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AJSW, Volume 12 Number 4 2022                                                               Ibrahim, A. T. H. & ElSherbiny, M. M. K. 
  
 

African Journal of Social Work, 12(4), 2022                                                                                                                                                142 
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        Publisher                                                                                                                                                       African Journal of Social Work 
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Key drivers of Egyptian social work researchers' low preference for 
using qualitative research methods in social work studies 

 
Ahmed Thabet Helal IBRAHIM and Mohamed Mohamed Kamel ELSHERBINY 

 
ABSTRACT 

Social work has a long history in applying qualitative research methods. Although the use of the qualitative approach in social 
work research helps enrich the research, many researchers in social work disciplines in Egypt still avoid using this method when 
implementing scientific studies in professional social work settings. This study investigates the key drivers of Egyptian social work 
researchers' low preferences for using qualitative research methods. An online survey was conducted using a non-probability 
snowball sampling technique scale. A total of 67 responses were received: 25 males and 42 females with ages ranging from 30 
years old to more than 49 years old.  Findings show that many factors are preventing the use of this type of method, such as the 
researchers’ lack of skills in using the qualitative method, the researchers’ lack of sufficient knowledge about this method in the 
different educational stages, the fear of not being able to do this type of research, and their preference for quantitative research. 
This study provides strategies for helping social work researchers apply qualitative research methods in their studies.  

 
KEY TERMS: qualitative research methods, social work studies, Egypt, social work research 
 
KEY DATES 
Received: March 2022 
Revised: June 2022 
Accepted: July 2022 
Published: August 2022 
 
Funding: None 
Conflict of Interest: None 
Permission: None 
Ethics approval: Not applicable 
 
Author/s details:  
Ahmed Thabet Helal Ibrahim Sociology and Social Work Department, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman; 

Social Casework Department, Faculty of Social Work at Assiut University, Egypt. Email: a.ibrahim1@squ.edu.om & 
ahmed.socialwork@aun.edu.eg 

Mohamed Mohamed Kamel ElSherbiny, Professor, Social Casework Department, Faculty of Social Work, Assiut University; Sociology and 
Social Work Department, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman. Email: mmsherbiny@aun.edu.eg 
& sherbiny@squ.edu.om 

 
Current and previous volumes are available at: 

https://africasocialwork.net/current-and-past-issues/ 

 
 
How to reference using ASWNet style: 
Ibrahim A. T. H. and Elsherbiny, M. M. K. (2022). Key drivers of Egyptian social work researchers' low preference for using qualitative 
research methods in social work studies. African Journal of Social Work, 12(4), 142-152. 

 
  



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AJSW, Volume 12 Number 4 2022                                                               Ibrahim, A. T. H. & ElSherbiny, M. M. K. 
  
 

African Journal of Social Work, 12(4), 2022                                                                                                                                                143 
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INTRODUCTION 

There are various benefits and reasons why qualitative research is appealing and relevant to social work. Despite 
the fact that qualitative research is gaining traction and gaining widespread recognition around the world, a 
significant number of social work researchers in Egypt are yet to receive knowledge of qualitative research, so 
they hardly be involved in that method of research. This may be because the Egyptian academic institutions in 
social work are still far from applying this type of research, especially with the dominance of quantitative research 
in all research activities in social work. This dominance results in low preference by social work researchers in 
Egypt to use qualitative research methods. In this paper, the authors discuss the main reasons and motives for the 
low preference of Egyptian researchers to use qualitative research methods in social work studies. 

BACKGROUND 

At the beginning of the twenties of the last century, scientific research in humanities and social sciences was 
dominated by research methods based on field quantitative data. The competition of gaining scientific status 
focused on the degree of complexity and detailed data, methods, and way of analyzing the quantitative data. These 
are analyzing and collection of these data have achieved widespread a way that suggests that those who do not 
use these complex methods are not well prepared for scientific research methods (Al-Elwany, 2006). 

