Approaches to qualitative education market research
Differences between qualitative and quantitative education market research
The learning sector is diverse, covering everything from schools, to colleges and universities, and professional education. When comparing market research companies for education, look for those that work within your market segment. This means they’ll already have some understanding of your type of organisation and the audiences that you work with.
​
Qualitative
Qualitative research delves into the 'why' and 'how' using methods like interviews and focus groups to gather rich, descriptive data. This approach is particularly useful for exploring complex issues such as buying decisions, understanding the customer context and exploring motivators and barriers to purchase. It allows education market researchers to detect nuances that numbers alone can't capture, providing for a deeper understanding of participant experiences and motives.
​
Quantitative
Quantitative research involves collecting data and generating statistics. An education market researcher then analyses these to see patterns and trends. Popular methods include surveys and tests to collect numerical data that can be generalised across larger populations. While this method is ideal for measuring how many people do or think a certain thing, it doesn't pick up the 'why' and 'how' behind the data.
​
Contrasting the two
It's important to distinguish between the two methods when conducting education market research. For example, quantitative data might show that 70% of school leaders face a particular challenge, but qualitative insights reveal more about the impacts and experiences of this challenge in a way that numbers alone can't explain.
Our education market research methods overview page goes into more detail.
How qualitative insights help to understand behaviours and motivations
Qualitative research in education provides deep insights into teacher and stakeholder behaviours and motivations. Here are some examples.
​
Understanding buying decisions
We have carried out research with lapsed customers, to understand more about the reasons why an education supplier was losing customers and to help them understand how they could improve their customer retention rates. Their own internal data gave them quantitative data on renewal rates, but without our research they struggled to understand why customers failed to maintain their subscription.
​
Understanding motivations and attitudes
We worked with one of the teaching unions to understand more about how teachers and school leaders choose which union they belong to, and to uncover their experiences of being part of a union. We were able to identify how different personalities were drawn to different unions and the reasons behind their decision-making.
Delving into user experiences
We have worked on a number of projects where we have taken a deep dive into the user experience, to understand how and why a supplier’s products and services provide value to schools and colleges, and also to identify areas for improvement which could enhance the user experience further.​
​
Methods used in qualitative research.
There are several different qualitative research methods that we can use to gather rich, context-specific data in an educational context. Here are some of the most common approaches:
​
Interviews
One-on-one discussions allow participants to share their thoughts and feelings in depth. This method is particularly effective for exploring sensitive topics or personal experiences in the education sector. Interviews can be structured, semi-structured or unstructured, depending on research goals.
​
Focus groups
Group discussions facilitate interaction among participants, which can generate ideas. This method is useful for identifying common themes and differing opinions.
​
Online communities
Online communities allow us to collect qualitative data from participants at a larger-scale and in a more flexible way than interviews and focus groups. The platforms we use allow for participant interaction and can be a valuable way to allow a diverse range of participants to contribute to research, who may not always be available to take part in scheduled interviews and focus groups.
Our post on education market research methods explains more about the different techniques we use.
How qualitative data is analysed and reported
Here are just some examples of how we analyse, report and use qualitative education market research.
​
Coding and thematic analysis
The researchers code interview and focus group transcripts to identify emerging themes and insights.
​
Narrative reporting
Qualitative findings are also often presented through narratives, backed up by other research, such as direct quotes from participants. For example, a report may contain a quote like "I feel more supported since the school introduced the mentoring program," said a Year 9 student. This narrative approach brings the research to life and makes it more relatable for readers.
​
Does Insightful Research use qualitative research methods?
Yes, in fact, we've lots of case studies of when we've used qualitative methods to gain deep insights and understand the 'why' and 'how' for our clients. For example, we conducted in-depth interviews to uncover why customers weren't renewing subscriptions for a curriculum resources provider. If you feel like you could benefit from nuanced insights that go beyond numbers and statistics, contact us today for a friendly chat about your education market research project. We work with a variety of different sectors across the industry.
​
How can we help?
If you would like to ask our advice, book a
no-obligation 30 minute consultation with us to discuss your research requirements or to simply have a chat and find out more about what we do.
Alternatively, use the briefing form to start discussing a new project, give Jill Elston a call on +44 (0)7703 462179 or email us jill@insightfulresearch.co.uk