ABSTRACT
Qualitative research focuses on verbal, descriptive data. It is associated with certain research methods—in particular, interviews. This contrasts with methods that gather numerical data. As with the quantitative methods, the term ‘qualitative’ does not refer to the research method but to the data. Qualitative data relates to the qualities or characteristics of a thing, rather than measuring that thing on a scale. The key characteristic of the interview is that questions are asked face-to-face. In comparison to distributing a written survey, this makes the research more time-consuming to carry out, but allows for misunderstandings to be clarified. Although it may seem natural to take notes during an interview, the best approach for research purposes is to digitally record the interview. The focus group are often, though not always, asked to respond to a particular stimulus. In classroom-based research, they could be asked to view a section of a lesson or some learning materials and then have a discussion.