Despite the importance of quantitative research methods in human research regarding their reliance on 
statistical data and quantitative analyzes interpretations that can be generalized in understanding human 
phenomena, these quantitative approaches take from the natural sciences approach as the only approach when 
researching human phenomena without taking into account the unique specificity of those phenomena and the 
social researcher's relationship with them. The results of scientific studies and research confirm the dominance of 
quantitative research in humanities and social sciences. Due to its frequent uses in natural research, quantitative 
research methodology is considered more scientific and accurate than qualitative research methodology. It has 
become dominant in the human sciences in general. As a result, the quantitative approach became associated with 
the positivist model (Al-Harby, 2021). 

If the quantitative approach seeks to predict and test hypotheses, and apply and apply the theory to reality, 
the qualitative approach is not limited to merely describing the phenomenon but building scientific theories 
through observations and experiences as well that the researcher goes through in his study El-Kandarī states that 
when quantitative research provides an explanation based on inference, it does not provide a thorough, 
analytical and realistic understanding of that behavior. Qualitative research seeks to explain human phenomena 
by understanding reality and its multiple aspects, in order to deeply depict the complex pattern of what is being 
studied in building models through the analysis of its component parts and their composition, the interpretation 
of the social meaning of events, and the analysis of the relationships between events and external factors (AL-
Kandarī, 2006). 

Quantitative research is based on numbers and statistics and focuses on numerical measurement of certain 
features of a problem or phenomenon. Because quantitative research often collects a large and representative 
sample of data from a large number of respondents, statistics help quantitative research in the processing of 
large amounts of detailed data. 

Quantitative research is most useful when the phenomenon is well-understood to determine which precise 
categories and types of data are required to gain a better understanding (Sheafor, Horejsi, 2015).  

The impact of quantitative methodologies on social work research has sometimes been limited due to the 
sensitive and confidential nature of the social work activity (Malcome, 2013). There are also schools of thought 
(particularly feminism) that believe quantitative research fails to effectively explore and hence fully understand 
research participants.In qualitative research, non-numerical data is collected and analyzed in order to better 
comprehend concepts, opinions, or experiences. It is interpretivist, looking for a deeper understanding of a 
phenomenon in its context (Denzin & Lincoln, 2008; Morrow, 2007). 

The goal of qualitative research is to describe the factors being investigated. It is expressed using the words 
for the given data sets. When the underlying characteristics of the phenomenon being examined are still uncertain 
and difficult to define, qualitative research is the best option. 

In general, qualitative research differs from quantitative research in that it is inductive rather than deductive, 
and it takes into account experiences in context rather than controlling for factors as in an experiment (Bogdan & 
Biklen, 2007). 

 
 
 



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AJSW, Volume 12 Number 4 2022                                                               Ibrahim, A. T. H. & ElSherbiny, M. M. K. 
  
 

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THE RELEVANCE OF QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH TO AFRICA 

Despite the fact that qualitative and quantitative research approaches are on opposite ends of the spectrum, they 
are all geared at detecting and identifying social problems in different ways. Qualitative research used many 
methods in collecting data (see Table 1) from the participants in their natural settings. The collected data (for 
example through in-depth interview) give a detailed explanation of the studied problem or phenomenon. As for 
the other type, quantitative research has been seen as a "researcher detachment" method (Eyisi, D, 2016). When 
it comes to "researcher detachment," quantitative research has a distinct advantage. Research bias will be 
eliminated as there is no effect of data collection. When the researcher collects the data by telephone, internet, or 
even a pencil-and-paper questionnaire, the risk of bias in data collection or analysis is greatly reduced. 

 
Table 1: Examples of quantitative and qualitative approaches used in Africa 

Qualitative research methods Quantitative research methods 
Interviews Experiments 
Focus groups Questionnaires 
Content Analysis 
Observation 

Surveys such as KAP (Abdullahi, et al., 2012) 

