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This handbook offers a contemporary and comprehensive review of critical research theory and methodology. Showcasing the work of contemporary critical researchers who are harnessing and building on a variety of methodological tools, this volume extends beyond qualitative methodology to also include critical quantitative and mixed-methods approaches to research. The critical scholars contributing to this volume are influenced by a diverse range of education disciplines, and represent multiple countries and methodological backgrounds, making the handbook an essential resource for anyone doing critical scholarship. The book moves from the theoretical to the specific, examining various paradigms for engaging in critical scholarship, various methodologies for doing critical research, and the political, ethical, and practical issues that arise when working as a critical scholar. In addition to mapping the field, contributions synthesize literature, offer concrete examples, and explore relevant contexts, histories, assumptions, and current practices, ultimately fostering generative thinking that contributes to future methodological and theoretical breakthroughs. New as well as seasoned critical scholars will find within these pages exciting new ideas, challenging questions, and insights that spur the continuous evolution and grow the influence of critical research methods and theories in the education and human disciplines.

Negotiating the Complexities of Qualitative Research in Higher Education illuminates the complex nature of qualitative research, while attending to issues of application. This text addresses the essentials of research through discussion of strategies, ethical issues, and challenges in higher education. In addition to walking through the methodological steps, this text considers the conceptual reasons behind qualitative research and explores how to conduct qualitative research that is rigorous, thoughtful, and theoretically coherent. Seasoned researchers Jones, Torres, and Arminio combine high-level theory with practical applications and examples, showing how research in higher education can produce improved learning outcomes for students, especially those who have been historically marginalized. This book will help students in higher education graduate programs to cultivate an appreciation for the complexity and ambiguity of the research and the ways to think through questions and tensions that emerge in the process.New in This Edition: Emphasis on participant representation and researcher reflexivity and positionality Additional conceptual frameworks that ground qualitative work in higher education and analyze power to reveal structural inequities A wider array of approaches including Participatory Action Research, Critical Discourse Analysis, and visual methodologies and methods A new chapter on writing that covers getting started, writing as analysis, writing to capture complexity, and positioning oneself in writing Updated citations and content throughout to reflect the newest thinking and scholarship New end-of-chapter discussion questions and activities to bolster accessibility of theory and help instructors support students'work on their course research projects.

The new edition of Planning Your Qualitative Research Thesis and Project provides easily accessible worked examples and valuable models which can be used as guides for plans and proposals. By demonstrating the thought and forward planning that is required when proposing a credible interpretivist study, this book provides the reader with all the theory and practical understanding necessary to conduct a successful qualitative research project. This new edition provides examples of contemporary topics related to a range of countries across the developed and developing world, and new chapters which include: An example of a ‘perspectives‘ study Policy studies and the interpretivist paradigm Life history studies Interactionist historical studies The interpretivist paradigm and research based on ‘problem focused‘ ideas With chapters and studies providing contemporary and relevant examples, this new edition is the perfect introductory guide for students looking to complete their first qualitative thesis project. Bridging the gap between theory and practice, it is an accessible introduction, and an invaluable resource for early stage doctoral students, and for students undertaking research and enquiry.

A practical introduction to qualitative research across fields and disciplines Qualitative Research in Practice offers a hands-on introduction to qualitative research design, methods, data, and analysis. Designed as a companion text for any course involving qualitative research, this book explores the different types of qualitative studies with relevant examples and analysis by the researchers themselves. The workbook format makes it easy to use in the classroom or the field, and the depth of information makes it a valuable resource for students of social work, psychology, counseling, management, education, health care, or any field in which qualitative research is conducted. While quantitative research is primarily concerned with numerical data, qualitative research methods are more flexible, responsive, and open to contextual information. To a qualitative researcher, a situation is defined by the participants'perspectives, making it the primary method of inquiry for understanding social phenomena through the lens of experience. This book introduces the essentials of qualitative research, bolstered by expert analysis and discussion that provides deeper insight than a traditional textbook format would allow. Understand the fundamental nature of qualitative research Learn how to accurately assess and evaluate qualitative research Explore qualitative research's many forms and applications Gain insight on qualitative research in a variety of fields and disciplines How does one codify an experience? Is it possible to measure emotion in units? Qualitative research fills the void where numbers cannot reach. It is the best tool we have for studying the unquantifiable aspects of the human experience, and it is an essential tool in a wide variety of fields. Qualitative Research in Practice provides translatable skills in a practical format to quicken your transition from “learning” to “using.”

