Quantitative Research Methods in Medical Education

Medical education, as a relatively new field of scientific study, has understandably been dominated by qualitative research efforts. Similarly, quantitative research in this field has tended to be questionnaire- and correlation-heavy, and often focussed on stakeholders’ perceptions or opinions, with a dearth of studies and literature that provide rigorous answers to the questions of cause and effect. Some of this imbalance between qualitative and quantitative work derives from the fact that medical education interventions tend to be complex, and moving targets are easier to observe than to control. However, experiments and other quantitative methods offer the opportunity to take an inductive, rather than abductive, stance toward decision-making on the important scientific questions of our day.

Core components of the programme include research design; data analysis, interpretation, and reporting; assessment and measurement theory and practice; instrument development; and evaluation. A continuous thread throughout the programme is the emphasis on innovation and maximisation of rigour in the design and execution of research.

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