Case study Database reports 
Story- telling Observations expressed in numbers 

THE PROBLEM 

The importance of qualitative research methodology in the social sciences comes from the fact that it focuses on 
describing phenomena and a deeper understanding of them. It is also based on the philosophy that the truth is not 
one but rather multiple and changing and is formed and built according to the understanding of a group of people 
or individuals.  Accordingly, the problem of this study focuses on identifying the main reasons and motives for 
the low preference of Egyptian researchers to use qualitative research methods in social work studies. Moreover, 
this study also attempts to determine the relationship between some demographic variables such as gender, 
residence, number of experience years and nature of work and their relationship to the low preference of 
qualitative research in social work in Egypt. The significance of this study comes from the importance of the 
qualitative approach to social work studies and research, as qualitative research methods allow for more deep 
investigation and questioning of the subjects based on their responses, as the researcher tries to understand their 
motives and feelings along with their thoughts, information and opinions. This cross-sectional study seeks to 
understand the Key drivers of Egyptian social work researchers' low preferences for using qualitative research 
methods in social work studies. The primary research question for this study is the following: what are the main 
motives for Egyptian social work researchers' low preferences for using qualitative research methods in social 
work studies? Addressing this question will provide empirical evidence as to what are the factors associated with 
the low ability of social work researchers in Egypt to integrate qualitative methods into their scientific research in 
a way that sheds light on some recommendations that would enhance the use of qualitative research methods in 
social work research in Egypt. 

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 

Research methods, in the field of human and social studies, were at first obtained from the research methods in 
natural science subjects, and their main concern was focused on research and verification of things that could be 
observed and measured. Therefore, researchers called this method the quantitative research method. For a long 
time, researchers in sociology and psychology concentrate on studying the human behavior. They found it very 
difficult to explain  using quantitative measurement. Quantitative measurement often shows that a group of people 
behave in a certain way, but it does not give us an adequate answer about how they behave in this way. Since that, 
many researchers have adopted qualitative research methods (Al-Jeddy, 2014). From this point of view, the 
qualitative approach comes with unique features and characteristics that take into account the characteristics of 
human phenomena characterized by continuous change, multiple reality and circular causality to give new 
horizons for the social researcher enabling him to integrate with the human phenomenon and interact with it in 
order to understand the social reality associated with it (Al-Brithen, 2012). The qualitative approach refers to 
research strategies such as observation and participation, in-depth interview, field research, comprehensive 
coexistence of social activity, among others.  Such strategies allow the researcher to obtain direct knowledge from 



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AJSW, Volume 12 Number 4 2022                                                               Ibrahim, A. T. H. & ElSherbiny, M. M. K. 
  
 

African Journal of Social Work, 12(4), 2022                                                                                                                                                145 
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the real world that he/she deals with by research and study (Zeitoun, 2004). 

LITERATURE REVIEW 

Goldman (1989) indicated that practitioners in the humanitarian professions should reduce reliance on quantitative 
research and move towards more realistic methods in dealing with human phenomena such as case study, 
naturalistic investigation and content analysis, because of the importance of these methods in helping the 
professional practitioner to efficiently and effectively provide the assistance process, as it contributes to an in-
depth understanding of the dimensions of the problems faced by those seeking assistance. 

Few Egyptian studies have been conducted researchers' disfavor to use the qualitative approach in social 
studies, such as the study of Al-Harby (2021), which reveals the obstacles to using qualitative approach in 
sociology research. That study recommended the necessity of getting rid of unidirectionality in sociology research 
and using methodological pluralism in line with the studied phenomena, training staff members, post-graduate 
students and researchers to use qualitative methodologies, initiating an independent course for teaching qualitative 
methods in undergraduate and post-graduate programs, and publishing cultural programs that enhance the use of 
qualitative methods.  

El-Sherbiny's study (2020) aimed determining the attitudes of faculty members towards the use of the 
qualitative approach in social work research. The results of his study displayed a decrease in the tendency of 
Egyptian faculty members to use qualitative research in social work. The study emphasized the necessity to 
increase the knowledge of faculty members with the techniques and advantages of the qualitative approach in 
social work research. The study also recommended the necessity of conducting more future studies concerned 
with strengthening the attitudes of faculty members towards the use of the qualitative approach in social work 
research. 