Published in 1995, this book comprises a group of original studies in education. It includes detailed empirically-based accounts of a variety of educational settings which are under represented in the sociological literature, for instance special schools, psychiatric adolescent units, further education colleges and government policy settings. Studies of other neglected issues include teachers'understandings of subject, the promotion of cross curricular themes and pupils'acquisition of knowledge about menstruation. Ethnographic fieldwork in Maltese classrooms and a study of Asian pupils in a Welsh school provide an international dimension to the volume. Most contributions draw on ethnographic approaches and by using close observation and / or in-depth interviews they capture the internal workings of a classroom, institution or culture.

Analysing Talk in Educational Research is the go-to guide for all educational researchers collecting data in the form of talk. Offering practical and helpful approaches alongside explanations of relevant theories, it is a thorough yet concise guidebook providing all the advice necessary to effectively analyse talk data.Examining talk analysis through the lens of three theoretical approaches – Systemic Functional Linguistics, Positioning Theory and Interpersonal Behaviour Theory – the book offers detailed summaries and analyses of these theories and also covers topics including: How to begin collecting talk data The ethical issues surrounding collecting talk data Appropriate strategies for transcription and coding Checking for trustworthiness and credibility of talk data. Each chapter includes provocation exercises and illustrative examples, as well as links to websites and further reading suggestions to deepen understanding. Guiding readers from the necessary practical considerations required during data collection through to final evaluations, Analysing Talk in Educational Research is essential reading for graduate students and academic researchers completing studies involving talk and looking for a quick and helpful introduction to the rigorous methods with which to analyse their data.

In the World Library of Educationalists series, international experts themselves compile career-long collections of what they judge to be their finest pieces – extracts from books, key articles, salient research findings, major theoretical and practical contributions – so the world can read them in a single manageable volume. Readers will be able to follow the themes and strands and see how their work contributes to the development of the field. (Post)Critical Methodologies forms a chronology through the texts and concepts that span Patti Lather's career. Examining (post)critical, feminist and poststructural theories, Lather's work is organized into thematic sections that span her 35 years of study in this field. These sections include original contributions formed from Lather's feminism and critical theory background. They contain her most cited works on feminist research and pedagogy, and form a collection of both early and recent writings on the post and post-post, with a focus on critical policy studies and the future of post-qualitative work.With a focus on the implications for qualitative inquiry given the call for scientifically based research in education, this compelling overview moves through Lather's progressive thoughts on bridging the gap between quantitative and qualitative research in education and provides a unique commentary on some of the most important issues in higher education over the last 30 years. This compilation of Lather's contribution to educational thinking will prove compelling reading to all those engaged in student learning in higher education worldwide.

Qualitative Inquiry in Higher Education Organization and Policy Research provides readers with the theoretical foundations and innovative perspectives for undertaking qualitative research to influence policy and practice discussions. Well-known chapter authors discuss innovative strategies for investigating complex problems, helping readers understand how research can consider the culture of the institution, administrative hierarchy, students, faculty, and external constituencies. From both an organizational and policy perspective, chapter pairings explore a range of methodologies, including ethnography, case study, critical qualitative inquiry, and the notion of'grit.'This volume explores how qualitative inquiry can advance understanding of organizational inequities in higher education, and it offers graduate students and educational researchers the tools to improve the organizational function of institutions while contributing to meaningful change.

Qualitative Research in STEM examines the groundbreaking potential of qualitative research methods to address issues of social justice, equity, and sustainability in STEM. A collection of empirical studies conducted by prominent STEM researchers, this book examines the experiences and challenges faced by traditionally marginalized groups in STEM, most notably culturally and linguistically diverse students and women. Investigations into these issues, as well as the high dropout rate among engineering students and issues of academic integrity in STEM, come with detailed explanations of the study methodologies used in each case. Contributors also provide personal narratives that share their perspectives on the benefits of qualitative research methodologies for the topics explored. Through a variety of qualitative methodologies, including participatory action research, Indigenous research, and critical ethnography, this volume aims to reveal and remedy the inequalities within STEM education today.

