Introduction to Qualitative Research

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Introduction to Qualitative Research

• Matthew Olson

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Quantitative Educational Research Paradigm

• Uses a quasi-experimental design
• Attempts to control personal bias
• Establishes a control group and experimental
  group
• Makes comparisons
• Determines statistical significance at p .05
• Assumes random a sample
• Seeks to generalize results to a larger context

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Qualitative Educational Research Paradigm

• Maxwell (1996) says qualitative research is good
  for understanding
• meaning, and participants perspectives
• context across individuals and across situations
• unanticipated phenomena in exploratory studies
  and identifying variables which may emerge
• unfolding processes
• cause and effect relationships.

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Research Questions

• Use why questions
• Use how questions
• Seek to describe, not compare
• Seek to understand relationships (but not
  correlations, rather interactions)
• Describe the nature of a phenomenon as it occurs
  over time

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Theoretical Foundations

• Should be consistent with your personal beliefs
  (you are part of the methodology!)
• Inform research questions
• Inform the unit of analysis you determine
• Am I looking at professors? Students? Activities?
• Inform data sources you investigate

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Example Olson (2007)

• Viewing learning through the theoretical lens of
  Social Constructivism creates special emphases
  on
• Collaboration among learners (Vygotsky, 1978
  Dewey)
• Application of knowledge (Dewey, Brooks and
  Brooks)
• Real-world connections (Brooks and Brooks)

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Methodologies

• Case studies
• Single case study
• Multiple case study
• Ethnography
• Capture multiple perspectives
• Activity embedded in socio-cultural contexts

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Sampling

• If you are interested in studying something, look
  where you might expect to find it.
• Intentional or purposeful sampling (Maxwell,
  1997)
• Sample size is less important since you are
  generalizing back to theory (more on this later)
• Consider case of one (analogs to the study of
  the natural world)

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Data Sources

• Documentation
• Participant-observation
• Interviews
• Open ended surveys
• Direct observation
• Archival records
• Physical artifacts

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Validity and Reliability

• Construct validity
• Do you measure what you claim to?
• Internal validity
• External validity (generalization)
• Reliability
• Is this case repeatable?

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Construct and Internal Validity

• How are the questions are you are asking related
  to the data sources you have chosen?
• What are your operational definitions?
• What is the chain of data?
• How will you look for patterns in the data?

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Triangulation

• Data triangulation multiple data sources
• Investigator triangulation - multiple
  investigators
• Theory triangulation
• Methodological triangulation

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Convergence of Evidence
Reproduced from Yin (1994)
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Memos

• Strauss recommends the technique of frequent
  memos as an analysis technique.
• Memos can be short, one-page notes to yourself
  about your developing ideas regarding your
  research

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Member Checking

• Member checking activities have you reflecting
  your evolving ideas with the study participants
• Some studies use key informants who have a
  greater connection to the study and engage more
  frequently in member checking

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Data Analysis Using Software

• NVivo software
• Used for developing categories of data
• Documenting and exploring developing hypotheses
• Adding a quantitative component

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NVivo Example
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External Validity

• Generalizing to what?
• Statistical generalization - from a sample to a
  universe
• Analytical generalization - from a case to
  broader theory

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Sharing Findings

• Use natural language of participants for emphasis
  (quotes)
• Establish a graphic model to convey relationships
  (example, next slide)

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Example Model
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Questions to think about

• Valid applies to arguments and conclusions, not
  to your methodology
• How am I enriched after having done this
  research?
• How have I defined validity for myself?
• What validation methods did I use?
• Have I taken advantage of member checking?
• How is what I found grounded in the
  methodological literature? How does it go beyond?

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References

• Case Study Research, Design Methods, Yin (1994)
• The Art of Case Study Research, Stake (1995)
• Research Design, Qualitative and Quantitative
  Approaches, Creswell (1994)