Abdel Hamid's study (2009) indicated that the reliance on quantitative research in the Arab environment in 
general and the Egyptian environment, in particular, is due to several reasons such as the conservative tendency 
that dominates Arab societies and the resulting tendency of adapting to the existing conditions, and even their 
fierce resistance to any attempts of change or renewal, The scientific upbringing of successive generations of Arab 
researchers was based on the data of the functional constructivist school and its intellectual perceptions which 
have dominated and continues to dominate on the activities and events of social research in the education and 
preparation of Arab researchers. Moreover, the culture of distance from the clash, which was formed by many 
researchers and left by the colonial tendency, established among researchers the notion that their security and the 
security of their families is linked to the distance from dealing with social issues and problems in an analytical 
and critical manner. Hence, it became the safest alternative for them to adopt the quantitative approach, because 
it allows for a kind of political and social neutrality in dealing with these issues, as it presents a superficial vision 
that is separated from the political and social context. Social researchers realized that their economic security is 
largely related to what they accumulate of cultural capital, and they achieve that from their ability to adopt a 
research thesis that allows them not to disagree with the orientation of states and systems of government and to 
provide acceptable solutions from the ruling elite to the problems of society. 

 
METHODOLOGY 

Data collection 

The current study is considered a cross-sectional study using descriptive method designed to assess the key 
motives of Egyptian social work researchers' low preferences for using qualitative research methods in social 
work studies. An online measurement has been developed using Google examples with an annex of informed 
consent form attached. The survey link was sent through emails, WhatsApp, and other social media (Facebook 
and Twitter) to the participants' contacts. Participants were encouraged to publish the survey to as many social 
work researchers as possible. When the participants receive the link and click on it, they automatically obtain 
information about the study and the informed consent. After they accepted the survey, they filled out demographic 
details, and then a set of questions, which participants had to answer, appeared consecutively. The study was done 
online. Participants could access the internet to participate in the study. Participants over the age of 18, who are 
able to read Arabic, and are ready to give informed consent, were included.  

 



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AJSW, Volume 12 Number 4 2022                                                               Ibrahim, A. T. H. & ElSherbiny, M. M. K. 
  
 

African Journal of Social Work, 12(4), 2022                                                                                                                                                146 
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Study instrument 

The survey instrument was adopted as a main key instrument for collecting data from the Egyptian researchers. 
The authors designed the instrument in accordance with the aims and the study questions. The study instruments 
were verified through refereeing the survey by ten specialized professors in social work in Egypt. The process of 
the instrument’s validity was represented after calculating the internal consistency according to Cronbach 
equation. The total value of the instrument was 0.95 which is considered as the highest rates that are acceptable 
for the purposes of the study. Response options were presented on a five-point Likert-scale assessing agreement 
with the stem: 1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = neither agree nor disagree, 4= agree, and 5 = strongly agree. 

Characteristics of the study sample 

Most participants 44(65.67%) reported being between 30 years or less of age; 42(62.7%) reported being between 
30 years or less of age, 21(31.33%) reported being between 30-39 years of age; and 4 (5.97 %) reported being 
between 40-49 years of age (M 30.36, SD 6.98). Twenty five participants were male (37.3%) and 42 (62.7%) were 
female.  Most of the participants, 40(59.7%) reported holding a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) as their highest 
level of education, while 16 participants (23.8%) reported holding a Master’s in Social Work (MSW), and 11 
(16.5 %) reported completing their Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Most of the participants, 40 (59.7%) reported a 
postgraduate student as their current position, while 9 participants (13.4%) reported working as a demonstrator, 7 
(10.4 %) reported working as a teaching assistant, 6 (9.0 %) reported working as an assistant professor, 3 (4.5 %) 
reported working as a professor, and 2 (3.0 %) reported working as an Associate Professor. Thirty seven 
participants (55.22%) reported having five years or less of professional experience, 19 (28.36%) reported having 
5>10 years, 7 (10.45 %) reported having 10>15 years, and only 4 respondents (5.97%) reported having 15> years 
of experience (M 5.582, SD 6.86). Twenty three participants (34.3%) reported fields of social work as their 
specialization, while 22 participants (32.8%) reported micro social work, 13 (19.4 %) reported social policy and 
planning, 7 (10.4 %) reported macro social work, and 2 (3.0 %) reported mezzo social work as their specialization. 

RESULTS 

The key drivers of Egyptian social work researchers' low preferences for using qualitative research 
methods 

The results of the current study indicated that there are three main factors that drive Egyptian social work 
researchers to the low preferences for using qualitative research methods. These factors are personal factors, 
academic institution Factors, and environment and research climate factors that drive Egyptian social work 
researchers to the low preferences for using qualitative research methods. In the following tables, we will refer to 
these factors. 

