different variables or
groups of respondents under
study
KINDS OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN

• also called causal-comparative

• derives conclusion from
observations and
manifestations that already
occurred in the past and now
compared to some dependent
variables
KINDS OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN

• involves comparing and

contrasting two or more
samples of study subjects on
one or more variables, often at a
single point of time
KINDS OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN

• used to determine what has

happened during a given activity
or in an institution
• the purpose is to see if a given
program is working, an
institution is successful
according to the goals set for it,
or the original intent was
successfully attained
KINDS OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN

• the implementation of a variety

of methodologies forms a critical
part of achieving the goal of
developing a scale-matched
approach, where data from
different disciplines can be
integrated
GROUP WORK
Give a real-life example of where each non-experimental
research design is applied.
IMPORTANCE OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH:

1 2 3 4
Teaching Accounting Science Humanities
Profession Technology
Business Social
Management Engineering
Mathematics Sciences
VARIABLES IN RESEARCH

• characteristics that has two or more mutually

exclusive values or properties
• “vary” or “can change”
• something that can take more than one value, and
values can be words or numbers
• attribute of an individual or an organization that can
be measured or observed
KINDS OF VARIABLES

• “cause variable”
Independent • responsible for the
Variables conditions that bring changes

• bear or manifest effects

Dependent • “outcome variable”
Variables
KINDS OF VARIABLES

A study is on the relationship of study

habits and academic performance of
VNHS senior high school students.
 TYPES OF VARIABLES

• can take infinite number on

Continuous the value that can occur
Variables within the population

Categories
measurement has a clear
where the definition of zero,
difference between indication that there
two variables does Interval Ratio is none of that
have meaning variable
 TYPES OF VARIABLES

• has limited number of

Discrete distinct values and which
Variables cannot be divided into
fractions

Categories
can have two or
has two or more
more categories but
variables that can
with no
quantitative value
Nominal Ordinal be ranked
KINDS OF VARIABLES

• “meddling variable”
Extraneous • “stand between” the independent
and dependent variables
Variables • Also called intervening variables

Example: Even if farm production is good, if the attitude

towards payment is negative, loan repayment would be
low, whereas, if the attitude towards repayment is positive
or favorable, loan repayment would be high.
 KINDS OF VARIABLES

• demographic or personal attributes that

Control need to be “controlled” so that the true
Variables effects of the IV on the DV can be
determined

• not actually measured or observed in a study

Confounding
• their influence cannot be directly detected in
Variables a study
Comprehension Check
Identify the types of variables in the table below:
 GROUP WORK
Give 5 examples of each type of variable.

Interval Ratio Nominal Ordinal Control Confounding

 Seatwork No. 1
1. It is conducted by researchers whose aim would be to find out
the direction, associations and/or relationship between
different variables or groups of respondents under study.
2. It suggests that the data concerned can be analyzed in terms
of numbers.
3. It refers to the overall strategy that you choose in order to
integrate the different components of the study in a coherent
and logical way, thereby ensuring you will effectively address
the research problem
 Seatwork No. 1
4. This kind of research derives conclusion from observations
and manifestations that already occurred in the past and now
compared to some dependent variables.
5. In this design, the researcher can collect more data, either by
scheduling more observations or finding more existing
measures.
6. It is a characteristic of quantitative research where it seeks
accurate measurement and analysis of target concepts.
 Seatwork No. 1
7. It controls for both time-related and group-related threats. Two
features mark true experiments: two or more differently
treated groups; and random assignment to these groups.
8-10. Enumerate 3 characteristics of quantitative research.
 Seatwork No. 1
7. It controls for both time-related and group-related threats. Two
features mark true experiments: two or more differently
treated groups; and random assignment to these groups.
8. Give 1 type of True-experimental design.
9. Give 1 type of Pre-experimental design.
10. Give 1 type of Quasi-experimental design.