EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION
Education Administration: Strengths and Limitations of Quantitative and Mixed Method Approaches
The strengths of the quantitative approach include:
The use of numbers and statistics make the research appropriate to use as the statistical tests to help in straightforward analysis (Devault, 2020)
Replication could be easily done based on an experimental design; testing and checking become convenient.
Research with the involvement of statistics gives it a valuable image. It can be used in complex evaluations like computer modeling, portfolio review, business decisions based on data assessment, stock assortment, etc.
The limitations of the quantitative approach can involve:
Focusing more on numbers could remove the researchers focus from detecting themes and associations.
The setting of the research design and model could sometimes be faulty, leading to errors in the entire research process, making the results misleading in the end.
The strengths of the mixed-methods approach are:
The use of two methods in a mixed-methods approach would enable the strengths to overcome the weaknesses of another. Also, the findings of one method could be supported by the findings of the second one.
The views and opinions are analyzed for a diverse range of participants
Quantitative and qualitative studies are analyzed individually, which becomes appropriate for cross-validating (Almeida, 2018)
The limitations of the mixed-methods approach are:
Time and resource utilization is much more than expected for collecting data from two separate studies
Reconciliation of both types of studies could be challenging, and interpretation of results could be confusing
For the research topic of teachers burnout, experimental and causal-comparative research could be used. An experimental study would help verify whether the statement is right or wrong after the set research question. A be established in causal-comparative research, causal-comparative research
The benefits and limitations of these approaches related to the research topic are as follows:
Strengths
Limitations
Experimental research
More natural reactions of people
Better generalization
Hard to be replicated
Time-consuming and less cost-effective
Causal-comparative research
Less time-consuming and a more cost-effective
personal opinion could be adjusted with the results of the study for an improved conclusion
No control over variables as they cannot be manipulated
No assigning of subjects to random groups
References
Almeida, F. (2018). Strategies to perform a mixed-methods study. European Journal of Education Studies, 5(1), 137-151. DOI:10.5281/zenodo.1406214
Devault, G. (2020, December 4). Advantages and disadvantages of quantitative research. The Balance Small Business. https://www.thebalancesmb.com/quantitative-research-advantages-and-disadvantages-2296728
