Qualitative Research

1
Qualitative Research

• Intro for Educational Technologists

2
Research Continuum Poles-or-The Paradigm Wars

• Positivistic
• Goal is to describe the phenomena that we
  experience. The purpose of science is to stick to
  what we can observe and measure. Knowledge of
  anything beyond that is impossible.
• Naturalistic (Postpositivistic)
• Goal is to hold steadfastly to getting it right
  about reality even though we can never achieve
  that goal. All observation is fallible and has
  error and all theory is revisable need to be
  critical of our ability to know reality with
  certainty.

3
Decisions, Decisions

• Is quantitative precise or trivia-preoccupied?
• Is qualitative deep or fuzzy-headed?
• The questions a researcher strives to answer
  should drive the choice of methods.

4
Qualitative Historical Elements

• Learner Analysis Formative Evaluation
• Tech evolution effects on teaching/learning
• Philosophical evolution effects on tech use
• New tech enables new research methods
• Need to know what is actually happening

5
Qualitative Assumptions

• Qualitative studies take longer
• Qualitative studies meet w/ greater resistance
• Qualitative studies can be rigorous
• Qualitative studies share identifiable
  characteristics

6
Qualitative Characteristics

• Natural setting
• Human data gatherer
• Felt knowledge
• Quantitative also
• Purposive sampling
• Inductive analysis
• Grounded theory

• Emergent design
• Focus determines data
• Boundaries may change
• Negotiated reality
• Multiple realities
• Bound conclusions
• Reluctant generalizing

7
Qualitative Research Methods

• Observations
• Interviews
• Document Artifact Analysis

8
Grounded Theory

• Purpose- Develop theory through an
  iterative process of data analysis and
  theoretical analysis with verification of
  hypotheses ongoing throughout the study

• Process
• Collect extensive data
• Continually examine data for patterns
• Build theory from patterns
• Collect more data to refine theory questions
• Continue until few or no new patterns emerge

9
Participant Observation Hallmarks

• Researcher becomes part of the culture
• Spend considerable time in the field
• Interaction with participants (usual process)
• Open-ended, unstructured interviews
• Structured interviews based on above
• Determine focus for observations
• Conduct follow-up interviews based on emergent
  patterns

10
Participant Observation Concerns

• Site Selection Issues
• Suits research questions
• Simplicity
• Accessibility
• Remain unobtrusive
• Permissibleness
• Frequency of activity
• Degree of participation

• Stages
• Initial contact
• Getting familiar
• Intense data collection
• Break
• Focused study
• Exhaustion/break
• Frantic activity
• Careful leave taking

11
Nonparticipant Observation 1

• Types
• Stream-of-behavior chronicle
• Proxemics kinesics
• Interaction analysis protocols
• Dramaturgical constructions of reality
• Auto-observation

• Characteristics
• Data often coded into categories
• Frequencies tabulated
• Relationships analyzed
• Unobtrusive as possible
• Verify with multiple observers

12
Nonparticipant Observation 2

• Scope may be broad and rich or narrow and
  thick
• Biases are inevitable and therefor must be
  bracketed
• Researcher is a legitimate member of the subject
  community

• Data type and amount selected according to
  research questions
• Sampling is purposive and representative but not
  random
• Multiple observers need training to increase
  consistency