Page 25 - DEDU504_EDUCATIONAL_MEASUREMENT_AND_EVALUATION_ENGLISH

Unit 2: Measurement and Evaluation : Concept, Need, Scope, Difference and Relevance

Difference between Qualitative and Quantitative Measurement Notes
Qualitative measurement is different from quantitative measurement in the following ways :
(1) The bases of qualitative measurement are often norms; and those of quantitative measurement
are units.
(2) The norms of qualitative measurement are generally not universal, while the units of quantitative
measurement are universal.
(3) There is never a situation of zero (0) in qualitative measurement; for example, the intelligence
of a child can never be zero. On the contrary, the basis of quantitative measurement is zero
under all circumstances; for example, when we say that the weight of a child is 40 kg., it means
that his weight is more than zero (0) by 40 kg. The most suitable example of this is temperature
which may be both more than zero (0) and less than zero (0).

Qualitative measurement can never be done completely in itself, for example, inability to
fully measure the interest of a child. On the other hand, quantitative measurement can be
done fully in itself; for example, measuring the weight of a child fully.
(4) Qualitative measurement has no mathematical relationship; for example, the proficiency in
mathematics of a child securing 60 marks is not necessarily the double than that of a child
securing 30 marks. On the contrary, quantitative measurement has mathematical relationship;
for example, the weight of a child with 60 kg. is double than that of a child with a weight of 30
kg.

2.1.3 Levels, Scales and Types of Measurement
S.S. Stevens has divided the process of measurement into four levels on the basis of their facts —
Nominal level, Ordinal level, Interval level and Ratio level. Some scholars term them as scale,—
Nominal scale, Ordinal scale, Interval scale, and Ratio scale. On the basis of these four levels or
scales, measurement is of four types — Nominal measurement, Ordinal measurement, Interval
measurement and Ratio measurement. We shall discuss them here in brief. They are four in numbers.
1. Nominal Measurement : In the measurement of this level or scale, a particular characteristic
of an object or person is seen, and on its basis is allotted the classification or symbol; for
example, to name the students as boys or girls on the basis of sex, to name the students as
urban or rural on the basis of place, to name the students as belonging to primary class, middle
class, higher class, medical class or engineering class, on the basis of level of education.
It is evident that nominal measurement is a qualitative measurement and is very ordinary in
its approach. It is the least appropriate type of measurement.
2. Ordinal Measurement : In the measurement of this level or scale, the quantity of a characteristic
of an object or person is measured, and is allotted a classification, name or symbol on the basis
of quantity; for example, to classify the students as belonging to high intelligence, medium
intelligence or low intelligence on the basis of quantity of their intelligence; or to classify the
students as belonging to first class, second class or third class on the basis of the marks obtained.
It is evident that the measurement of this level is quantitative, and the classifications made
within it have inter-relation. In the examples given above, the students of the first classification
are better than those of the second classification, and the students of the second classification
are better than those of the third classification; they are inter-related. The measurement of this
level is better than nominal measurement.
3. Interval Measurement : In the measurement of this level or scale, a trait of an object or person
is measured in unit numbers and there is equal difference between any two continuous unit
numbers; for example, to award the students with marks 40, 38, 52, 64, etc. in an examination.

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