A 90 Minute Intro to Qualitative Research Nancy Chism Rigorous Research in Engineering Education, 2006

Five Segments 1. No control group?: A different way of thinking about research 2. Collecting Qual data: You think you know how, don’t you? 3. Analyzing Qual data: An engineer’s worst nightmare 4. How can I—or anybody else— trust this stuff? 5. Help: Wails from the field

1. A Different Way of Thinking about Research The “Paradigm Wars” in Education The “Paradigm Wars” in Education Term from Kuhn’s Structure of Scientific Revolutions Term from Kuhn’s Structure of Scientific Revolutions Still in a period of “non-normal science?” Still in a period of “non-normal science?” Defining reality (ontology) and the nature of knowing (epistemology) Defining reality (ontology) and the nature of knowing (epistemology) Contrasting approaches (see handout chart)—Vocabulary Soup Contrasting approaches (see handout chart)—Vocabulary Soup

Design Implications Natural Setting Natural Setting Emergent Design Emergent Design Exploratory Approach Exploratory Approach Purposeful Sampling Purposeful Sampling Researcher as Instrument Researcher as Instrument Small “N” Small “N” Context Sensitivity Context Sensitivity

Inquiry Approaches* Case Study Case Study Ethnography Ethnography Phenomenology Phenomenology Biography Biography Critical study Critical study Postmodern study Postmodern study Blends Blends * (examples on handout slides and text)

2. Qualitative Data Collection Main methods: Main methods: Interviewing Interviewing Observation Observation Document/artifact collection Document/artifact collection Normal activities at a more systematic and skilled level (see handouts) Normal activities at a more systematic and skilled level (see handouts)

3. Qualitative Data Analysis Multiple approaches Multiple approaches Logical categories and themes and relationships between them Logical categories and themes and relationships between them Constant Comparative Method (Glaser and Strauss) Constant Comparative Method (Glaser and Strauss) Grounded theory Grounded theory Use of specialized software (NVivo, etc.) Use of specialized software (NVivo, etc.)

4. Trustworthiness Back to the paradigm differences Back to the paradigm differences Parallel terms (Guba chart) Parallel terms (Guba chart) Other criteria, such as: Other criteria, such as: Reciprocity Reciprocity Authenticity Authenticity The role of ethics The role of ethics

5. Help! Print sources (handout) Print sources (handout) Colleagues in the social sciences Colleagues in the social sciences Recent doctoral graduates Recent doctoral graduates Professional associations (AERA, ASHE) Professional associations (AERA, ASHE)