Personal factors that drive Egyptian social work researchers to the low preferences for using qualitative 
research methods 

 
  



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Table 2: The responses of the study sample toward low preference for qualitative research according to the 
researcher's personal factors n=67 

 
No. Item Mean SD Rank Level 

1 
I am convinced of the futility of qualitative research in 
addressing research phenomena and problems. 

2.299 1.02 22 Disagree 

2 
I prefer the quantitative research style to qualitative 
research for its ease. 

3.045 0.944 9 Neither agree nor disagree 

3 
I do not know the steps of qualitative research and the 
mechanisms for its implementation. 

2.791 0.993 20 Neither agree nor disagree 

4 
I do not favour the use of qualitative research in social 
work research due to its long implementation time. 

2.761 0.971 21 Neither agree nor disagree 

5 
I do not have sufficient knowledge of how to conduct 
qualitative research and its applications. 

3.030 1.044 11 Neither agree nor disagree 

6 I am afraid that I will not be able to do this type of research. 2.881 1.038 17 Neither agree nor disagree 

7 
I miss the ability to form the research question in 
qualitative studies. 

3.045 0.960 10 Neither agree nor disagree 

8 
I am afraid of the difficulty of finding the appropriate 
statistical analysis in the qualitative study. 

3.209 0.978 5 Neither agree nor disagree 

9 
I do not have sufficient knowledge of the ethics of 
qualitative research. 

2.925 1.049 16 Neither agree nor disagree 

10 
I lack the ability to understand and perceive deep 
qualitative research problems and phenomena. 

2.866 0.968 18 Neither agree nor disagree 

11 
I am afraid of the difficulty of applying research interviews 
related to qualitative research. 

2.866 1.013 19 Neither agree nor disagree 

12 
Lack of financial resources prevents me from using the 
qualitative approach. 

2.940 1.071 14 Neither agree nor disagree 

13 
I lack the knowledge, experience and skills to conduct 
qualitative research. 

3.030 1.10 12 Neither agree nor disagree 

14 
I do not prefer using qualitative research because its results 
cannot be generalized. 

2.940 0.833 15 Neither agree nor disagree 

15 
I do not have sufficient research depth to analyze and 
interpret qualitative research data. 

3.194 1.062 6 Neither agree nor disagree 

16 
I prefer to use quantitative research rather than qualitative 
because that's what I know. 

3.030 1.015 13 Neither agree nor disagree 

17 
I lack awareness of the relationships between events, 
external factors research phenomena. 

3.493 0.823 2 Agree 

18 
I am having difficulty applying Statistical validity and 
reliability in qualitative research. 

3.239 0.889 4 Neither agree nor disagree 

19 
I cannot obtain and represent the sample in the research 
community when applying qualitative research. 

3.164 0.963 7 Neither agree nor disagree 

20 
I did not participate in any funded researches concerned 
with the qualitative approach in social work. 

3.582 0.972 1 Agree 

21 
Qualitative research methods drain a lot of researchers' 
time and effort. 

3.119 1.066 8 Neither agree nor disagree 

22 
I do not know how to deal with statistical programs related 
to qualitative analysis. 

3.343 0.993 3 Neither agree nor disagree 

Average 3.036 0.603  Neither agree nor disagree 

Table 2 shows that the researchers' responses to the phrases of the first axis concerned with the motives of the low 
preference of Egyptian researchers for qualitative research due to the personality of the researchers came with an 
average rate of (3.036) and a standard deviation of (0.603) with a degree of neutral approval. The table also shows 
the averages and the standard deviations regarding the responses of the sample members. The order of the phrases 
according to their average displays that the phrases (17-20) came in a high degree. These phrases indicated that 
one of the most important reasons for researchers not preferring to use the qualitative approach is the lack of 
funded research projects concerned with qualitative research in social work, as well as the researchers’ lack of 
ability to perceive correlations between the events and the external factors of research phenomena when using the 
qualitative method. Most of the phrases in this table show a neutral response, which indicates the low preference 
of Egyptian researchers to use qualitative research methods according to personal factors that the Egyptian 
researchers lack the knowledge of how to use statistical programs concerned with qualitative approach. Other 
factors are the unavailability of an appropriate statistical test for qualitative research and finding difficulty in 
applying validity and statistical stability in qualitative research.  