If the Truth Be Told: Accounts in Literary Forms plays with the sense of truth. It is composed of six chapters, “Childhood Dangers,” “Relational Logics,” “Jesus Chronicles,” “Criminal Tales,” “Aging, Illness, and Death Lessons,” and “Telling Truths.” Each chapter includes fictional and nonfictional accounts, including poems, stories, monologues, short dramas, essays, creative nonfiction, and mixed genres, to address each chapter's subject. Pieces are based on the author's personal experiences, newspapers accounts, and purely fictional accounts (all revealed in an appendix at the end of the book). Moving through the book from beginning to end, readers may or may not know whether they are reading a nonfictional or fictional text. Pelias intentionally subverts assumptions readers may have in reading the different pieces in order to blur the boundaries of what counts as evidence, what might be accepted as truth, what might be of use in everyday lives. In this vein, Pelias invites readers to consider what they value and why. As an engaging compilation of literary works, this book can be read by anyone simply for pleasure. If Truth Be Told can also be used in any number of college courses in communication, creative writing, cultural studies, ethics, narrative inquiry, philosophy, psychology, sociology and qualitative inquiry. The book includes an extensive appendix with general and chapter-by-chapter discussion questions.

Research in the College Context, 2nd Edition provides faculty, students, practitioners, and researchers in the college environment with a manual of diverse approaches and methods for researching higher education and college students. The text offers the reader a variety of qualitative and quantitative research tools including interviewing, surveys, mixed methods, focus groups, visual methods, participatory action research, policy analysis, document analysis and historical methods, secondary data analysis, and use of large national data sets. This revised edition provides readers with current and innovative methodological tools needed to research the complex issues facing higher education today. Each technique is thoroughly presented with accompanying examples, advice for designing research projects, and tips for data collection, analysis, and dissemination of results. Clearly organized and accessible, this volume is the essential guide for experienced and novice researchers.

Over the last decade, the practices by which scholarly knowledge is produced—both within and across disciplines—have been substantially influenced by the appearance of digital information resources, communication networks and technology enhanced research tools. Viewed from a methodological perspective, the rich ICT-based environment in educational settings influences research methods, ethics and the general conduct of research. Methodological Challenges When Exploring Digital Learning Spaces in Education represents a collection of work of established academics as well as emerging early career researchers all of whom focus on various methodological challenges. From numerous perspectives, the chapters in this volume deal with three particularly demanding challenges for educational research in digital learning contexts. The first challenge concerns how research manages to explore networked learning within a multi-faceted ICT environment. What kind of research designs and forms of data collection are able to grasp this complexity of multiple learning taking place within these contexts? The second challenge deals with how researchers experience the research context and interact with various actors within these settings. How to capture and understand interaction between contexts and across different dimensions of contexts in time and space? And finally, the third challenge is about exploring how children make meaning across physical places and virtual spaces. All together, these challenges are questioning the traditional research methods that we use and are familiar with. This volume is devoted to stimulating debate about the various methodological challenges facing the researcher in the digital sphere of educational research, and furthermore, exploring what kind of new methodological approaches these challenges impose. It is aimed at students, researchers and academics within education and those working with learning across disciplines and contexts interested in methodological issues.

Foundational characteristics of qualitative research include flexibility, variation in application, critique, and innovation all of which derive from its subjective roots in interpretivism and constructivism. While the scholars who design qualitative research projects envision these qualities as strengths, such a breadth of practices and the assumptions that undergird them may present challenges during the peer review process. As a result, those who review and consume qualitative research often have important and difficult-to-answer questions about the project's design, strategies/tools, and analysis, with few guidelines for gauging the merit of the work.The mission of this book is to provide a useful guide for researchers, reviewers, and consumers who are charged with judging the quality of qualitative studies. In order to embrace the challenges and controversies that accompany this goal, the editors have solicited experts representing multiple disciplines and methods of qualitative inquiry. Their contributions represent the rich diversity in the field while simultaneously producing a pragmatic and useful guide. While it is neither possible nor desirable to compartmentalize qualitative approaches and issues into neatly organized categories, the construct of method has been chosen as a common organizing device. The introductory chapter explains the need for such a book and underscores the foundational strengths of qualitative research: flexibility, variation, critique, and innovation. The remaining chapters review the principal approaches to qualitative research with care taken not to standardize, rigidly define, or oversimplify any approach. For ease of use, all methodological chapters are organized around the following elements of inquiry which reviewers tend to examine: definition, sampling, data collection, data analysis, representation, and congruency.

