Examining The Differences Between Qualitative And Quantitative Research

By Aflahah Tria Tinufus (1232010112)

5th Semester Student/D Department of Islamic Education Management, Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training, Bachelor's Degree Program, Sunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University, Bandung

In educational management,research is needed that can assess policies objectively while understanding the complex social dynamics in schools. Quantitative research offers measurability and generalization, but lacks contextual depth, while qualitative research explores meaning and interaction, but is limited in generalization. This gap encourages the use of a combined approach (mixed methods). This paper aims to review the paradigms, characteristics, advantages, limitations, and implications of quantitative, qualitative, and combined research to produce comprehensive and applicable educational management research

First, Research Paradigms. In the positivist paradigm, quantitative research analyzes objective, measurable, and generalizable realities through statistical analysis. In constructivism, research is based on an inductive approach, which views reality as complex and contextual with a focus on deep meaning through an inductive approach. The main differences between the two paradigms include ontology (objective versus constructive), epistemology (involvement versus distance), and methodology (deductive-structured versus inductive-flexible). Quantitative research in educational management measures policy, while qualitative research reveals social dynamics. Combining the two provides a better understanding.

Second, Characteristics of Quantitative and Qualitative Research. Quantitative research is deductive in nature, using theories and hypotheses to test relationships between variables with numerical data, standard instruments, and objective and measurable statistical analysis. Qualitative research is inductive, exploring phenomena flexibly through narrative data, using instruments, triangulation, and thematic analysis to uncover contextual meaning.  These two approaches work well together; a combination of mixed methods produces more credible results and a deeper understanding of educational management research.

Third, Advantages and Limitations. Although quantitative research is reductive and ignores social context, it excels in objectivity, measurability, and generalization.  On the other hand, qualitative research is subjective, time-consuming, and difficult to generalize, but it can explore the meaning and complexity of events.  Researchers studying educational management must be aware of these advantages and disadvantages in order to select or combine the best strategies using various techniques to produce more comprehensive research findings.

Fourth, Implications in Educational Management Research. While qualitative research analyzes the environment, relationships, and leadership dynamics in schools, quantitative research is useful for objectively evaluating educational programs using numerical data.  For a deeper understanding, mixed techniques combine the two.  The approach used to develop a proposal should be based on the objectives: mixed techniques to combine the two, qualitative methods to explore meaning, and quantitative approaches to test variables.  Because it is able to capture the complexity of management, offer in-depth analysis, take into account various perspectives, and is flexible enough to adapt to changing conditions, qualitative research is very important in the field of educational management.

Research in educational management can use both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The quantitative approach is objective, measurable, and generalizable through numerical data and statistical analysis, while the qualitative approach focuses on a deep understanding of complex and contextual social phenomena. Each has its advantages and limitations: quantitative approaches excel in measurability and objectivity but fail to capture context, while qualitative approaches are capable of exploring meaning and managerial dynamics despite being subjective. A combination of both approaches can provide a more comprehensive understanding of educational management issues.

This article is a review of Part IV (Differences between Qualitative and Quantitative Research) from the teaching materials for the Management Research Methods course, taught by Prof. Dr. H. A Rusdiana, M.M (https://digilib.uinsgd.ac.id/id/eprint/121673 )

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