Method selection (qual/quant/mixed) - Global Perspectives & Research A Level Study Notes

When you do research, you're trying to find answers to a question. To do this, you need to collect information, which we call data. Method selection is simply choosing how you're going to collect that data.

Think of it like planning a birthday party. You need to decide what kind of party it will be:

• Quantitative (Numbers) Method: This is like deciding to have a party where you just count things. How many balloons? How many slices of pizza did each person eat? How many games did we play? You're looking for things you can measure and turn into numbers. It's about getting facts and figures.
• Qualitative (Stories) Method: This is like deciding to have a party where you want to hear about people's experiences. What was their favorite part of the party? How did the games make them feel? What suggestions do they have for next year? You're looking for deeper understanding, feelings, and opinions, which you collect as words or descriptions.
• Mixed Methods: This is like having a party where you do both! You count the balloons and ask people what their favorite part was. You use both numbers and stories to get a really full picture.

Let's say you want to research why students at your school are sometimes late for class. This is a common problem, right?

1. Using a Quantitative Method: You could stand at the classroom door for a week and count how many students are late each day. You could also count how many minutes late they are. You might even give out a survey where students just tick boxes about common reasons (e.g., 'Overslept', 'Traffic', 'Forgot something'). Your data would be numbers: 15 students late on Monday, average 3 minutes late, 60% ticked 'Overslept'. This gives you a quick overview of the scale of the problem.

2. Using a Qualitative Method: Instead, you could pick a few students who are often late and sit down with them for a chat. You'd ask open-ended questions like, "Can you tell me about your morning routine?" or "What are the biggest challenges you face getting to school on time?" You'd listen to their stories, their reasons, their feelings. Your data would be their words and explanations. This helps you understand the reasons behind the lateness in detail.

3. Using a Mixed Method: You could first count how many students are late (quantitative) to see how big the problem is. Then, based on those numbers, you might choose to interview some of the frequently late students (qualitative) to understand why they are late. This way, you get both the big picture (how many) and the detailed stories (why). It's like using both a telescope to see the whole sky and a microscope to look closely at one star.