Focusing on the integral role of the researcher, Qualitative Research for the Social Sciences uses a conversational writing style that draws readers into the excitement of the research process. Lichtman offers a balanced and nuanced approach, covering the full range of qualitative methodologies and viewpoints about the field, including coverage of social media as a tool to facilitate research or as a venue for study. After presenting theoretical concepts and a historical overview, Lichtman guides readers, step by step, through the research process, addressing issues of analyzing data, presenting completed research, and evaluating research. Real-world examples from across the social sciences provide both practical and theoretical information, helping readers understand abstract ideas and apply them to their own research.

Qualitative Research: The Essential Guide to Theory and Practice provides a one-stop resource for all those approaching qualitative research for the first time, as well as those revisiting core concepts and issues. It presents a comprehensive overview of this rapidly developing field of inquiry, cleverly combined with practical, hands-on advice on how to conduct a successful qualitative study. Written in an engaging and accessible style, the authors break through difficult terminology to guide readers through the choices they will face during research design, implementation, and beyond. Each chapter is then brought to life by an array of relevant, real-life examples from expert researchers around the globe.Divided into seven sections, this unique text covers: Considering perspectives Acknowledging a position Framing the study Choosing a research approach Collecting data Working with data and findings Writing about the research From the foundations of the subject through to its application in practice, Qualitative Research: The Essential Guide to Theory and Practice is an indispensable companion for qualitative researchers worldwide. VAT will be charged on this product for UK customers only. VAT is charged at standard rate on a part of this product only.

Beginning Interpretive Inquiry importantly makes the distinction between the use of ‘inquiry'rather than interpretive research or interpretive evaluation. Richard Morehouse explores how inquiry is a far more inclusive concept that allows for a detailed understanding of both research and evaluation. The author draws on his personal experiences and observations that many academics and practitioners in education, psychology and many other academic disciplines are successfully engaged in both research and evaluation and that in practice these enterprises share much in common. This book provides detailed examples of different projects; some that are primarily research oriented, others that are primarily evaluation; and projects that effectively and seamlessly combine both research and evaluation. Having provided a solid philosophical foundation for an understanding of interpretive inquiry, the author gives a detailed and accessible step-by-step approach that explores all stages of the process including: How the processes of interpretive inquiry fit together Understanding where inquiry ideas come from How to develop an appropriate inquiry sample Data collection mechanisms Effective data analysis Writing successfully for publication Complete with case studies of a wide variety of interpretive inquiry projects this vital new book is an essential tool for researchers from a wide range of disciples. It will help them plan, conduct and evaluate research that successfully blends both qualitative and quantitative approaches.

Dieses Buch richtet sich an Wissenschaftler, Studierende und in der Praxis Tätige, die im Begriff sind, eine qualitative Interview-Studie mit Jugendlichen durchzuführen. Das Ziel ist es, bei diesem Vorhaben zu unterstützen. Es wird ein Leitfaden bereit gestellt, der Schritt für Schritt durch die Phasen des Forschungsprozesses begleitet. Das Buch gliedert sich in insgesamt vier Hauptteile. Diese sind so angeordnet, dass sie dem Fortgang einer qualitativen Studie im Wesentlichen entsprechen. Der Pfad durch die einzelnen Kapitel beginnt mit einer Einführung in Grundlagen qualitativer Forschung, leitet über zu ausgewählten Fragestellungen der qualitativen Jugendforschung und mündet in der Planung und Durchführung einer Interviewstudie.

Creative Spaces for Qualitative Researching: Living Research. This book looks inward at researchers who are seeking to live their research—to embody the principles, methodologies and ethical conduct that comprises their research strategies. And, it looks outward at the living world as the focus of qualitative research. From both perspectives the editors and authors of this book have created spaces for qualitative research that provide critical and creative frameworks for conducting and living their research. A rich variety of research voices and lives are illuminated, liberated and revealed in the book. There are five sections in the book: § Researching Living Practices§ Doing Creative Research§ Being a Creative Researcher§ Co-Creating Qualitative Research in Creative Spaces§ Becoming Transformed Through Creative Research.

