Qualitative vs Quanative

Qualitative:

According to ChatGPT, qualitative research involves exploring how and why something happens. This type of research focuses on images, words, and observations rather than numbers. The purpose of qualitative research is to understand experiences and meaning by being part of the observation process.

In the article Qualitative Research for Education: An Introduction to Theory and Methods, the author mentions that generalizability is not the main goal. I conducted several qualitative research projects during my first master’s program. I earned my first master’s degree in Education, specializing in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). As part of my coursework, I visited classrooms to observe students and teachers in action. I observed two different elementary schools at the same grade level and quickly realized how dynamically different the classroom environments were—student behavior, teacher approaches, peer interactions, and routines all varied greatly.

I began to study patterns in students’ language behavior. I noticed that students felt more comfortable speaking to their peers in their first language, often helping each other translate assignments and activities.

Quantitative:

According to ChatGPT, quantitative research involves collecting numerical data and analyzing it using mathematical, statistical, or computational techniques.

Quantitative research has never been my cup of tea when it comes to studying education. In my research on bilingual students, I had to use test scores to guide their learning and assignments. However, comparing students’ behavior through observation provided more insight than the numbers ever did. Looking at test scores alone did not help me achieve my goal of creating meaningful and engaging activities.

The article also argued that qualitative and quantitative methods can be used together to support one another.

From my past experience, I’ve learned that I gain much more understanding through qualitative research than quantitative. I’m not a “numbers” person unless I need concrete, statistical evidence for what I’m studying. But when it comes to understanding behavior and humanity, observation is the most effective approach for me.