Key Elements of a Research Proposal Quantitative Design

Key Elements of a Research Proposal Quantitative Design

1. If the researcher views quantitative design as a continuum, one end of the range represents a design where the variables are not controlled at all and only observed

   • Descriptive research
     • seeks to describe the current status of an identified variable. These research projects are designed to provide systematic information about a phenomenon.
       • Example: A description of the extent to which elementary teachers use math manipulatives
   • Correlational research
     • attempts to determine the extent of a relationship between two or more variables using statistical data
       • Example: The relationship between intelligence and self-esteem
   • Causal-comparative/quasiexperimental research
     • attempts to establish causeeffect relationships among the variables. These types of design are very similar to true experiments, but with some key differences.
       • Example: The effect of gender on algebra achievement
     • Experimental research
       • often called true experimentation, uses the scientific method to establish the cause-effect relationship among a group of variables that make up a study.
         • Example: The effect of positive reinforcement on attitude toward schoo
     • Conclusion: The overall structure for a quantitative design is based in the scientific method. It uses deductive reasoning, where the researcher forms an hypothesis, collects data in an investigation of the problem, and then uses the data from the investigation, after analysis is made and conclusions are shared, to prove the hypotheses not false or false