 



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AJSW, Volume 12 Number 4 2022                                                               Ibrahim, A. T. H. & ElSherbiny, M. M. K. 
  
 

African Journal of Social Work, 12(4), 2022                                                                                                                                                148 
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Academic institution factors that drive Egyptian social work researchers to the low preferences for using 
qualitative research methods 

Table 3: The responses of the study sample towards the low preference for qualitative research according to the 
factors associated with the academic institution n=67 

 
No. Item Mean SD Rank Level 

1 
I did not receive sufficient theoretical knowledge of qualitative 
research. 

3.194 1.08 6 
Neither agree nor 
disagree 

2 
Arab scientific journals refuse to publish research papers that use 
qualitative research as a research methodology. 

2.970 0.921 8 
Neither agree nor 
disagree 

3 
There is a lack of Arabic, and non-Arabic sources and references 
specialized in qualitative research. 

2.985 0.929 7 
Neither agree nor 
disagree 

4 
I have no desire to contradict the general trend in my organization, 
which tends to use quantitative research in social work. 

3.224 0.867 5 
Neither agree nor 
disagree 

5 
Academic culture promotes the use of the quantitative method in social 
work research. 

3.388 0.797 3 
Neither agree nor 
disagree 

6 The focus of the faculty staff who taught me about quantitative studies 3.522 0.911 1 Agree 

7 
The university does not provide the necessary statistical software to 
analyze qualitative data. 

3.254 0.990 4 
Neither agree nor 
disagree 

8 
The lack of conferences and workshops that encourage the 
dissemination of a culture of qualitative research in social work. 

3.493 1.04 2 Agree 

Average 3.254 0.644  Neither agree nor 
disagree 

Table (3) shows that the researchers' responses to the second axis phrases of the factors associated with the low 
preference of Egyptian researchers for the use of qualitative research represented in the academic institutions in 
which they work came with an average of (3.254) and a standard deviation of (0.644) with a degree of neutral 
approval. The table also shows the average and the standard deviations of the responses of the sample members. 
Regarding the order of the phrases according to their averages, the phrases (7,8) display a high degree, while the 
rest of the phrases in the table indicate a medium degree. The low preference of the Egyptian researchers to use 
the qualitative approach may be because researchers do not receive any courses related to qualitative research, as 
well as the lack of scientific events that encourage the integration of qualitative research into their scientific 
research, in addition to the academic culture that enhances the importance of using the quantitative approach over 
the qualitative approach in social work studies. Moreover, the lack of qualitative statistical programs that the 
university provides to the researchers reduces their interest in using qualitative research in their studies. 

Environment and research climate factors that drive Egyptian social work researchers to the low preferences 
for using qualitative research methods                

Table 4: The responses of the study sample towards the low preference for qualitative research according to the 
factors related to the environment and research climate (n=67) 

 
No. Item Mean SD Rank Level 

1 
I think qualitative research is not suitable for theses and 
scientific research. 

2.910 0.981 5 
Neither agree 
nor disagree 

2 
I think that qualitative research is not suitable for scientific 
promotion. 

2.552 0.875 7 Disagree 

3 
I have doubts about the importance and nature of qualitative 
research. 

2.433 0.891 8 Disagree 

4 
I believe that qualitative research is dominated by subjectivity 
and the researcher’s personality more than scientific 
methodology. 

2.806 0.941 6 
Neither agree 
nor disagree 

5 
I am convinced that the scientific strength and rigor of 
quantitative research prevent my resort to qualitative research. 

2.985 0.913 4 
Neither agree 
nor disagree 

6 
I think that quantitative research methods are the way to achieve 
scientific research in terms of their ability to control the 
dimensions of the study. 

