QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Qualitative Research

Qualitative Research

Introduction

Qualitative methods are used typically in research projects that take a human-focused perspective in the design and implementation of the investigation. Qualitative research, as a paradigm or worldview, is designed to explore the human elements of a topic under investigation; in this context, qualitative methods (such as in-depth interviewing or ethnographic observation) are used to examine how individuals see and experience the world around them. Researchers typically talk to people directly or observe their behaviors in various contexts to understand what those individuals view as important about a particular phenomenon.

The Qualitative Research Paradigm

Qualitative methods are best for addressing many of the “why” questions that education researchers have in mind when they develop their projects. Whereas quantitative approaches are appropriate for examining “who” has engaged in a behavior or “what” has happened (e.g., How many students approached school counselors for help last year? For what types of problems did they seek help?), and whereas experiments can test particular interventions, these techniques are not designed to explain why certain behaviors occur. (Hoonaard 2002)

Qualitative researchers, across disciplines, use a vast array of methods in their work. Indeed, in education alone, researchers use interviews, focus groups, participant observation, diaries, think alouds, and a host of other qualitative techniques to examine students', teachers', and parents' experiences of the school environment. New technologies have also recently changed the research landscape; many qualitative researchers now use such tools as videoconferencing or digital video to capture data or use the Internet as a site of qualitative inquiry. Although the following sections provide brief descriptions of a few methods commonly used by education researchers, this is by no means an exhaustive list. (Shank 2006)

Interviews

In-depth, qualitative interviewing is one of the most commonly used methods. These interviews allow researchers to examine issues, at length, from the interviewee's personal perspective. The data gathered typically consist of verbatim responses to the interviewer's questions, which are designed to elicit opinions, feelings, attitudes, descriptions of personal behaviors, and other elements related to the research problem. The method may use a semistructured approach (e.g., open-ended questions are used to capture participants' thoughts of a variety of topics), or they may be quite unstructured (e.g., participants are encouraged to explore a topic, such as their personal life story, in their own way). (Lincoln & Guba 1985) Qualitative researchers (such as Irving Seidman) note that the purpose of this type of research is to understand individuals' experiences and the meanings they make of those experiences and to put their behaviors in context in order to understand the actions they undertake. Semistructured interviews typically last from 60 to 90 minutes, although the length and the number of interview sessions will vary depending on the scope of the project, the availability of participants, other methods used in the project, and so forth. An unstructured interview may last over a number of hours or across many days or weeks, particularly in ethnographic studies. Common themes and patterns are identified in the data gathered, with saturation of themes ...