Sorsogon National High School

SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET IN PRACTICAL RESEARCH II – STEM STRAND (LAS 1)

3rd Quarter; School Year 2020-2021

Name of Learner: ____________________________________ Grade Level & Section: _________________

TITLE OF THE LESSON: Introduction to Quantitative Research

I. LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Most Essential Learning Competency: Describe the characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and kinds
of quantitative research (CS_RS12-Ia-c-1)

Specific learning outcomes:

At the end of the lesson, learners are able to:
1. define quantitative research;
2. state the characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses of quantitative research; and
3. differentiate among the kinds of quantitative research

II. PRESENTATION OF THE LESSON:

Introduction
We humans have a deeply curious nature. More often than not, we ask questions about anything and everything.
We carry out some form of research every day whenever we seek for answers to questions which will then be used as
a basis for decision making, such as when we are inquiring about schools, the price of gadgets or appliances, or job
vacancies. However, research is not simply about searching for information using the internet or watching television to
keep abreast of the latest fads. Research is a more formal process, one that involves a structured way of obtaining
answers to significant questions and this path to finding answers constitutes the research methodology.

Research can be divided into basic categories - qualitative and quantitative research. Qualitative research
focuses on quality such as when ask "what it is like?" or "how does it feel?". It is through qualitative research that we
gain in-depth information by exploring the "how" and "why" of phenomena and identifying themes and describing what
we have found out through interviews or observation. On the other hand, quantitative research focuses on quantity
such as when we ask, "how many" or "what percentage". It is through quantitative research that we investigate
phenomena by way of testing hypotheses and subjecting the data to statistical procedures.

Quantitative Research

Practical Research 2 is all about quantitative research. An applied subject, the desired research outputs should
depend on the strand and the track where the students belong. Harland (2011) defines Science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research as “experiments conducted to address problems in those fields that
can be tested using the scientific method.” The scientific method refers to a standardized set of techniques for building
scientific knowledge, such as how to make valid observations, how to interpret results, and how to generalize those
results.

Faltado et. al (2017) defines quantitative research as “an objective, systematic, empirical investigation of
observable phenomena through the use of computational techniques.

Quantitative research has the following characteristics:

1. It is objective. It is not based on intuition or guesses; rather it is based on accurate measurement and analysis
of target concepts of inquiry. The researcher does not consider his opinion or bias in his/her findings.
2. It has clearly defined research questions. In quantitative research, the research design is carefully thought
out, so the researchers arrive at the objective answers they are seeking. This contrasts with qualitative research
in which research questions allow for greater spontaneity and adaptation of the interaction between the
researcher and the study participant as the research conducts the study.
3. It uses structured research instruments. Data for quantitative research are obtained through structured
research tools such as questionnaires. Measurable characteristics of the population such as age, socio-
economic status, number of children, etc., are gathered using tools that contain closed-ended questions.
4. It is in the form of numerical data. Data in quantitative research are in the form of numbers and statistics often
presented using tables, charts, graphs, and figures that consolidate large numbers of data to show trends,
relationships, and differences among the variables. This contrasts with qualitative research that involves

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 collecting and analyzing non-numerical data. Random sampling is recommended in determining sample size to
avoid researchers’ bias in interpreting results.
5. It deals with large sample sizes. A more reliable data analysis requires a large sample size. This is because
larger sample size allow researchers to determine average values of data with a smaller margin of error.
6. It can be replicated. Reliable quantitative research can be repeated to confirm the correctness of the results in
another setting. If a study cannot be replicated, it can be thought to contain methodological flaws and therefore
lack internal validity (i.e., the extent to which a study establishes a trustworthy cause-and-effect relationship
between treatment and outcome).
7. It can predict future outcomes. Data obtained through mathematical (quantitative) models can be analyzed
for trends in order to estimate a variable at specified future date. If-then scenarios may be formulated to predict
future results.

Conducting quantitative research has both advantages and disadvantages to the researcher.