3.105 0.873 3 
Neither agree 
nor disagree 

7 
I have not received enough encouragement from the research 
community to use qualitative research in social work. 

3.418 0.924 1 Agree 

8 
The academic community does not interact well with the tools 
used by qualitative research methods. 

3.254 0.927 2 
Neither agree 
nor disagree 

Average 2.933 0.587  Neither agree 
nor disagree 



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Table 4 shows the researchers' responses to the phrases of the third axis regarding the factors of Egyptian 
researchers' low preference for qualitative research represented in the research environment and the cultural 
climate. The third axis shows an average of (2.933) and a standard deviation of (0.587) with a degree of neutral 
approval. The table also shows the averages and the deviations of the responses of the sample members. Regarding 
the order of the phrases according to their average, phrase (7) comes in a high degree. One of the most critical 
factors of the researchers' low preference to use the qualitative approach is that they do not receive sufficient 
encouragement to use it in the research environment. On the other hand, phrases (2&3) come in a low degree, as 
the researchers of the study sample disagree on the inadequacy of qualitative research for scientific promotion. 
They doubt the lack of importance and nature of qualitative research. Displaying the phrases in the table in a 
medium degree indicates the low preference of Egyptian researchers to use qualitative research methods in their 
scientific studies. This may be because the researchers have indicated that the academic community does not care 
about research tools designed for a qualitative approach, and believes in the efficiency of the quantitative research 
tools for the implementation of scientific research because of their capabilities to control the dimensions of the 
study, and convinces the researchers with the knowledgeable strength of quantitative research, that is not available 
in qualitative research from its point of view. 

Table 5: Mean, standard deviation, dimensions arrangement, and degree of agreement for the three research 
dimensions arranged in descending order according to the averages (n=67) 

Survey dimensions Mean SD Rank Level 
The second dimension is the academic institution 3.254 0.644 1 Neither agree nor disagree 
The First dimension is the researcher's personal factors 3.036 0.603 2 Neither agree nor disagree 
The Third dimension is the environment and research climate 2.933 0.587 3 Neither agree nor disagree 
Overall average of the tool 3.060 0.544   

Table 5 shows the average, the standard deviation, the order of the axes, and the degree of approval of the three 
research axes arranged in descending order according to the averages. The averages arranged from the first to the 
third are (3.254, 3.036, 2.933), respectively. The total average of the research tool is (3.060) with a standard 
deviation of (0.544), which indicates that the preference of Egyptian researchers to use qualitative research 
methods in their scientific research is neutral. This may back to some factors indicated by the researchers of the 
study sample themselves, such as receiving academic learning focused on quantitative studies only and lacking 
scientific activities related to qualitative research such as conferences, training courses and workshops. They also 
refer to other factors such as the academic culture of the institution where they work that enhances the use of the 
quantitative approach and discourages using the qualitative approach in their scientific research. Other factors 
may be the lack of interaction with qualitative research tools and the lack of proficiency in using qualitative 
statistical programs. The researchers of the study samples also illustrate that the funded research they worked on 
was dependent only on quantitative research rather than a qualitative one. 

Table 6: The differences between the study sample toward qualitative research preferences according to the 
variable of years of experience (n=67) 

Survey Dimensions Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig. 
The researcher's personal factors Between Groups 925.599 3 308.533 1.818 .153 

Within Groups 10693.475 63 169.738   
Total 11619.075 66    

The academic institution Between Groups 51.448 3 17.149 .636 .595 
Within Groups 1698.493 63 26.960   
Total 1749.940 66    

The environment and research 
climate 

Between Groups 51.346 3 17.115 .767 .517 
Within Groups 1405.311 63 22.307   
Total 1456.657 66    

The whole survey Between Groups 1086.241 3 362.080 .840 .477 
Within Groups 27157.371 63 431.069   
Total 28243.612 66    

Table 6 shows that there are no statistically significant differences regarding the variable number of years of 
experience between the study sample in the first, the second and the third axes and the questionnaire as a whole. 
This indicates that all the study samples, regardless of their years of experience, whether these years of experience 



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are few or many, do not affect their preference for using qualitative research, which confirms the low preference 
by Egyptian researchers of different ages and years of experience. 

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS  

This study attempts to clarify The Key drivers of Egyptian social work researchers' low preferences for using 
Qualitative Research methods in Social Work Studies. Our study tried to fill the gap associated with carrying out 
studies on the issue of low preferences for using Qualitative Research Methods in Social Work Studies in Egypt– 
a need we identified in a previous study (El-Sherbiny, 2020).  