What ethical dilemmas face researchers who work with young children?Researching Young Children's Perspectives critically examines the challenges and complexities of rights based, participatory research with children. Rather than approaching these dilemmas as problematic issues, this book positions them as important topics for discussion and reflection. Drawing from their own rich experiences as research collaborators with young children in internationally diverse settings, the authors consider the ethical, methodological and theoretical frameworks that guide best-practice in research with young children. Each chapter poses points for consideration that will inform and challenge both the novice and experienced researcher, such as: How ‘participatory'can research be with infants under eighteen months? When should listening through observation stand alone? What is the distinction between methodologies and methods? How can all young children be assured of a voice in research? The authors also present seven separate case studies which demonstrate exemplary research with young children. Each study is accompanied by insightful commentary from the authors, who highlight the issues or difficulties faced and propose potential solutions. If you are a student at undergraduate level and above, this book will give you all the confidence you need to conduct your own high quality research with children.

Qualitative research has seen a surge of growth during the past decade. This is in large part because positivist approaches have not yielded the kinds of results that had been anticipated, and more researchers are seeking alternative perspectives to understand phenomena. The number of researchers using qualitative approaches continues to grow, yet there are few up-to-date guides to assist thinking broadly about qualitative research as a field of inquiry.Over the decades the range of approaches has increased, which has led to an even greater lack of certainty about how to think about doing qualitative research. In considering key issues while offering practical guidance on how to work within the face of uncertainty, this book will be a valuable resource to this next generation of researchers.New Approaches to Qualitative Research offers: a clear understanding of the range of issues related to researcher stance, the way that researchers position themselves in relation to their subjects, their participants, and their own belief systems, and the way in which they locate themselves across the qualitative paradigm an overview of some of the most cutting-edge qualitative techniques in use today: from the exploration of visual texts to the concept of inquiry to synthesis methods, this section lays out the state of the art in methodology specific information regarding processes of data analysis, synthesis and interpretation that are employed in these various approaches. In this book, the authors take the stance that qualitative research is a broad approach that encompasses and even encourages difference and uncertainty, and here at last they provide a route-map to this uncertain but fruitful line of inquiry. This vital text is ideal for professional researchers and postgraduates in a range of subject areas.

'I commend and celebrate the editors and authors for a remarkable book that engages the reader's imagination, heart, mind, spirit, and body. Out of creative and courageous commitments to challenging orthodoxies by living and writing research that is personal, political, and poetic, these scholars invite the kind of vigorous dialogue that will continue to promote creative possibilities for inquiry in the social sciences.'Carl Leggo, University of British Columbia, From the ForewordEvocative and provocative, this book presents the points of view of (often junior) scholars in the social sciences who used non-standard methods or writing practices to challenge the'research-as-usual'paradigm in the academy, while at the same time meeting the demands of quality and rigor set by their university examining committees and ethical review boards. The intent is to encourage new researchers who are also considering such a path. The authors discuss their lived personal experiences within and against traditional academic research and writing traditions, as well as their struggles and eventual successes. Chapters are written in dramatic form, in dialogue, in story, and include poetry, vignettes, testimonials and autobiographical accounts. Collectively, they form a unique, distinctive situated polyphonic case study of research in the social sciences from several perspectives, challenging the orthodoxies.

Voice in Qualitative Inquiry is a critical response to conventional, interpretive, and critical conceptions of voice in qualitative inquiry. A select group of contributors focus collectively on the question,'What does it mean to work the limits of voice?'from theoretical, methodological, and interpretative positions, and the result is an innovative challenge to traditional notions of voice. The thought-provoking book will shift qualitative inquiry away from uproblematically engaging in practices and interpretations that limit what'counts'as voice and therefore data. The loss and betrayal of comfort and authority when qualitative researchers work the limits of voice will lead to new disruptions and irruptions in making meaning from data and, in turn, will add inventive and critical dialogue to the conversation about voice in qualitative inquiry. Toward this end, the book will specifically address the following objectives: To promote an examination of how voice functions to communicate in qualitative research To expose the excesses and instabilities of voice in qualitative research To present theoretical, methodological, and interpretative implications that result in a problematizing of voice To provide working examples of how qualitative methodologists are engaging the multiple layers of voice and meaning To deconstruct the epistemological limits of voice that circumscribe our view of the world and the ways in which we make meaning as researchers This compelling collection will challenge those who conduct qualitative inquiry to think differently about how they collect, analyze, and represent meaning using the voices of others, as well as their own.

