Case Study Research in Education

by
Merriam, S. B
1990
 CHAPTER 1
The Case Study Approach
to Research Problems
 CHAPTER 1
The Case Study as Research Design

Case Study is one such research design that can be used to study the
phenomenon systematically.

Experimental Research VS Non-Experimental Research

 CHAPTER 4

Handling Theory and Literature Reviews

in Case Study Research
 CHAPTER 4
The investigator’s Worldview

Affect (research process)

• Conceptualizing a problem
• Collecting data
• Analyzing data
• Interpreting data
 CHAPTER 4
The investigator’s Worldview

Theoretical perspective
“is a way of looking at the world, like
assumptions people have about what is
important, and what makes the world
work” (Bogdan & Biklen, 1982)
 CHAPTER 4
The investigator’s Worldview

A theoretical orientation
Is analogous to
PARADIGM
 CHAPTER 4
The investigator’s Worldview
PARADIGM
“is defined as a loose collection of logically
held together assumptions, concept or
proposition that orient thinking and
research”(Bogdan & Biklen, 1982, p. 30)
 CHAPTER 4
The investigator’s Worldview
PARADIGM
“is a systematic set of beliefs, together with
their accompanying methods…Paradigm
represent a distillation of what we think
about the world (but cannot prove)
”(Lincoln & Cuba, 1985, p. 15)
 CHAPTER 4
The investigator’s Worldview
3 MAJOR PARADIGMS

• PRE-POSITIVIST
• POSITIVIST
• POSTPOSITIVIST
 CHAPTER 4
The investigator’s Worldview
THEORETICAL ORIENTATION IS NATURALISTIC
OR QUALITATIVE
When
• Natural setting, human as primary data gathering,use tacit
knowledge
• Qualitative methods, purposive sampling,
• Inductive data analysis, grounded theory, emergent design
• Negotiated outcomes, case study report mode, ideographic
interpetation, tentatative application of finding, focus determined
boundaries
• Special criteria of trustworthiness (Lincoln & Cuba, 1982, p. 39-43)
 CHAPTER 4
Types of Theories
Definitions of Theories

A theory
• integrates pieces of information into a whole;
• makes it sense out of data
• Summarizes what is known
• Offers general explanation of the phenomenon under
study
(Merriam, 1988, p. 55)
 CHAPTER 4
Types of Theories
Definitions of Theories

A theory
• A set of interrelated constructs (concepts);
• Defintions and proposition that represent a systematic
view of a phenomena by specifying relations among
variables
• With the purpose of explaining and predicting the
phenomena
(Kerlinger, 1986, p. 9)
 CHAPTER 4
Types of Theories
Grand Theory
• Attempts to explain large categories of
phenomena
• Examples Newton, Darwin
 CHAPTER 4
Types of Theories
Middle-range Theory
• “between the minor working hypotheses of everyday life
and the all inclusive grand theories”
• Address one area of human experience, conceptually
abstracted, emphasize and explicit data base as their
foundation (Goetz & LeCompte, 1984, p.37)
• Thories of cognition and learning, social learning and life
span as middle range.
 CHAPTER 4
Types of Theories
Substantive Theory
• Is restricited to a particular setting, groups, times,
population or problems
• Closely related to real-life situations
• E.g adult basic education program, math anxiety
 CHAPTER 4
Theory in Case Study Research

is tied to theory either

• As a recceptable for putting theories to
work, or
• As a catalytic element in the unfolding of
theoretical knowledge (Eckstein, 1975, p. 100)
 CHAPTER 4
Theory in Case Study Research

Depending on the state of knowledge and

amount of theory, the case study might

• Test theory,clarify,
• extend or develop a new theory
 CHAPTER 4
Theory in Case Study Research

In education, case study is almost never

used to test a theory but the focus is to
build a theory.
 CHAPTER 4
Theory in Case Study Research

A method of constant comparative analysis

4 stages
• Stage 1 : incidents are compared and tentative categories and or
properties are generated.
• Stage 2: The level of incidents changes from “incidents with
incidents” to “incidents with properties of the category”
• Stage 3: similar categories are reduced to small number of highly
conceptual categories, hyphoteses are proposed and data are
checked to fit into over framework
• Stage 4 : Actual writing of the theory from the coded data
 CHAPTER 4
Function of Literature Review

When prior research are ignored

• Chances pursuing a trivial problem

• Duplicating a study already done
• Repeating others’ mistake.
 CHAPTER 4
Functions of Literature Review

• What is literature review?

• Why do a review?
• Why do you do one?
• When do you do one?
 CHAPTER 4
Functions of Literature Review
• Two types; data-based research and non data
based
• Data-based-the collection and analysis of data
gathered from people, organizations, document
etc.
• Non data-based writings- writer’s experience or
opinion from highly theoretical to popular
testimonial.
 CHAPTER 4
Functions of Literature Review
• Interprete and synthesize what has been
researched and published
• The literature review can demonstrate how the
present study “advances, refines or revises
what is already known”
• Can formulating the problems and answering
the research questions
 CHAPTER 4
Functions of Literature Review

• Knowing what hypothesis have been advanced

and tested previously
• What assumption has been dealt with
• Thus it saves money and time.
• Uncover survey instrument, tests and other
measures that has been validated-thus save
the rsearchers designing a valid and reliable
instrument.
 CHAPTER 4
Functions of Literature Review

Types of literature reviews

• Integrative-summarize the past review
• Theoretical- focus on relevant theories
• Methodological – methods and
definitions.
 CHAPTER 4
Conducting a Literature Review
• Search for the literature that may be selected for
review
• To check the bibliography, indexes and abstract – by
computer
• Stop reviewing when there is a sense of being
saturated
• Review each piece of literature
• The end product is narrative essay that integrates,
synthesize and critiques the important thinking and
research on a particular topic.