Quantitative Design and Analysis - Assignment Example

? Applying Knowledge of Quantitative Design and Analysis Walden The method of research employed by the researcher largely depends on the scope of research and the population of study. While some of the researchers rely on primary data collected from the field, others rely on secondary data from previous research. Those who rely on secondary data conduct an analysis of the existing information on the research topic. With this regard, the two major research classifications are the qualitative and quantitative researches. This paper is an analysis of two research articles, The Influence of Leadership Style on Teacher Job Satisfaction by Bogler (2001) and The Managerial Roles of Public Community College Chief Academic Officers by Anderson, Murray & Olivarez (2002). Applying Knowledge of Quantitative Design and Analysis Research designs employed in the articles Different researchers employ different research designs when conducting their research. The choice of research population and the scope of research determine the research design employed by the researchers. There are different kinds of research designs available for researchers. While some opt for case studies, others prefer surveys; others prefer correlational, descriptive and others experimental. While conducting their research, bothy researchers used surveys in conducting their research. Their research being quantitative employed the use of data, which the researchers collected through the various field surveys conducted in the field. The rationale of the research design A research rationale forms the main reason for the researcher to conduct the research. It is the main motivating factor for the researcher in conducting the research. Some researchers indicate their rationale for conducting the research while others do not. However, it is possible to make pout the research rationale of a researcher by reading through a paper. The Influence of Leadership Style on Teacher Job Satisfaction by Bogler The main reason for Bogler to conduct his research was to find out how leadership styles employed by school leaders influences teacher’s job satisfaction. In his research, Bogler sought to establish how transformational and transactional leadership styles influenced teacher’s level of job satisfaction. In addition to this, the research sought to establish the influence of autocratic and participative decision-making styles on teacher satisfaction in their jobs. In the research, the author sought to analyze a number of issues pertinent top the research topic. These include Transformational and Transactional Leadership, Autocratic and Participative Decision Making, Teacher Job Satisfaction and Teachers’ Occupation Perceptions. These formed the main reasons for the researcher to conduct the project research. By conducting a survey of the existing literature on the topic and collecting data from the field, the researcher sought to establish the relationship between these pertinent issues. As such, using a quantitative questionnaire administered to 30 teachers, Bogler collected data that he analyzed to reach to the conclusion that leadership styles positively correlates with the teachers’ job satisfaction. The Managerial Roles of Public Community College Chief Academic Officers by Anderson, Murray & Olivarez Anderson et al. (2002) sought to establish the role of the position held by Chief Academic officers in community colleges. With this position being highly controversial in most colleges, the researchers sought to demystify the duties and responsibilities of these positions. Although they argue that role of these individuals is quite evident, the scope of their work remains a contentious issue among staff in these colleges. Thus, through this research, Anderson et al. (2002) sought to determine the managerial roles of the CAOs in community colleges and existing differences in the roles performed by these CAOs with regard to their environmental characteristics, personal characteristics and situational characteristics. Thus, by conducting a review of the existing literature on the roles and duties of CAO and conducting a survey using Mintzberg's taxonomy (1973) designed by Judson (1981), modified by Mech (1997) (Anderson et al., 2002), the researchers collected data that they statistically analysed to arrive to the conclusion. Research results Bogler (2001), through research established that there is a positive relationship between the teacher’s perceptions influences their job satisfaction. Specifically, the perceptions of teachers on their occupational prestige, self-esteem, autonomy at work and professional development influences teachers’ job satisfaction. 61 per cent of the respondents agreed that there was a positive relationship between the leadership style and teacher’s job satisfaction. Anderson et al., (2002) established a number of results from the research conducted. According to the results of the research, a typical CAO has an average of 52.5 years of age, and has 15.5 years in a managerial position. He should have been with the current institution for at least 5.4 years. Further, all 6 CAOs investigated during the study revealed that 10 of their managerial roles play a big role in the performance of their duties. Critique of the articles Research questions or hypotheses While both articles had research hypotheses, the researchers took considerable amount of time in describing their research hypothesis. This made it possible for the audience to know the exact reason for conducting the research and the pertinent issues under discussion. However, Bogler (2001) had a well-defined research hypothesis, guided by the research gaps available from the previous researches conducted on the issue. However, the articles equally addressed the assumptions taken into consideration while conducting the research. Measurement and instrumentation Measurement and instrumentation are important aspects of any research process. They determine the effectiveness in the measurement and the tabulation of the collected data. While Bogler successfully indicated the process of data measurement, the process was highly cumbersome. It is difficult for the audience to read and understand the process followed by the researcher in arriving at the results. On the other hand, Anderson, et al. (2002) did not effectively measure their data findings. However, the use of questionnaires as the research instrument was a good choice. Sampling procedures Both studies involved sampling. While neither of the researchers explains the sampling procedures taken, they demonstrate the process used in arriving at the target population. While Anderson et al. (2002) favored a survey of CAOs in 6 different regions; Bogler conducted a study of 745 teachers in elementary, middle level and high school levels. The wide scope of their study could have contributed to poor results of the studies (2001). References Anderson, P., Murray, J. P., & Olivarez, J. (2002). The Managerial Roles of Public Community College Chief Academic Officers.Community College Review, 30(2), 1. Bogler, R. (2001). The Influence of Leadership Style on Teacher Job Satisfaction. Education administration Quarterly, 37 (5), 662-683. Read More