Running head: QUALITATIVE CONSIDERATIONS 1

Journal Assignment: Qualitative Considerations

There appears to be a divergence in arguments in Denzins (2009) and Ercikan and

Roths (2006) articles which centred on inclusion of qualitative data, considerations and

evaluative criteria. Ercikan and Roth (2006) stated that there were always qualitative

considerations taken into account in quantitative studies. Therefore, educational research could

be moved further along with research methods that consciously incorporated both quantitative

and qualitative aspects. Additionally, both Ercikan and Roth (2006) noted that the two should be

seen together along a continuum instead of polarized. In his work, Denzin (2009) disagreed and

noted that mixed methods approach to research would inherently fail due to the fact that the two

areas were contradictory in nature and he supported separating the two research areas. Evaluating

qualitative research needed to be altered and should be flexible based on situational, social,

political and ethical backgrounds (Denzin, 2009). Essentially, quantitative frameworks could

never capture qualitative research and should remain completely separate.

I happened to agree with Ercikan and Roth (2006) who noted that qualitative and

quantitative research are collaborative and viewed the two through an integrative continuum

framework. With the correct tools and framework, a quantitative study that incorporated

qualitative perspectives could yield great research findings, conclusions and recommendations.

If one decided to measure how a new teaching methodology impacted grade six social studies

students, they could use a quantitative study to measure achievement on a test between two

classes. In designing the test, they would have to take into account qualitative criteria to measure

what merits a complete answer, rubrics to test critical thinking and criteria for subjective

answers. The quantitative test helped determine that there was a connection but would not take

into account student feelings, individual challenges, history and how they responded to the new
Running head: QUALITATIVE CONSIDERATIONS 2

teaching methodology which is where we could bring in other researchers to help integrate

qualitative methods such as interviews. Without qualitative aspects to help reframe the

experiment or delve into why, our recommendations based on findings would become

incomplete. By utilizing the correct instruments such as surveys, case studies and interviews with

proper data analysis, the researcher could still incorporate historical and political influences on

the participants of the study that Denzin (2009) identified as separate measures.

Essentially, Ercikan and Roth (2006) determined that polarizing the two research

methods created gaps in research and understanding. This has important implications. With

polarization, a researcher would essentially have to determine whether the study would be

quantitative or qualitative at the outset and completely discredit the existing overlap between the

two. In quantitative studies, this meant you could not reframe your research questions based on

data collection and qualitative studies could not be reinforced with numerical data in the same

study. Consequently, this would exacerbate the barrier between researchers who used qualitative

studies and those who used quantitative studies and create gaps in understanding. Using a

continuum and inference in joint studies would allow educational researchers to make whole

findings and recommendations and allow researchers to collaborate and learn from each other.

Based on Denzins (2009) conclusions, researchers would need to become historians, political

scientists and ethnographers in order to properly develop their research questions and evaluative

criteria. The led into the argument identified by Ercikan and Roth (2006) about a dichotomy in

research. In terms of practice, researchers would stay within their own areas of comfortability

instead challenging themselves to seek new dynamic educational findings. Qualitative research

can and should be utilized in conjunction with quantitative research to further the field of

educational research.
Running head: QUALITATIVE CONSIDERATIONS 3

References

Denzin, N. K. (2009). The elephant in the living room: Or extending the conversation about the

politics of evidence. Qualitative Research, 9(2), 139-160.

doi:10.1177/1468794108098034

Ercikan, K., & Roth, W.-M.. (2006). What Good Is Polarizing Research into Qualitative and

Quantitative?. Educational Researcher, 35(5), 1423. Retrieved from

http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/stable/3699783

Mertler, Craig A. (2015). Introduction to Educational Research (Kindle Version). Retrieved

from https://www.amazon.ca/