Strengths of Quantitative Research

1. It is objective. Researchers remain objectively separated from the subject matter. Numerical data can’t easily
be misinterpreted as statistical tests can be applied in making statements about the data.
2. The use of statistical techniques facilitates sophisticated analyses and allows you to comprehend a
huge amount of vital characteristics of data. Statistics helps us turn data into information to maximize
understanding of the characteristics of the population from which the sample is drawn.
3. The numerical data can be analyzed in a quick and easy way. Through statistically valid models, we can
draw conclusions about populations based only on sample results.
4. It is replicable. Replicability means that other researchers can test the findings of the study, which is important
because it gives readers confidence in the research. Verifying research findings reveals any false conclusions
drawn from the study. Replicable researches also enables us to make comparable findings when we repeat the
study in different areas or over time.

Weaknesses of Quantitative Research

1. It requires a large sample size. It is assumed that the larger the sample size is, the more statistically accurate
the findings are. In doing so, it will involve much time, money, and effort compared to studying smaller sample
sizes.
2. It is costly. Because a large proportion of respondents is appropriate to represent the population, data collection
is often too expensive. Extra resources are also need to analyze the results so that it is refined and
unambiguous.
3. The information contextual factors to help interpret the results or to explain variations are usually
ignored. Quantitative research does not consider the meaning behind the opinions shared by people or
decisions they made. Research data only shows what is happening in the selected sector of the population.
Quantitative research has very few opportunities to ask for clarity or elaboration about respondents’ answers.
4. Many information are difficult to gather using structured research instruments. Surveys are inflexible
because once the questionnaires are out and it is found that respondents are finding it difficult to comprehend
some questions, it’s too late to change the question for the respondents. This contrasts with in-depth interviews
in which researchers can rephrase questions as they learn more about how the respondents understand the
questions. Surveys are also standardized in that it can be difficult to ask more questions on top of the very
general questions provided. Respondents have limited to the options provided by the researcher. Using
structured research instruments can be difficult when dealing with sensitive issues like pre-marital sex, domestic
violence, etc.
5. If not done seriously, data from questionnaires may be incomplete or inaccurate. There’s no way to know
if respondents have really understood the question or read it thoroughly before putting down their answers.
Sometimes, respondents skip questions. Unconscientious responses affect the validity of the data gathered.
Researchers must be on the look-out for those respondents who guess or make split-second choices in
answering the research instrument.

Kinds of Quantitative Research

The kind of research employed is dependent on the researcher’s aim in conducting the study and the extent to which
the findings will be used. The following are the kinds of quantitative research:

Descriptive research attempts to describe systematically a situation, problem, phenomenon, service, or program,
or to provide information about living conditions of a community or people’s attitudes towards an issue. Research that
is descriptive is designed to provide a snapshot of the current state of affairs – current thoughts, feelings, or behavior
of individuals. Political polls reported in newspapers and on the internet are descriptive research designs that provide
snapshots of the likely voting behavior of a population. A descriptive study of college students’ addictions to their
electronic gadgets, for example, might aim to describe patterns in how many hours students use gadgets or which sorts
of gadgets students tend to use most regularly. Descriptive research is used if you want to know how many hours a
student spends in social media, the number of malnourished students who failed in the achievement test, and how
healthy is the food served during the recess in the public school.

Survey research is a method involving the use of standardized questionnaires or interviews to collect data about
people and their preferences, thoughts, and behaviors in a systematic matter. It can be used for descriptive research.
Depending on how the data is collected, survey research can be divided into two broad categories: questionnaire
surveys (which may be mail-in, group-administered, or online surveys), and interview surveys (which may be

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personal, telephone, or focus group interviews). Questionnaires are instruments that are completed in writing by
respondents, while interviews are completed by the interviewer based on verbal responses provided by respondents.

Moreover, survey research may be cross-sectional or longitudinal. In cross-sectional research, a researcher

compares multiple segments of the population at the same time. For example, the researcher would study a group of
20-year-old individuals and compare them to a group of 30-year-old individuals and a group of 40-year-old individuals.
This approach requires a shorter-term investment and is also limited by difference that exist between the different
generations (or cohorts) that have nothing to do with age per se, but rather reflect the social and cultural experiences
of different generations of individuals make them different from one another. In longitudinal research, data-gathering
is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time. For example, we may survey a group of individuals about
their dietary habits at age 20, retest them a decade later at age 30, and then again at age 40. Longitudinal research is
a powerful approach because the same individuals are involved in the research project over time, which means that
the researchers need to be less concerned with differences among cohorts affecting the results of their study.

