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Challenges in Qualitative Research Methods

The document discusses a qualitative article titled 'Students' Perceptions Towards the Quality of Online Education: A Qualitative Approach' by Yi Yang and Linda F. Cornelious, chosen for its alignment with qualitative research methods. It outlines challenges faced in qualitative research, including limited generalizability, researcher bias, data consistency, subjectivity in interpretation, and time-intensive data collection. The study's limitations are highlighted due to its small sample size and the diverse experiences of participants.

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Zach Olapade Jr.
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4 views3 pages

Challenges in Qualitative Research Methods

The document discusses a qualitative article titled 'Students' Perceptions Towards the Quality of Online Education: A Qualitative Approach' by Yi Yang and Linda F. Cornelious, chosen for its alignment with qualitative research methods. It outlines challenges faced in qualitative research, including limited generalizability, researcher bias, data consistency, subjectivity in interpretation, and time-intensive data collection. The study's limitations are highlighted due to its small sample size and the diverse experiences of participants.

Uploaded by

Zach Olapade Jr.
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

A QUALITATIVE ARTICLE

IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COURSE


PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT MONITORING AND EVALUATION

By
TOOGUN RACHEAL ROLAKE
MATRIC NO.: BP25NSC8007

JUNE 2025
CHOICE OF SJOURNAL ARTICLE

The chosen journal article is "Students' Perceptions Towards the Quality of Online

Education: A Qualitative Approach" by Yi Yang and Linda F. Cornelious.

REASON FOR CHOICE

This article was chosen because its title explicitly indicates a "Qualitative Approach".

Furthermore, the abstract and methodology sections clearly state that the study "utilized

qualitative methods," including interviews, observations, and document collection, to

investigate students' perceptions. This direct alignment with the prompt's requirement for

a qualitative research method makes it an ideal selection.

CHALLENGES OF USING QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHOD

The authors of this article, like many qualitative researchers, would have encountered

several challenges inherent to this methodology, some of which are explicitly stated as

limitations of their study:

Limited Generalizability: The study involved a small sample size of only three students

from different universities and a community college, taking various classes across

disciplines and levels. This small, diverse sample makes it challenging to generalize

findings to a broader population of online students.

Researcher Influence/Bias: In qualitative research, the researcher is the primary

instrument for data collection. The study notes that "the characteristics of the instructor

may have influenced students' perceptions of their online education", implying that the

researchers' interactions and interpretations could also introduce bias despite efforts like

triangulation.

Data Consistency and Comparability: Given that the three students were in different

classes with varying courseware technologies (WebCT and Blackboard), layouts,


designs, and interfaces, ensuring consistency in data collection and comparability of

experiences across participants would have been a challenge.

Subjectivity in Data Interpretation: Qualitative data derived from interviews,

observations, and documents relies heavily on interpretation. While triangulation was

used to cross-check findings, the subjective nature of analyzing rich, descriptive data can

still challenge maintaining objectivity and ensuring consistent meaning extraction.

Time-Intensive Data Collection: Conducting structured and unstructured interviews

(each lasting 45-60 minutes per participant) and 60-minute observations, along with

collecting documents, is time-consuming. This intensity can limit the number of

participants and extend the study duration.

REFERENCE

Yang, Y., & Cornelious, L. F. (2004). Students' Perceptions towards the Quality of Online
Education: A Qualitative Approach. ERIC-Educaation Resources Information
Centre. Pp.861-877.

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