Research methodology is the approach taken by a researcher in undertaking a research project (Williams, 2015). William describes quantitative research as the collection of data for the information to be quantified and analysed statistically to refute or ascertain the alternative claims of knowledge. On the other hand, he describes qualitative methods, on the other hand, emphasized the independence of social reality as social contexts determine realities. The Research “Measuring the Impact of an Alternative Approach to School Bullying” by Meg Domino employs a mixed research method as both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used to accomplish the study. The paper seeks to examine the qualitative and the quantitative nature of the research.
The Research “Measuring the Impact of an Alternative Approach to School Bullying” by Meg Domino employs a mixed research methodology as both aspects of qualitative and quantitative research approaches have been used in the study.
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Quantitative Nature of the Research
Quantitative methods can be causal comparative, descriptive or experimental. Descriptive approach examines situations as they exist in their present state, and entails identification observation of aspects of a specified phenomenon as well as the examination of the relationship between the involved variables (Williams, 2015). Domino's research is experimental as it experimental as it investigates and measures the outcomes of an intervention. The research entails all steps of an experimental research which include pre-testing, testing and post-testing. The design leads to a systematic quantitative method of data collection and mathematical analysis. The intervention entailed a “TTL 16-lesson curriculum based on the PYD and the SEL theories that were initially established by health promotion theorists. The study group was exposed to the 16-lesson curriculum to increase theory social competencies such as self-awareness, decision making, leadership, self-management, relationship skills as well as problem-solving. Domino used a "quantitative pretest-posttest control group cohort study design to measure the changes in the victim and bully behaviour" among the selected learners in the seventh grade. In the experiment, the TTL intervention is the independent variable, whereas victimization and bullying are the two dependent variables being investigated.
Meg Domino’s research adheres to the sequence of a quantitative research approach. For instance, the research starts with a statement of the problem and a hypothesis in the abstract, followed by the analysis of data. In the first paragraph of the introduction, Domino admits that bullying was not only “considered as an annoying rite of passage, but also a currently leading form of school violence, with pervasive and destructive effects that persist into adulthood” (Domino, 2013). Similarly, the research is based on factual data collected by The National Center for Education Statistics. According to the statistics, "40% of learners in middle school are bullies of victims of bullying, at least once each week, highest rates of bullying are between the 6 th and the 8 th grade, and that bullying reduces as learners approach the 12 th grade”(Domino, 2013). The research is grounded on some already existing theories and works of Salavoy and Mayer as well as Daniel Goleman’s works on social and emotional intelligence. Moreover, the research was conducted to ascertain or reject the applicability of the "theory-driven PYD and SEL constructs implemented within a curriculum designed to improve social competencies of all learners" (Domino, 2013) . The research employs experimental quantitative research method with data collection at pre-experimental, true-experimental and posts experimental levels. The research applied statistical methods to analyze the correlation between the depended and the independent variables. Percentages are calculated to assist in concluding the results.
The Qualitative Nature of the Research
Qualitative research, on the other hand, is a holistic discovery approach. In qualitative research, the researcher is highly involved in the actual research, and the research phenomenon is observed from the participants (Haq, 2015). According to Haq, the research method purposefully utilizes explanation, interpretation, and description of the collected data. The procedure is less structured as it develops new theories. Qualitative research can be a case, phenomenological, grounded theory ethnography, or content analysis study (Williams, 2015). Unlike quantitative research approach which is based on deductive reasoning, qualitative research methods are built on inductive thinking (Williams, 2015). The research “Measuring the Impact of an Alternative Approach to School Bullying" is inductive, as it draws its generalization from the findings. Second, the researcher poses questions that he attempts to explain the observational elements of the research. The strong relationship between the data and the observer in the research represent the marked difference originating from the quantitative research. The empirical data is collected to describe the aspects relevant to the social behaviors in the emerging theory. The research adheres to the grounded theory study qualitative research method as it attempts to generate a theory of interaction based on the perception of the participants. The research presents data and develops a theory of the characteristics of the data. The research is grounded as the data is collected directly from the field rather than from other already written research literature.
References
Domino, M. (2013). Measuring the impact of an alternative approach to school bullying. Journal of school health , 83 (6), 430-437.
Haq, M. (2015). A Comparative Analysis of Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods and a Justification for Adopting Mixed Methods in Social Research.
Williams, C. (2011). Research methods. Journal of Business & Economics Research (JBER) , 5 (3).
