Straipsnyje pristatoma grindžiamoji teorija, kaip kokybinės edukologijos tyrimų metodologijos strategija, kuri yra ir tyrimo objektas. Tyrimo tikslas - aprašyti grindžiamosios teorijos taikymo ypatumus edukologinio kokybinio tyrimo procese. Straipsnyje pateikiamas grindžiamosios teorijos metodologinis tikslas, bendrieji tyrimo proceso ypatumai, trijų kodavimų - atviro, ašinio, atrankinio - specifika bei šiuos kodavimus iliustruojančios schemos. Tyrimo rezultatai atskleidė: grindžiamoji teorija yra viena iš natūralistinės - induktyvios paradigmos taikymo galimybių, kurios pagrindą sudaro fenomenologija ir simbolinė interakcija, o remiasi ji empiriniais rezultatais; „teorijos“ terminas susijęs su šios metodologinės paradigmos tikslu - išplėtoti arba pagrindžiančią tiriamą fenomeną edukologijos teoriją (tam tikrų realybės dalių aprašymas), arba formalią teoriją (generalistinę teoriją apie konkretų tiriamą fenomeną); pirminis grindžiamosios teorijos studijos rezultatas yra teorija, apimanti specifinius komponentus: centrinį fenomeną, priežastines būsenas, strategijas, kontekstą ir būkles, pasekmes / rezultatus ir visa tai atspindi išskirtos kategorijos, sudarančios iš tyrimo duomenų suformuotą teoriją; tyrimo studiją sunku pradėti be išankstinių teorinių idėjų ir prielaidų - praktiškai vykdant duomenų analizę, sudėtinga nuspręsti, kada kategorijos yra ,,prisotintos“ tyrimo duomenų bei kada sėkmingai išvystyta teorija; grindžiamosios teorijos tyrimo stiprybės yra tikslių procedūrų naudojimas generuojant teoriją, pristatomos tyrimo atlikimo strategijos lankstumas ir sistemiškumas, tikslios kokybinių duomenų analizės procedūros bei galimybė tokio pobūdžio tyrimus atlikti įvairiose profesinėse srityse. [...]., In the article here is presented the concept of grounded theory as qualitative research methodology, as it is the research focus of presented descriptive research too, Research aim is to describe the peculiarities of grounded theory in the process of qualitative research methodology in education. Questions from which consists the research problem are the following: whit are advantages, limits and specific features in collecting and analyzing the data of grounded theory research process? Grounded theory is one possibility within the naturalistic inductive paradigm. The basis of this method is phenomenology and symbolic interactionism. The term ''grounded" indicates that the theory is based on empirical findings. The term "theory'' stresses that the purpose of this method is to develop either a substantial theory (a description about some parts of reality) or a formal theory (a general theory about some phenomenon). The methodological aim of grounded theory is to generate or discover theory substantiated by abstract scheme of phenomenon, which is related to concrete studied situation, This is the situation where people interact, perform activities and are involved into process of content of concrete phenomenon. A category in the study based on grounded theory methodology, is the unit of information about events, interactions and etc. By performing research the researcher should visit the field (research area) several times, where he/she will collect the data. The data is analyzed straight after every visit. The data collection continues until the categories are formed. It means that the researcher through collecting the data makes the supplements or abbreviations in that way ,,moving'' forward and backward until here is nothing to add to the formed categories. The moving forward and backward means ,,going'' to concrete field to collect the information: backward - to substantiate the analyzed data; forward - again to the field to collect more information and again backward - to analyze the data and etc. It is adequate to process of dialogue and opposite to traditional one - way linear process, where firstly is collected the data, and after the data is analyzed. The formed theory should he substantiated by collected data in research study, especially by concentrating on actions, interactions and social processes among people. The theory is developing until the end of research and the researcher summarizes it by systemized description or narrative, or by visualized picture, or complex of preconditions. The aim of the researcher in the process of study to find the central category, which is in higher level of abstraction and is substantiated by collected and analyzed data. This is based on the following phases: 1) extracting the conceptual categories on collected data; 2) finding the relationships between extracted ''core'' categories, and this is achieving by three types of coding - open, (by extracting categories), axial coding (by interlinking those categories), selective coding (by forming the central category or categories). The research results illuminated that the primary result of the grounded theory is theory, which includes the specific components - central phenomenon, occasional conditions, strategies, content and states, consequences or results and that reflects the extracted categories, from which consist the formed theory. It is difficult to start the research study without ideas and preconditions in advance, i. e. it is difficult to decide, where categories are saturated by research data and when the theory is developed successfully. The strong sides of grounded theory are the use of definite procedures in theory generating, flexible and systemic strategy of research performance and possibility to realize such kind of research studies in various professional areas.