This report is designed to test your knowledge of both qualitative and quantitative research methods and your ability to design research studies.
This report will consist of two essay questions of 1,000 words each. The first essay question is about qualitative research methods and the second essay question is about quantitative methods.
Instructions
You must answer ONE of the essay questions from Part A: Qualitative Methods. Your answer should be 1,000 words (+/- 10%) and will count for 50 marks.
You must then answer ONE of the essay questions from Part B: Quantitative Methods. Your answer should be 1,000 words (+/- 10%) and will count for 50 marks.
Part A: Qualitative Methods
Please answer ONE of the following two questions:
1. Many modules in your course at university include group assessments. However, students’ attitudes towards these assessments are unclear. While some education administrators and tutors claim that students enjoy them, others claim that students prefer individual assessments. You would like to research this issue, to understand what students’ attitudes are to such assessment, based on their past experiences. You also want to know whether participating in such group assessment is beneficial to subsequent project work assignments when students start working after university.
Describe a qualitative research study that you would undertake to address these two issues. The study you design should include information about your research question, participants, recruitment, measures, procedure, and analysis. You should consider what issues might occur when conducting the study and how you might address these issues in the design of your study. What are the strengths and weaknesses of your study?
2. You have been contracted by a university to investigate the relationship between students’ living arrangements (whether they live on-campus or off-campus) and their performance on their course. Develop a research question that might help you frame a qualitative research project. Then describe a qualitative study you would conduct to answer your research question.
When you describe your qualitative research project, you should include information about your research question, participants, recruitment, measures, procedure, and analysis. You should consider what issues might occur when conducting the study and how you might address these issues in the design of your study. What are the strengths and weaknesses of your study?
Part B: Quantitative Methods
Please answer ONE of the following two questions:
3. You have just been hired as the Assistant Manager of a gelato (ice cream) shop in Brighton. The gelato shop wants to introduce a new flavour next month to celebrate the summer season. You’ve come up with four different options for the new flavour: apple pie, coffee, banana split, and chocolate chip. Describe how you would design a consumer-focused research study in order to determine which flavour should be introduced next month.
The study you design should include information about your research question, participants, recruitment, measures, procedure, and analysis. You should consider what issues might occur when conducting the study and how you might address these issues in the design of your study. What are the strengths and weaknesses of your study?
4. Many people argue that playing violent video games causes children to become more violent and aggressive. Describe how you would design a research study in order to determine whether playing violent video games causes children to be more violent.
The study you design should include detailed information about your participants, recruitment, measures, procedure, and analysis. You should also discuss what specific issues might occur when conducting this study and how you can design a study that helps to address these issues. What are the limitations of your proposed study?
