General Overview



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Assigned Reading

Gall's Text

6th edition: Chapters 14 and 15

7th edition: Chapters 14 and 15

8th edition: Chapters 14 and 15

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To help identify the nature of qualitative research, four common approaches to qualitative study are considered. These four include phenomenology, ethnography, grounded theory, and case study. Rather than summarize these here, I have linked to a number of short texts that discuss each of these methods of inquiry. Prior to separate discussion of each, first a brief summary highlighting some differences of each is offered.

1. Summarized Overview of Phenomenology, Ethnography, Grounded Theory, and Case Study

Johnson and Christensen, authors of Educational Research: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Approaches (2007, 3rd edition), provide a summary that compares phenomenology, ethnography, grounded theory, and case study in the following link:



When reading, study carefully tables 12.1 (aspects or characteristics of qualitative research) and 12.2 (characteristics of the four methods compared).

2. Phenomenology, and

3. Ethnography

Bresler (no date) provides a nice description of ethnography (pages 1 to 10) and phenomenology (pages 11 to 16):



Examples of Phenomenology

Adams (2010) studies the use of PowerPoint among select university faculty. She presents a nice overview of phenomenological research as the introduction to her study. She writes, for example, about the main point of phenomenology:

“Phenomenology is not interested in conceptualizing, theorizing or idealizing experience, but rather in describing and interpreting experience as it is lived.” (p. 2)

Be sure to read pages 1 to 4:



McClelland (1997) interviewed parents in rural areas to learn of their experiences with schools. He provides a nice introduction explaining the steps taken to collect data for his phenomenological study (see pages 108 and 109):



Nitta et al. (2010) examined rural school consolidation. Their article is formatted in fashion similar to quantitative research with well defined methods sections. They explain the method on page 8, but other important study characteristics are explained throughout the article, such as sampling (pages 4 and 1). If time is limited, focus on page 8.



Examples of Ethnography

Principal Folklore: Rider presents information about the role of folklore among principals in Alaska in the following 5 page article. Note discussion of method on pages 15 and 16.



Menstruation Taboos: Akins presents a traditional ethnographic study of various taboos of menstruation in a Kwaio village in the Soloman Islands. This document is a 5 MB download due to included images:



Supplemental Readings

Hayes and Murphy provide a summary of ethnography here



and of phenomenology here:



4. Case Study

Hayes and Murphy provide a summary of case studies here:



Mastropieri et al. (2005) examined four cases of co-teaching. Note their description of data collection and analysis on page 262:



Some questions to consider about case studies:

(a) How do case studies differ from other qualitative research such as phenomenology or ethnography? Do case studies differ?

(b) Is case study a form of qualitative research, a form of quantitative research, or perhaps both?

Supplemental Reading in Case Studies

How do case study and ethnography differ?





5. Grounded Theory

While many qualitative researchers view grounded theory as a method of qualitative inquiry similar to phenomenology or ethnography, researchers generally use it as a method of data analysis and seldom reference it when deciding how best to collect relevant data. It can also be used to shape research purpose and questions because advocates of grounded theory argue that one should enter qualitative research without preformed theory or ideas, therefore pre-formed purpose and questions should be minimal. However, it appears that most researchers who employ grounded theory do so primarily as data analysis, not research purpose and question formation. In short, in practice grounded theory appears to play the role primarily as a data analysis method, perhaps due to the systematic approach it offers.

To understand better how grounded theory is applied, read pages 79 to 85 of the following:



Also review this short page on grounded theory:



To see how grounded theory as a data analysis method can be reported in actual research, see pages 4, 5, and 6 of Stewart and Abott-Chapman (2011) research student retention in Australia:



As a second example of methods of grounded theory, see pages 344, 345, and 346 of Pitney and Ehlers (2004) study of undergraduate student mentoring:



Supplemental Reading on Grounded Theory

Ng and Hase (2008) provide a nice discussion of grounded theory and also illustrate coding in grounded theory in their appendix:



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