Qualitative Data
Physical Education: AQA GCSE, topic 5.1.2
Qualitative Data
There are 2 types of data - qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data often relates to the quality of performance rather than the quantity.
Opinions
- Qualitative data usually involves or records a person's opinion.
- It can show someone's reasoning or explain different viewpoints.
Examples of qualitative data
- In a fitness test, a performer could explain how they felt during the test or say whether they thought the performance was good or bad, and why.
Advantages and disadvantages
- An advantage of qualitative data is that it lets us understand how and why so that we can act and improve.
- A disadvantage is that it takes a long time to analyse and interpret the data recorded.
Collecting Qualitative Data
We can collect qualitative data in a number of ways.
Interviews
- In an interview, a performer can give their opinion of their performance. They can justify (explain) their decision-making during an analysis.
- Referees have a debrief after matches to review and justify (explain) the decisions they have made. They can then act on this information to improve for future performances.
Observations
- People can observe performances. This gives an external (outside) opinion of the performance.
Test yourself on Qualitative Data
What kind of data is this judge giving here?
Is the time run by sprinters in a 100m race qualitative or quantitative data?
What do referees have after a match to review their performance?