Quantitative methodology

Terre Blanche, Durrheim and Painter (2006: 272) state that “quantitative research follows a predetermined set of procedures where we know in advance what the important variables are, and are able to devise reasonable ways of controlling or

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measuring them”. The SSS available at NUST-COLL regional centres were known, but the effectiveness of SSS implementation was not known. Kumar (2011: 103) highlights that “quantitative studies designs are specific, well structured, have been tested for their validity and reliability, and can be explicitly defined and recognised”. According to Leedy and Ormrod (2001: 102), “quantitative researchers seek explanations and predictions that can be generalised to other persons and places. The intent is to establish, confirm, or validate relationships and to develop generalisation that contribute to theory”.

Creswell (2003: 153) contends that “validity and reliability of scores on instruments, additional standards for making knowledge claims, lead to meaningful interpretations of data”. The quantitative method collects data that can be quantified and interpreted for new knowledge. This study sought to gauge particular views and problems on the implementation of student support services at NUST-COLL regional centres from the perspective of the students and regional coordinators. In order to quantify which SSS were the most effective, and which ones should be improved, the findings were analysed to ascertain the nature of the problem. Emphasis was also placed on exploring whether the implementation of SSS responds to the students’ expectations and needs during their studies as well as problems experienced by the regional coordinators when providing services to the students.

Möwes (2005: 100) asserts that “different researchers make different epistemological assusmptions about the nature of causality, and these assumptions affect their their approach to the study of cause-and-effect relationships among educational phenomena”. In this study, the emphasis was placed on how the implementation of SSS at COLL regional centres affected the students’ expectations and needs during their studies. The researcher expressed a strong conviction that SSS can improve the success rate and reduce the dropout rate among DE students but they should be designed from the students’ perspective. Williams (2007: 66) submits that “in the causal comparative research, the researcher examines how the independent variables are affected by the dependent variables and involves cause and effect relationships between variables”. The researcher had an opportunity to examine the impact of support service provision on student’s needs and expectations during their studies. Furthermore, the views and proposals from the reginal coordinators were used to validate and justfy some claims from the students. In other words, the nature

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of emprical data collected in this study prompted the researcher to understand the effects of different support services on success rates. The researcher intended to collect and interpret data through an objective approach whereby the world is considered to be external and objective.

Quantitative approach is referred to as the positivist approach by researchers. According to Welman, Kruger and Mitchell (2005: 6), “the positivist approach underlies the natural-scientific method in human behavioural research and holds that research must be limited to what we can observe and measure objectively, that is, that which exists independently of the feelings and opinions of individuals”. Similarly, Shulman (1986: 8) clarified that in terms of a positivistic worldview, the researcher is an outsider who observes and provide conclusions based on the relationship between the variables. In this study, the researcher studied the objective reality that was out there, analysed and understood it from the perspectives of distance students and regional coordinators. In particular, the researcher wanted to establish what counts as knowledge in the implementation and provision of student support services at the NUST-COLL regional centres. As Welman, Kruger and Mitchell (2005: 8) argue, quantitative researchers must be detached and objective with the facts provided, to ensure that the research process is not biased. This basic assumption is supported by Hutchinson (1998: 124) who stated that “positivists view the world as being ‘out there’ and available for study in a more or less static form”.

According to Möwes (2005: 100):

another assumption applicable to positivist epistemology is that researchers believe that features of the social environment retain a high degree of constancy across time and space. Furthermore, positivist researchers study samples and population and statistical techniques are available to determine the likelihood that sample findings apply to the population.

The above assumption was applicable to this study since the population of distance students at the NUST-COLL regional centres and the sample were selected and the numerical data to be collected was analysed, using statistical procedures. In other words, statistical inference procedures were used to generalise findings from a sample to a defined population namely, distance students at NUST-COLL regional centres. The study was therefore guided by the philosophy of a positivist research

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design. Additionally, the researcher relied on the causal-comparative method, which is also referred to as ex post facto (Latin for “after the fact”) research since both the effect and the alleged cause have already occurred and must be studied in retrospect. The researcher viewed this method as appropriate for the study, since the implementation of student support services at different COLL regional centres could not be manipulated by the investigator during the data collection. The reality on the implementation and provision of student support services at COLL regional centres had already happened. The study sought to establish the existence of certain relationships and effects between the implementation and provision of student support services and expectations and needs of distance students. Furthermore, regional coordinators were expected to provide the much needed information on the actual implementation of SSS. The use of ex post facto design is supported by Ary, Jacobs and Razavier (1972: 269) who state that “though not a perfect substitute for experimentation, it does provide recognition of the circumstances under which much educational research must be conducted….It remains a useful method that can supply much information of value in educational decision-making”. Since this study was similar to the study conducted in Namibia by Möwes (2005), I concur with Möwes (2005: 101) that “ex post facto design is applicable to this study because its use in research has been supported in most literature on research methods”.

Leedy and Ormrod (2005: 232) submit that “Ex post facto designs provide an alternative means by which a researcher can investigate the extent to which specific independent variables affect the dependent variables of interest.” The provision and implementation of SSS had already occurred or were present at the NUST-COLL regional centres. The researcher then collected data from the students’ and regional coordinators’ perspectives to investigate the possible effects on the presumed effective implementation of SSS. The researcher posited that effective implementation of support services as per the needs and expectations of the distance students would have a positive impact on the performance and success rate at the COLL regional centres.

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