1. Qualitative research
Seven approaches

2. Ring the bells that still can ring Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.
Leonard Cohen, Anthem

3. Inquire, understand, act
Deliberate study
Made public
Subject to criticism (and defense!)
Stenhouse, (19xx)

4. Seven approaches to inquiry
Narrative Phenomenological
Grounded theory Ethnographic
Case study Conceptual
Action research

5. Narrative Candinin and Connolly (2000) “stories lived and told”
single individual
themes, epiphanies, disruptions, silences, deconstruction

6. Phenomenological van Manen (1990); Moustakas (1994)
“grasp the very nature of the thing”
what do all participants have in common as they experience the phenomenon?

7. Grounded theory Glaser & Strauss (1967); Charmaz (2006)
theory emerges from data
examines actions, interactions, social processes
repositions authority

8. Ethnographic Mead (1930); Wolcott (1999); Apple (1992)
detailed description of a culture-sharing group
analysis of values and patterns
critical ethnography – an advocacy perspective

9. Case study Denzin & Lincoln (2005)
an issue examined via one or more cases in a bounded system (time, place)
focus is understanding the complexity of the case

10. Conceptual research
Greene (2000); Fenstermacher (1994); Cuban (1992); Noddings (2003)
a concept is examined from a new lens
an action or condition is explored as against the concept
focus is a new understanding of the concept and/or a new way to act

11. Action research
Lewin (1940); Schon (1983); Kemmis, (1988); McNiff (1988)
individuals examine their own experience
goal is change, improvement
hallmark of professionalism
act, observe, reflect