Correlational research aims to discover or establish the existence of a relationship/association/interdependence

between two or more aspects of a situation. It allows testing of expected relationships between and among variables
and the making of predictions. For example, study time and memory errors are related, because the more time a person
is given to study a list of words, the fewer errors he or she will make. Other variables being related are advertising
campaign on the sale of a product, fertility and mortality, technology and unemployment, health service and the control
of a disease, and home environment and educational attainment.

Evaluation research is a research conducted to assess the effects of specific programs or policies. It is often used
when some form of policy intervention is planned, such as welfare reform or school curriculum change. Among the
types of evaluation are process assessment and outcomes assessment. Process assessment evaluates a program
in its earlier stages, so changes can be made. Outcomes assessment evaluates the degree to which programs
achieved their intended outcomes.

Causal-comparative research is also known as ex post facto research (after the fact) research. This kind of
research derives conclusion from observations and manifestation that already occurred in the past and now compared
to some dependent variables. It discusses why and how a phenomenon occurs. For example, a researcher is interested
in how weight influences stress coping level of adults. Here, the subjects would be separated into different group
(underweight, normal weight, overweight) and their stress-coping levels measured. This is an ex post facto design
because pre-existing characteristic (weight) was used to form the groups.

Causal-comparative research is also referred to as quasi-experimental design where “quasi” means

“resembling”. Quasi-experimental research is similar to true experiments, but they lack random assignment to
experimental and control groups. For example, a researcher might conduct research at two different agency sites, one
of which receives the intervention and the other does not. The researcher does not need to assigned participants to
treatment or comparison groups because the groupings already existed prior to the study.

Experimental research utilizes the scientific method to test cause-and-effect relationships under conditions
controlled by the researcher. An effort is made to determine and pose control over all other variables except one. In an
experimental research design, the variables of interest are called the independent variable (or variables) and the
dependent variable. The independent variable in an experiment is the causing variable that is created (manipulated)
by the experimenter. The dependent variable in an experiment is a measured variable that is expected to be influenced
by the experimental manipulation. Subjects are randomly assigned to experimental treatments rather than identified in
naturally occurring groups.

For example, in order to test the effects of a new drug intended to treat a certain medical condition like dementia, if
a sample of dementia patients is randomly divided into three groups, with the first group receiving a high dosage of the
drug, the second group receiving a low dosage, and the third group receives a placebo such as a sugar pill (control
group), then the first two groups are experimental groups and the third group is a control group. After administering the
drug for a period of time, if the condition of the experimental group subjects improved significantly more than the control
group subjects, we can say that the drug is effective. We can also compare the conditions of the high and low dosage
experimental groups to determine if the high dose is more effective than the low dose.

III. LEARNING TASK/S. NOTE: In doing the following task/s, please follow instructions to receive full
credit points.

A. Practice Task 1: Check your understanding. Read the questions/statements below and choose
the BEST answer. WRITE THE LETTER ONLY.

1. Which characteristic of quantitative research is evident if the conclusions and problem solutions are
interpreted by the researcher based on the target concepts?
A. Objective
B. Numerical Data
C. Structured Research Instruments
D. Clearly defined Research Questions

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of Sorsogon National High School. March 21, 2021
 2. Quantitative research differs from qualitative research in terms of participants. What is the characteristic of
the participants in quantitative research?
A. Large and randomly selected
B. Large and purposely selected
C. Small and randomly selected
D. Small and purposely selected

3. To determine if there is the same result in Pasig City, a researcher repeated the study conducted on the
effectiveness of having mobile palengke to lessen public market trips in Valenzuela City. What is the most
evident characteristic of quantitative research is used by the researcher?
A. Structured Research Instruments
B. Large Sample Size
C. Numerical Data
D. Replication

4. Which research design investigates the nature of relationship, or associations between among variables
without necessarily investigating into causal reasons underlying them?
A. Causal comparative
B. Correlational
C. Evaluation
D. Experimental

5. What research design assesses the effects of social distancing as a public health practice in order to reduce
opportunities for COVID-19 transmission?
A. Correlational
B. Causal comparative
C. Evaluation
D. Experimental

B. Practice Task 2: Check your understanding. Match the description with its term. WRITE THE
LETTER ONLY.

1. Research that derives conclusion from observations and A. Causal-

manifestation that already occurred in the past and now comparative
compared to some dependent variables.

