ACTION RESEARCH DESIGN

The essentials of action research design follow a characteristic cycle whereby initially an exploratory stance is adopted, where an understanding of a problem is developed and plans are made for some form of interventional strategy. Then the intervention is carried out (the action in Action Research) during which time, pertinent observations are collected in various forms. The new interventional strategies are carried out, and the cyclic process repeats, continuing until a sufficient understanding of (or implement able solution for) the problem is achieved. The protocol is iterative or cyclical in nature and is intended to foster deeper understanding of a given situation, starting with conceptualizing and particularizing the problem and moving through several interventions and evaluations.

What action research studies tell you

1. A collaborative and adaptive research design that lends itself to use in work or community situations.

2. Design focuses on pragmatic and solution-driven research rather than testing theories.

3. When practitioners use action research it has the potential to increase the amount they learn consciously from their experience. The action research cycle can also be regarded as a learning cycle.

4. Action search studies often have direct and obvious relevance to practice.

5. There are no hidden controls or pre-emption of direction by the researcher.

What action research studies don't tell you

1. It is harder to do than conducting conventional studies because the researcher takes on responsibilities for encouraging change as well as for research.

2. Action research is much harder to write up because you probably can’t use a standard format to report your findings effectively.

3. Personal over-involvement of the researcher may bias research results.

4. The cyclic nature of action research to achieve its twin outcomes of action (e.g. change) and research (e.g. understanding) is time-consuming and complex to conduct.

CASE STUDY DESIGN:

A case study is an in-depth study of a particular research problem rather than a sweeping statistical survey. It is often used to narrow down a very broad field of research into one or a few easily researchable examples. The case study research design is also useful for testing whether a specific theory and model actually applies to phenomena in the real world. It is a useful design when not much is known about a phenomenon. It is also called ethnographic research; it uses direct observation to give a complete snapshot of a case that is being studied.

Ethnography researcher studies an intact cultural group in a natural setting in a long period of time by collecting, primarily, observational data. The research process is flexible and typically evolves contextually in response to the lived realities. The objective is to understand reality.

It is useful when not much is known about a phenomenon and uses few subjects.

What case studies tell you

1. Approach excels at bringing us to an understanding of a complex issue through detailed contextual analysis of a limited number of events or conditions and their relationships.

2. A researcher using a case study design can apply a variety of methodologies and rely on a variety of sources to investigate a research problem.

3. Design can extend experience or add strength to what is already known through previous research.

4. Social scientists, in particular, make wide use of this research design to examine contemporary real-life situations and provide the basis for the application of concepts and theories and extension of methods.

5. The design can provide detailed descriptions of specific and rare cases.

What case studies don't tell you

1. A single or small number of cases offers little basis for establishing reliability or to generalize the findings to a wider population of people, places, or things.

2. The intense exposure to study of the case may bias a researcher's interpretation of the findings.

3. Design does not facilitate assessment of cause and effect relationships.

4. Vital information may be missing, making the case hard to interpret.

5. The case may not be representative or typical of the larger problem being investigated.

6. If the criteria for selecting a case are because it represents a very unusual or unique phenomenon or problem for study, then your interpretation of the findings can only apply to that particular case.

A case study involves collecting empirical data, generally from only one or a small number of cases. It usually provides rich detail about those cases, of a predominantly qualitative nature. There are a number of different approaches to case study work (eg ethnographic, hermeneutic, ethogenic, etc) and the principles and methods followed should be made clear. A case study generally aims to provide insight into a particular situation and often stresses the experiences and interpretations of those involved. It may generate new understandings, explanations or hypotheses. However, it does not usually claim representativeness and should be careful not to over-generalize.

Examples:

·Jimenez, R.T. and Gersten, R. (1999) ‘Lessons and Dilemmas derived from the Literacy Instruction of two Latina/o Teachers’. American Educational Research Journal, 36, 2, 265-302. [A detailed study of the behaviour and experiences of two teachers of English to minority students]

·Ball, S. (1981) Beachside Comprehensive: a case study of secondary schooling. Cambridge, CUP. [This is a book, but a classic case study]

Date: 2014-12-28; view: 1005