EQL 671: QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHOD IN EDUCATION (Chapters 1 & 2) Facilitator: Prof Dr Chang Lee Hoon Chapter 1: Introduction to Qualitative Research.

EQL 671: QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHOD IN EDUCATION (Chapters 1 & 2)

Facilitator: Prof Dr Chang Lee Hoon Chapter 1: Introduction to Qualitative Research

What is Qualitative research?- Interpretation of phenomena in natural setting- Understand in-depth meanings - Focuses on why? - Inductive research - Rich description of data

Differences between Quantitative and Qualitative R

1. Philosophy 2. Goal 3. Focus4. Method 5. Data collection techniques6. Research design 7. Sample8. Generalisation9. Analysis10. Role of researcher

Qualitative research methods

• Case study• Ethnography• Phenomenology • Historical • Action Research• Content analysis• Grounded theory• Generic

Checklist on Qualitative research• Theoretical approach - Phenomenology in educational research • Study design - Sampling • Data collection - methods • Validity - Researcher as the research instrument - Context biasness - Triangulation• Analysis - coding and analysis - reliability & creditability• Ethics - human subjects

Qualitative Data Collection Techniques

• Document examination• Observation • Interviews

Kinds of Documents as Data:

• Bogdan & Biklen (1998) categorized documents as(a) Personal documents – written by subjects on their

actions, experiences and beliefs, private purposes and limited use – diaries – description and reflective commentary of events e.g.

record on experience, thoughts, feelings, problems etc– logs – less intimate e.g. daily entry on lesson plans or daily

activities– personal letters between friends and family members – reveal

relationships, experiences – Autobiographies – available source of data on person’s own

story –useful for understanding categories under study e.g. gender, ethnic minorities etc

Kinds of Documents as Data:

(b) Official documents – produced by organizations for specific purpose - record keeping and dissemination

- internal documents – memos, minutes of meetings and others that are circulated inside an organisation usually in hierarchical course – provide info on internal rules & regulations, leadership style, organisational values etc

- external communication – produced by organisation for public consumption eg. Newsletters, yearbook, notes to parents, brochures etc – indicators of organisational strategies

- Student records and personnel files – achievement records, discipline records, attendance, profiles of family etc – indicators of student’s school career, comments from teachers on the student’s records

Kinds of Documents as Data:

(c) Popular culture documents – produced for commercial purposes to entertain, persuade & enlighten the public

- videos, magazines, TV, films, advertisements

– studied as texts (transcripts of shows, lyrics etc) and interpretations of viewers – to make visible “messages” or social constructions in the texts.

Personal Documents

• Broadly refer to any first person narrative that describes an individual’s actions, experiences and beliefs (Plummer, 1983; Taylor & Bogdan, 1984)

• Intimate diaries; for educational researchers, teachers’ diaries that record in detail first teaching experiences, problems with students.

• Personal letters (emails?); could reveal the nature of relationships between people, insights of author’s experiences

• Autobiographies, including novels

Official Documents

• Internal documents– Memos or other communications that are circulated inside an

organization– Could provide the hierarchical structure, leadership style,

potential insight about what organizational members value• External communication

– Materials produced for public consumption e.g. letters to parents, curriculum materials etc

– Useful in understanding official perspectives on programs, administrative structure

• Student Records and Personal Files– Records of all testing, attendance etc

Popular Culture Documents

• Advertisements• Magazines• Eg. How advertisement of cigarette

smoking was constructed as healthy in advertisements (Kellner, 1991); how romance novels for adolescence girls constructed femininity (Christian Smith, 1988)

Why documents?

• As sole data source (e. g. text and discourse analysis)

• As supplement or in support to other data source – interviews and observations

Guidelines on documents

• Keep a record of documents required and received

• Guideline on Document Summary - Ref no:– Site:– Date received: – Type and name of document:– How was the document obtained – Document’s summary of content – Importance of document to study

Observation(1) Non-participant/Passive observation- Keep your distance - Unobstrusive - Outsider observation/etic - Phases of non-participant observation (Adler & Adler,

1998; Denzin, 1989, Spradley (1980): - Selection of a setting (where and when) - Definition of what is to be documented in observation and in

every case- Training of observers for standardisation in observation- Descriptive observations – initial, general presentation of the

field - Focused observation – on aspects relevant to research Q - Selective observation – to purposively grasp central aspects - The end of observation – when theoretical saturation is reached

(2) Participant Observation

• Participates in activities • Insider/emic perspective • Active to stimulate discussion • Phases of participant observation (Spradley, 1980) - descriptive observation – provides orientation to field

under study, non-specific descriptions to grasp complexity of the field and develop more concrete research questions

- focused observation – narrows perspectives on processes and problems most essential for research questions

- selective observation – towards end of data collection and focused on finding further evidence and e.g. for the types of practices and processes found in step 2.

(3) Active Observation

• Participation is allowed but limited • Can intrude in activities but researcher

remains passive.

Process of Observing (Creswell, 2005)

• Select a site to be observed that can help you best understand the central phenomenon – obtain required permission to gain access

• Ease into the site slowly by looking around, getting a general sense of site, taking limited notes initially

• At the site, identify who, what, when, how long to observe

• Determine your role • Conduct multiple observation over time • Design some means of recording notes during

observation – protocol/fieldnotes

Example of Observation Protocol • Event/Activity of observation:• Site/Address: • Observer• Role of observer• Date and time of observation• Length of observation• Place of observation

Guideline Obsevational notes Researcher’s reflective notes

Descripton of • physical environment • social enviromment • participants

Desciption of activites conducted- types of learning activities- teacher’s teaching style- use of materials - students’ responses

Description of social interactions T – PP – TP - P

Repetitive event/ activity/issue

Emerging idea/issue/theme

Unique event/ activity/issue

Interviews

Three types• Structured interviews • Semi-structured interviews• Unstructured interviewsThree types of probe questions • Detailed oriented “What happened after you

found out that your friend cheated?• Elaboration e.g “Can you tell me more” • Clarification e.g “Did you talk to your teacher?

Conducting Interviews (Creswell, 2005)

• Identify the interviewees • Determine type of interview you will use • During interview, audiotape the questions and responses• Take brief notes during interviews• Locate a quite and suitable place for conducting

interview• Obtain informed consent from interviewee to participate

in study • Have a plan, but be flexible• Use probes to obtain additional information• Be courteous and professional when interview is over

Example of interview protocol

Name of project:Time of interview: Date: Place: Time: Interviewer:Interviewee:Duration of interview:

Guideline Researcher’s notes Researcher’s reflective notes

Establishing Rapport:Desribe the project, tell interviewee of purpose of study, sources of data being collected, how long the interview will take, read and sign the consent form. Probe Questions• detailed-oriented• elaboration •Clarification

Closure Thank interviewee, assure confidentiality and potential for future interview (if required)

Triangulation of methods

• 3 types - Methods triangulation - Investigator triangulation- Theory triangulation

Sampling

• Gaining access • Selecting samples - convenience/availability, -representativeness/critical/typical case• Sampling techniques - purposive - quota - snowballing

Skills required of Qualitative Researcher

• Impartiality • Tolerance for ambiguity • Sensitive • Detect personal biases• Good communicator, including writing

skills

Length of time spent in collecting data

• Span of time • Degree of contact• refer to other studies

Validity of Qualitative Research method

3 types - Descriptive validity- Interpretative validity- Theoretical validity

External validity

Internal validity