Description
O’Dwyer and Bernauer promote understanding and appreciation of the quantitative tradition in the social sciences, especially for those who are most familiar with the qualitative tradition. The authors demonstrate that these two research traditions are complementary and that the primary components of good research–problem quality, design quality, evidence quality, and procedural quality–apply equally to both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. By providing rich pedagogy throughout the book the authors give students ample support and guidance. Each chapter begins with an outline, key terms are defined throughout, and discussion questions conclude each chapter. Connections to Qualitative Research and Review of Published Research sections offer students opportunities to make connections to their current base of knowledge and to see the concepts described in the book being applied in real research. Laura O’Dwyer (Ph.D., Boston College) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation in the Lynch School of Education at Boston College. She teaches courses in applied data analysis (basic to advanced topics), quantitative research methods, survey construction, and experimental design. O’Dwyer’s research focuses on examining the impact of technology-based interventions on student and teacher outcomes, and on international comparative studies in education. She has conducted several studies that employ randomized experimental designs to examine educational interventions including the effects of online professional development on teaching practices and learning outcomes. SECTION I: An Overview of Research in the Social Sciences: Qualitative Meets Quantitative Chapter 1: Understanding the Purpose of Research in the Qualitative and Quantitative Traditions Chapter 2: An Overview of the Qualitative Tradition and Connections to the Quantitative Tradition Chapter 3: Overview of Research in the Quantitative Tradition SECTION II: The Sine Qua Non for Conducting Research in the Quantitative Tradition Chapter 4: Choosing Research Participants and Making Generalizations: Sampling and External Validity Chapter 5: Measurement and Instrumentation in Quantitative Research Chapter 6: Minimizing Alternative Explanations for Research Findings: Internal Validity SECTION III: Research Design and Data Analysis in the Quantitative Tradition Chapter 7: Non-Experimental Research Designs Chapter 8: Experimental Research Designs Chapter 9: Descriptive Analyses for Data Generated by Quantitative Research Chapter 10: Inferential Analyses for Data Generated by Quantitative Research Chapter 11: The Complementary Natures of Quantitative and Qualitative Research
