CASE STUDY RESEARCH

Presented By: Azrina Binti Abu Bakar (2011119889) Siti Hajar Aishah Binti Mohd Azkah (2011131519) Mohd Zulfadli Bin Mohd Amin (2011591763)

Definition of the Case Study

A qualitative research approach in which researchers focus on a unit of study known as a bounded system (eg: individual teachers, a classroom , a school). To study a phenomenon.

Example: Asmussen, K.J., & Creswell, J. W. (1995). Campus response to a student gunman. Journal of Higher Education, 66(5), 575-591. This case study describes a campus response to a gunman incident in which a student attempted to fire a gun at his classmates. The study provides a detailed description of the gunman incident; a chronology of the first 2 weeks of events following the incident; and details about the city, the campus, and the building in which the incident occurred. Finding s resulting from data collection through multiple sources of information, such as interviews, observations, documents, and audiovisual materials, are presented. From the data analysis, denial, fear, safety, retriggering, and campus planning emerge as prominent concerns. These themes are combined into two overarching perspectives, an organizational and a psychological or socialpsychological response, providing layers of analysis in the study and broader interpretations of the meaning of the case. The authors suggest that campuses plan their responses to campus violence and advance key questions to be addressed when preparing these plans.

When to Use the Case Study?

To answer a descriptive question, what happened or an explanatory question, how or why did something happen? Interested in studying process To understand phenomena

Characteristics of Case Study

Particularistic : Focus on a particular phenomenon (eg:situation/event) Descriptive : The end result of the case study, the narrative, include thick description of the phenomenon that was the focus of the case study research. Heuristic : Case studies illuminates the readers understanding of the phenomenon under study beyond the readers original knowledge.

Characteristics of Case Study

Different disciplinary fields use case study research for different purposes, and specific characteristics of the study are determined by the discipline.

Example of disciplines: * Historical case study * Sociological (collective behaviour of groups)

Case study research design

Includes: 1.A statement of the purpose of the research 2.Initial research questions 3.Review of related literature 4.A rationale for the selection of the case

Case study research design cont.

The case study researcher should:
1.Determine the research questions who, what, how and why provide the case. 2.Define the case under the study - similar to defining variables in quantitative research. 3.Determine the role of theory development in case selection - make explicit the theoretical or conceptual frameworks that supports the choice of participants.

Case study research design cont.

4. Determine the theoretical or conceptual framework of the study attend to the literature related to your research interest. 5. Determine whether a single case study, a multiple case study or a collective case study is appropriate.

Sample selection in case study research

Select a small number of individuals who can help to understand the investigated phenomenon.

The researcher needs to select the unit of analysis a child, a classroom of children or an entire school district. The most common form of sampling is purposive or purposeful sampling due to information rich or learn a great deal about the research problem.

Sample selection in case study research cont.

Another consideration in selecting a case the viability of the case. It should be done through screening procedure to avoid problems associated with selecting a case. Eg. Participants withdraw from the case.

Sample selection in case study research cont.

A screening procedure steps: 1.Review documents about the proposed case study site. 2.Conduct informal interviews of key participants. 3.Determine whether the participants have the necessary experience and knowledge of investigated phenomenon and the ability to provide information.

In educational research, it is common to find case study research undertaken about one phenomenon but at multiple sites. This is also known as collective case studies, multicase or multisite studies or comparative case studies. Multiple case studies require cross-site analysis

UNORDERED META-MATRIX
An unordered meta-matrix is a data management tool that enables the case study researcher to assemble master charts with descriptive data from each site on one large sheet of paper.

SITE-ORDERED DESCRIPTIVE MATRIX

Sites are ordered on a variable of interest so that the researcher can see the differences. The researcher can see differences between high, medium, and low sites

SITE-ORDERED PREDICTOROUTCOME MATRIX

Moves the case study researcher from working descriptively/deductively to a more explanatory/interpretive mode. Allow the researchers to understand the variables that appear to contribute most directly to the outcomes.

TIME-ORDERED META- MATRIX

Extends the cross-site analysis to include chronology as an organizing variable. Time highlights the critical aspect of data.

SCATTERPLOTS
Scatterplots are visual displays of data from all the case study sites based on dimensions or themes of interest that appear to be related to each other. Hence the researcher may see the clustering of themes, occuring trends.

SITE ORDERED EFFECTS MATRIX

To sort through the research sites and to display probable cause-and-effect relations. Eg: The action & the outcomes of the study.

CAUSAL MODELS
Extends the case study analysis and assist the case study researcher to identify how things go together.