Of course I have the time

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Of course I have the time
Ive been thinking of you
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Qualitative Action Research Methodology

• Azimi Hamzah
• Director, Centre for Extension, Entrepreneurship,
  and Professional Advancement, Universiti Putra
  Malaysia

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KNOWING YOU KNOWING ME Name Azimi Hamzah (Prof.
Dr.) Tenure 37 years Specialization Adult
Learning, YRD (Youth Resource Dev.) Designations
Director, Centre for Extension,
Entrepreneurship, and Professional Advancement
National Coordinator,

Commonwealth Diploma Youth in Development.
Head,
Youth
Development Centre for Excellence Professional
Affiliations Commonwealth Youth Programme,
Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, ASEAN
Youth Sub-Committee, Japan Olympic Center
Ministry of Youth and Sports, IYC, MBM, NYCC
Communication Tel. [phone], Fax [phone]
E.mail azimi_at_putra.upm.edu.my

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Starter

• Paradigms of research
• Quantitative vs Qualitative Research
• Choice of research method
• Definition of Qualitative Research
• Paradigms of Qualitative Research
• Action Research

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Paradigms

• Quantitative (Positivist)
• objective reality
• measurable, operational measures
• reductionist
• Qualitative (Non Positivist)
• multiple realities
• socially constructed
• understand phenomena via meanings people assign

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How is Qual different from Quant?

• More inductive
• Grounded in thick descriptive accounts
• More discovery oriented
• Fewer people are studied intensively
• Recursive
• Triangulation
• Researcher as instrument

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Quantitative vs Qualitative

• Objective
• Lit. review done early
• Tests theory
• Analysis by numbers
• Use instruments
• Go for generalization
• Sample size 30-500

• Subjective
• Lit. review on-going
• Develop theory
• Analysis by words/ideas
• Researcher as inst.
• Go for uniqueness
• Seeking information rich sample

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Choice of research methods is dictated by the
research questions

• How many parents would consult their general
  practitioner when their child has a mild
  temperature?
• What proportion of smokers have tried to give up?

• Why do parents worry so much about their
  childrens temperature?
• What stops people giving up smoking?
• We should explore the ideas and concern with the
  subjects -- to seek the emerging pattern for
  action

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More examples of research questions

• By what processes do Asian Civilization subject
  incorporated in higher institutions?
• How does managers attitudes in shared
  responsibility settings affect productivity?
• By what processes the innovative unit become
  institutionalized?
• What is the nature of an effective
  transformational organization?

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Qualitative/Non Positivist Assumptions

• Ontology Nature of reality Realities are
  multiple and constructed in specific situations
• Epistemology Relationship knower (inquirer) and
  known (object of inquiry) Inseparable
• Generalization time and context bound i.e. not
  one true statement
• Causality impossible to distinguish causes from
  effects
• Roles of Values inquiry is value bound eg.
  values of inquirer
• Aim of Inquiry understanding and reconstruction

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Qualitative method -- definition

• . . . Qualitative researchers study things in
  their natural settings, attempting to make sense
  of or interpret phenomenon in terms of the
  meanings people bring to them

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Qualitative approach -- definition

• Is one in which the inquirer often makes
  knowledge claims based primarily on
  constructivist perspectives (i.e. the multiple
  meanings of individual experiences, meanings
  socially and historically constructed, with
  intent of developing theory or pattern) or
  advocacy or participatory perspectives (i.e.
  politically issue-oriented, or change oriented)
  or both

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Qualitative Research Paradigms
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Computer Assisted Qualitative Analysis Software
(CAQDAS)