2. Research design that concerns in assessing the effects B. Correlational

and impacts or outcomes of practices, policies and
programs.
3. Research concerned with describing the nature, C. Descriptive
characteristics and components of the population or a
phenomenon.
4. Research concerned with the extent of relationships that D. Evaluation
exists between or among the variables.
5. Research used to gather information from groups of E. Experimental
people by selecting and studying samples chosen from
population.
F. Survey

IV. GENERALIZATION:
What have you learned in this lesson? Answer the following processing questions. Use a separate
sheet if necessary.
1. What is quantitative research? What is expected of outputs in PR2 as a student under the STEM strand?
__________________________________________________________________________________

2. Enumerate 3 characteristics of quantitative research. Explain each.

__________________________________________________________________________________

3. Enumerate 2 strengths and 2 weaknesses of quantitative research. Explain each.

__________________________________________________________________________________

4. Explain 1 kind of quantitative research and provide an example of a research topic/study that is acceptable
for the kind of quantitative research you are referring to.
__________________________________________________________________________________

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of Sorsogon National High School. March 21, 2021
V. EVALUATION: Total: 15 pts
NOTE: In doing the following tasks, please follow instructions to receive full credit points.

PART 1: Write TRUE if the statement is TRUE, and if it not, write FALSE. *QR stands for “quantitative research”
1. QR uses structured research instruments.
2. QR is based on mere intuitions and guesses.
3. In QR, information contextual factors are not ignored.
4. It takes a long time for QR data to be interpreted.
5. You can save more money if you conduct QR studies than QL studies.
6. In QR, many information are difficult to gather using structured research instruments.
7. QR data are organized in tables, charts, graphs and figures.
8. To arrive at a more reliable data analysis, QR requires are large sample size.
9. QR looks for statistical results that are interpreted objectively.
10. Nonrandom sampling is recommended in determining sample size to avoid researcher’s bias in interpreting
results.

PART 2: What kind of quantitative research are the following?

Options:
Descriptive Research Evaluation Research Causal-comparative Research
Correlational Research Survey Research Experimental Research
(indicate whether cross-sectional or longitudinal)

1. A teacher would like to know if a new teaching strategy is effective or not.

2. Growth of rice yield in a country.
3. Using pre-board examination results to predict performance in the actual board exam.
4. Child-rearing practices of single parents
5. Assessing the implementation of nursing care in a hospital
6. How many hours senior high school students spend in social media
7. The acceptability of cooking coil as a substitute for diesel
8. How pre-school attendance affects the social maturity at the end of the first grade.
9. How accepting are people of those who are socially or politically different from themselves.
10. How often do high school athletes succeed in college program

VI. REMARKS:
How did you find this lesson – was it interesting? What did you learn? What did you find difficult? State any
questions you have about the topic.
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Prepared by JOAN H. RELUAO, Special Science Teacher I

This LAS contains material from the following resources:

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Debois, S. (2019, March 8). 10 Advantages and Disadvantages of Questionnaires. https://surveyanyplace.com/questionnaire-pros-and-cons/

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Department of Education - Schools Division of Pasig City.

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Harland, D. J. (2011). STEM student research handbook . National Science Teachers Associaton - NSTA Press.

Kumar, R. (2011). Research Methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners, 3rd Edition. SAGE Publications Inc.

VanderStoep, S. W., & Johnston, D. D. (2009). Research Methods for Everyday Life: Blending Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

No portion of this activity learning sheet may be reproduced without the expressed consent of the writer, and
of Sorsogon National High School. March 21, 2021