Pedagogy

There seems to be some problems in regard to the research methods used by Fitzpatrick, Hastings, and Kintrea (1998) in their study entitled Including Young People in Urban Regeneration. The question centers on the reliability of both the quantitative and qualitative methods the researchers used in conducting their study, which is about the social problems that confront young people living within disadvantaged communities. In terms of quantitative methods, the researchers mainly asserted that their study focused on how urban regeneration projects resolved the problems of young people aged 16 to 24 years old. With the absence of statistics and numerical figures related to the research purpose, the studys claims and findings were not sufficiently backed by a reliable set of evidence. Instead, the researchers merely stated that most youth-oriented projects were mainly focused on two groups of young peoplethose aged between 14 to 19 years old and those up to 25 years.

Quantitative method is an important research technique used to collect quantitative data and information, while qualitative method mainly pertains to the researchers detailed understanding of human behavior. In this study, the researchers primarily used qualitative method in understanding the impact of urban regeneration projects on young people. Here, they mentioned various ways that can be employed in order to positively influence young peoples behavior in order to make them productive members of the community. These urban regeneration approaches include economic projects, education projects, youth involvement, and youth forums. In arriving at a qualitative data for their study, researchers focused on the behavior of young people and adult decision-makers. They then analyzed and observed the impacts of various regeneration projects and activities on the behavior of young people. However, with insufficient quantitative data, the study appears to be based mainly on qualitative data and observation, as the researchers failed to present statistics and relevant numerical figures to back their claim.

In this study, both the quantitative and qualitative methods used are not that reliable as the research is mainly backed by the researchers observation and evaluation of various social factors. To come up with a reliable quantitative data backed by real-world evidence, surveys, focus group discussions, and conferences should have been conducted. Qualitative data, in order to be reliable, should be based on the how and why of decision-making and be significantly related to the quantitative data gathered.