Qualitative Research for Education: An Introduction to Theory and Methods

Abstract

1. Foundations of Qualitative Research in Education: An Introduction. Characteristics of Qualitative Research. Traditions of Qualitative Research. Theoretical Underpinnings. Ten Common Questions About Qualitative Research. Ethics. What Is to Come. 2. Research Design. Choosing a Study. Case Studies. Multi-Site Studies. Additional Issues Related to Design. Concluding Remarks. 3. Fieldwork. Gaining Access. First Days in the Field. The Participant/Observer Continuum. Doing Fieldwork in Another Culture. Researcher Characteristics and Special Problems with Rapport. Be Discreet. Research in Politically Charged and Conflict-Ridden Settings. Feelings. How Long Should an Observation Session Be? Interviewing. Visual Recording and Fieldwork. Triangulation. Leaving the Field. 4. Qualitative Data. Some Friendly Advice. Fieldnotes. The Process of Writing Fieldnotes. Transcripts from Taped Interviews. Documents. Photography. Official Statistics and Other Quantitative Data. Concluding Remarks. 5. Data Analysis. Analysis in the Field. Analysis After Data Collection. The Mechanics of Working with Data. Concluding Remarks. 6. Writing It Up. Writing Choices. More Writing Tips. Criteria for Evaluating Writing. Texts. A Final Point About Getting Started. 7. Applied Qualitative Research for Education. Evaluation and Policy Research. Action Research. Practitioner Uses of Qualitative Research. Appendix A. Examples of Observational Questions for Educational Settings. Appendix B. Examples of Fieldnotes. Glossary. References. Index.