1. Grounded Theory Approach (GTA)
Presented by
Cheryl Clinger and Becky Reed
for SRM 680 Introduction to Qualitative Research
University of Northern Colorado
Spring 2014

2. History/Background of Grounded Theory Approach (GTA) (Creswell, pp
Glaser and Strauss
Glaser and Strauss differ
Charmaz
“The intent of a grounded theory study is to move beyond description and to generate or discover a theory.” (Creswell, p. 83)

3. Connection to Interpretative Frameworks (Creswell, pp. 22-34)
Social Constructivism
Constructing Grounded Theory
“My approach explicitly assumes that any theoretical rendering offers an interpretive portrayal of the studied world, not an exact picture of it”. (Charmaz, p. 10)

4. Features of GTA (Creswell, p. 85)
Process
Theory
Memoing
Interviews
Data Analysis

5. Characteristics of GTA (Creswell, p. 89)
Data collection
Used when no theory is readily available
Central phenomenon & Causal Conditions

6. Challenges of GTA (Creswell, pp. 89-90)
Bias
Participant/Observer conflict
Fulfilling requirements of determining a theory

7. Appendix D: A Grounded Theory Study
Harley, A.E., Buckworth, J., Katz, M. L., Willis, S. K., Odoms-Young, A., & Heaney, C.A. (2009, February). Developing long-term physical activity participation: A grounded theory study with African American women. Health Education & Behavior, 36(1),
Background

8. Using a Grounded Theory Approach
Why a GTA method was selected

9. Data Collection & Analysis
Sample size
Site
Collection methods
Individual interviews
Focus Groups
Field notes
“My image for data collection in a grounded theory study is a “zigzag” process: out to the field to gather information, into the office to analyze the data, back to the field to gather more information, into the office, and so forth.” (Creswell, p. 86)

10. Results Physical Activity Evolution Framework (Harley, et al, p. 102)
“Although the call for investigating physical activity as a process has been made, it is difficult to make overall comparisons of the Physical Activity Evolution framework to other behavioral process frameworks because they are largely unavailable.” (Harley et al., p. 108)
Results
Physical Activity Evolution Framework (Harley, et al, p. 102)

11. Features of GTA (Creswell, p. 85)
Process
Theory
Memoing
Interviews
Data Analysis

12. References
Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing Grounded Theory: A Practical Guide. Accessed from books.google.com
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry & research design: Choosing among five approaches (Third edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Harley, A.E., Buckworth, J., Katz, M. L., Willis, S. K., Odoms- Young, A., Heaney, C.A. (2009, February). Developing long- term physical activity participation: A grounded theory study with African American women. Health Education & Behavior, 36(1),
Artwork: Vandenbogaard, Angela. Natural Roots. (n.d.). Watercolor. Canada.