The Authentic Dissertation is a road map for students who want to make their dissertation more than a series of hoop-jumping machinations that cause them to lose the vitality and meaningfulness of their research. Students and tutors are presented with practical guidance for the kind of alternative dissertations that many educators believe are needed to move Doctoral and Master's level work beyond the limitations that currently stifle authentic contributions for a better world. Drawing on his Cherokee/Creek ancestry and the Raramuri shamans of Mexico the author explores how research can regain its humanist core and find its true place in the natural order once more. Four Arrows provides a degree of'credibility'that will help graduate students legitimize their ideas in the eyes of more conservative university committees. This inspiring book will also help academics who sincerely want to see these alternative forms but are concerned about the rigor of'alternative'dissertation research and presentation.The featured dissertation stories tap into more diverse perspectives, more authentic experience and reflection, and more creative abilities. They are, in essence, spiritual undertakings that Honour the centrality of the researcher's voice, experience, creativity and authority Focus more on important questions than on research methodologies per se Reveal virtues (generosity, patience, courage, respect, humility, fortitude, etc.) Regard the people's version of reality The goal of this book is not to replace the historical values of academic research in the western tradition, but to challenge some of these values and offer alternative ideas that stem from different, sometimes opposing values.

This thought-provoking book challenges the way research is planned and undertaken and equips researchers with a variety of creative and imaginative solutions to the dilemmas of method and representation that plague qualitative research.Fascinating and inspiring reading for any researcher in the Social Sciences this comprehensive collection encourages the reader to imagine the world in evermore complex and interesting ways and discover new routes to understanding. Some of the most influential figures in educational research consider questions such as: How does a socio-political context change the course of our research? What counts as a ‘truthful account'in qualitative research? How do the voices of theory and the voices of ‘research subjects'struggle to be heard in our research narratives? How can qualitative researchers ethically navigate the difficult terrain of research relationships? How is the material body rendered in qualitative research? Each chapter reveals a range of troubling dilemmas related to the critical aspects of research methodology in the Social Sciences and uses an illustrative case to elucidate the issues encountered by the researcher. Each writer brings a fierce philosophical spirit to her work, showing how methods or techniques of data-gathering grow from the theory and analysis of how research proceeds. A range of topics are addressed in a cross-disciplinary approach which will appeal to all scholars of qualitative research, undergraduate students in education programs and graduate students in a range of disciplines

This is a key text for any student embarking on a qualitative research project, it provides worked examples and valuable models which can be used as guides for plans and proposals, answering key questions and providing a comprehensive guide to a student's project. It shows that when planning a qualitative research proposal, researchers should adopt an approach where they ask themselves the following four questions: What research paradigm informs my approach to my research area? What theoretical perspective do I choose within the paradigm? What methodology do I choose? What methods are most appropriate? Including examples of the write-up of two central types of research projects: studies on participants'‘perspectives'on phenomena and studies on how participants manage or ‘cope with'phenomena, the book outlines five research proposals to illustrate ways in which these two central ‘types'can be varied and applied when engaging in five other types of studies, namely, policy studies, life history studies, retrospective interactionist longitudinal studies and interactionist historical studies, and ‘problem-focused'studies.

This is designed for those learning qualitative research and those more advanced in the field. It focuses on understanding both the cognitive processes of qualitative research and the affective feel engendered.

This collection examines the many influences of biographical inquiry in education and discusses methodological issues from the perspective of veteran and novice biographers. Contributors underscore the documentary, interpretive, and literary concerns of biographical and archival work, and their essays reveal the complexity, distinctiveness, and sense of exploration of scholarly endeavors.

This text is both about writing up qualitative research and is itself a qualitative study. The written reflections of students on the writing process and the interpretations and presentations of their findings provide a base of data which the authors have, in turn, analyzed and incorporated into their text. They have added accounts of their own experiences, and those of their colleagues and other published authors. All of these are woven into a theoretical framework that discusses them in detail.