The results of the current study indicate that the factors of the low preference by Egyptian researchers to use 
qualitative research in social work are either due to subjective factors related to the personality, skills and 
knowledge of the researchers themselves in social work studies, factors related to the academic institution in which 
they work or graduate, or factors related to the research culture in the Egyptian environment towards qualitative 
research. 

The results of the current study explain that the low preference of the Egyptian researchers in using qualitative 
research in their scientific research is also due to several academic factors, such as the researchers do not receive 
any courses related to qualitative research and the lack of scientific activities that encourage the integration of 
qualitative research into their scientific research. Moreover, the academic culture enhances the importance of 
using the quantitative approach over the qualitative approach in social work research. A lack of qualitative 
statistical programs provided by the university decreases the researchers' interest in qualitative research in their 
scientific studies. It is necessary to spread the culture of the qualitative approach and its importance in Egyptian 
social work studies by holding seminars, conferences and workshops on qualitative research, its philosophy, 
importance, analysis of its data, and encouraging researchers to attend these events. 

The participants explain that there are several factors that prevent them from adopting the qualitative approach 
in their scientific research. Among these factors is the lack of funded research projects concerned with qualitative 
research in social work and the researchers’ lack of ability to understand the relationships between the events and 
the external factors of research phenomena when using a qualitative approach. The Egyptian researchers' lack of 
knowledge of how to use the statistical programs for the qualitative approach, and their fear of not having an 
appropriate statistical test for qualitative research represent some of these factors, as well as the difficulty that 
they can find in applying validity and statistical stability in qualitative research. It is also essential to provide some 
statistical programs for qualitative research, training faculty members, post-graduate students and researchers to 
use it in analyzing qualitative data, which helps develop their concepts, skills and attitudes towards qualitative 
research as one of the important approaches in social work. 

This study also shows several factors related to Egypt’s environment and research climate regarding qualitative 
research and its incorporation into Egyptian social work studies. The participants of the study sample indicate that 
they do not receive sufficient encouragement from the surrounding research environment to use the qualitative 
method, as well as the academic community’s lack of interest in research tools designed for qualitative methods; 
and the belief that quantitative research methods confirm the achievement of scientific research for their 
capabilities to control the dimensions of the study. In addition to this, the researchers' belief in the strength of the 
quantitative research methods; is not available in qualitative research from their point of view.  

Moreover, this study indicates that all of the researchers in the study sample, according to the years of 
experience they have, whether less than 5 years or more than 15 years, do not prefer qualitative research which 
means that the years of experience variable is not significant in preferring the study sample to use qualitative 
research in Egyptian social work studies.  Accordingly, the researchers' low preference for integrating qualitative 
research methods into social work is not the result of the moment but rather the result of successive years of time 
periods with the dominance of quantitative methods in Egyptian social work studies. This confirms the need to 
prepare continuous learning programs concerned with training junior and senior researchers to encourage the 
integration of qualitative research into their scientific studies. It is also necessary to imply specialized curricula 
on qualitative research in social work within the programs of preparing social workers in the undergraduate and 
postgraduate. Providing scientific references dealing with qualitative research in libraries and making them 
available to researchers in paper and electronic form to benefit from them and refer to them when needed is also 
a crucial matter. 

 
 
 
 



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AJSW, Volume 12 Number 4 2022                                                               Ibrahim, A. T. H. & ElSherbiny, M. M. K. 
  
 

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CONCLUSION 

This study explores the key motives of Egyptian social work researchers' low preference for using qualitative 
research methods in social work studies. The authors have found that three main factors prevent Egyptian 
researchers from preferring to use qualitative research methods in social work studies. The first factor is the 
subjective reasons related to the researchers' personality, skills, and knowledge when they use qualitative research 
in social work studies. The second factor comes back to the academic institution where the researchers work or 
graduate. Finally, the third factor is the research culture in general in the Egyptian environment towards qualitative 
research. There is a need to conduct further studies exploring the barriers that prevent using the qualitative method 
in social work research in Egypt and a need to incorporate findings and recommendations for professional practice 
in all social work educational programs. 

 
 

  



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AJSW, Volume 12 Number 4 2022                                                               Ibrahim, A. T. H. & ElSherbiny, M. M. K. 
  
 

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