Qualitative Methods in Educational Research

Catalog description

Exploration of the theoretical framework undergirding qualitative research and its attendant practices and techniques. EDLDR (EDTHP, HI ED) 586 Qualitative Methods in Educational Research (3) This course is the introductory course in the EPS qualitative research methods sequence. This is the first course in a three-course sequence departmental sequence intended to take students from basic knowledge of qualitative methods through mastery of advanced topics. This course was designed specifically to 1) orient students to the various types of qualitative methods most widely used in educational policy research and their theoretical underpinnings; 2) provide training in basic qualitative research techniques; 3) introduce students to basic research design; 4) provide systematic practice (and feedback) in evaluating qualitative research that would allow students to become sophisticated consumers of qualitative studies; 5) prepare students for the Level 11 course. The course will begin with a brief review the development of qualitative methods in related fields (anthropology, sociology, linguistics) and quickly move on to an overview of qualitative methods in education. Students must have read the material prior to class in order to take part in in-class exercises and discussions. We will focus on key issues such as validity, interpretation and representation. Students will be asked to read studies, assess the general quality of the work, and provide a critical evaluation. Students will study specific methods of qualitative field research, and most weeks we will practice and discuss a particular research technique (e.g. participant observation, focus group interviews). These practice sessions will be informed by relevant readings. Students will practice developing coding schemas as well as get a quick overview of qualitative data analysis (QDA) packages. Finally, in small groups, students will design a basic qualitative study to be presented as a final product in the course.