QUALITATIVE Research

1
QUALITATIVE Research

• Qualitative Essentials
• Reviewed Expanded

2
Qualitative Research

• I. Nature Purpose of various designs
• II. Data Collection
• III. Data Analysis
• - See G,M,A Ch. 14, 15, 16, 18

3
N P Qualitative Methodologies

• the Case Study in general
• Ethnographic Research, including Ethnography
  Ethnomethodology, Phenomenology Symbolism
• Narrative Case Study Research

4
Case Study Research

• Focused In-depth study of a Person, Group,
  Phenomenon, or Institution.
• 1985 grads of Penn Tchrs College

5
Ethnographic Research

• Ethnography the Meaning of Cultural Patterns and
  Perspectives
• A study of the first-generation Romanian
  immigrant community in Milwaukee

6
Ethnomethodology

• COPING People making sense of their Daily
  Lives
• A Coal Miners Story
• (6th generation of a West Virginia mining family)

7
Phenomenology

• The Meaning of Human Experience, Activity, or
  Perception
• (from the human phenomenon,
• i.e. every persons story)
• A meaningful autobiography is phenomenological
  A biography tends to be historical.

8
Symbolic Research

• the Meaning of Communal or Cultural Symbolism
  How people give meaning to shared perspectives
  (/or how it impacts them)
• Modern Life in Salem, MASS
• Cape Canaveral H. S.

9
Narrative Research

• Narrative studies explore and tell the story,
  of how people experience the world around them
  TEACHERS LEARNERS
• What are Hildas experiences dealing with
• students who have drug problems? (p 429)

10
Narrative Case Studies (new to 8th ed) have
re-emerged as significant in Education

• Increased emphasis on teacher reflection
  research
• Increased emphasis on teacher knowledge what
  teachers know, how they think, how they develop,
  and how they make decisions
• Increased emphasis on teacher empowerment in the
  Process of Education, in Education Research
• Document now P. P. outline

11
the Process of Narrative Research (430-31)

• 1. Identify purpose, and phenomenon to study.
  (reader)
• 2. Select individual teachers to explore the
  phenomena
• 3. Create narrative research questions.
• 4. Carefully design the role of the researcher.
• 5. Design the data collection strategy
  interview/observation
• 6. Design the data analysis how it will be
  interpreted
• 7. Collaborate with the research participants to
  
• a construct the narrative, b validate your
  accuracy

12
Common Features of a Qualitative Study

• Reliance on Interpretation Focus on discovery
  understanding, not confirming or rejecting
• Intense Field participation Natural human
  settings
• Rich Data collected naturally,
• In the field
• Researcher is the key Data-gathering
  Instrument

13
Qualitative Questioning

• Nature Purpose of Qualitative questions
• Both the main research questions
• and the survey/interview questions
• explore for understanding
• NOT test for statistical, empirical results.

14
Qualitative Characteristics checklistIntention
al marks for researchers

• Real-world Setting or Context
• Descriptive, not Numerical Data
• Holistic approach to Setting Participants
• Inductive Data Analysis (small to large)
• Emphasizes Participants Perspective gt gt
  gtas follows gt

15
(Participants)

• The Sample, Participants, Subjects (et. al.) are
  selected or obtained purposively in qualitative
  research
• Purposive Sampling

16
II. Qualitative Data Collection

• Most Common Sources of Data
• Observation (Gay Airasian)
• Interviews (Gay Airasian)
• Questionnaires Surveys (Schnake) IF they
  explore and/or ask open-ended motive/perception
  questions.

17
Observation

• Participant Observer
• youre a teacher you study your faculty
• Non-participant Observer
• youre a teacher you study another faculty
• Covert Observer
• (youre a tchr ) you secretly study a faculty

18
Interviews

• purposive interaction with one person seeking
  information insights from another
• Use a Protocol either Script or Outline
• Record ALL Audio or Video
• Transcribe and Send for Approval

19
Threats to Validity

• Researcher Bias ( Observer Bias)
• Researcher bias occurs when the expectations or
  beliefs of the researcher influence what is found
  (heard or seen in observation) during data
  collection.
• 2. Observer Effect
• Observer effect occurs when the presence of the
  researcher causes a change in behavior, or even
  potential changes
• the Impact of Being Observed.

20
(Threats to Validity)

• 3. Safeguards
• Familiarity Comfort Level of Participants is
  therefore Significant
• Patience TIME Normal, Natural Behavior
• b. TRIANGULATION Corraborate Data
  Triangulate by using different data sources to
  confirm one another
• good discussion on p. 405

21
III. Qualitative Data Analysis

• Analysis Can Begin DURING Collection and
  generally does an absolute No-No in
  Quantitative research
• Analysis continues AFTER Data Collection is
  complete Classifying Themes and Patterns
• GOAL of Qualitative Data Analysis

22
Analysis During Collection

• Tracking, mapping, categorizing Trends as they
  develop The goal is simply to respond if
  necessary (revise, reverse, add, conclude,
  etc.).
• Good example of Analyzing while Collecting
  qualitative data on p. 474-75, incl. Fig 18.2
  .3 Concept map and Web diagram to identify
  clarify trends as they develop

23
Analysis After Collection

• Classifying Identifying emerged (or
  still-emerging) themes or patterns
• The desired goal is Enlightenment, whether
  gradual (funnel) or sudden (2 lines crossing)
  An Answer to the focal Research Question!
• Good Example of Analyzing completed Data Table
  8.1 on p. 477, which includes a Qualitative
  computer program (NUDIST)

24
Goal of Qualitative Data Analysis

• The aim of interpretation is to answer 4
  questions
• 1. What is important in the data?
• 2. Why is it important for educators?
• 3. What can be learned from it?
• 4. So what?
• (p. 482)

25
Qualitative Research Essentials

• The End