UNDERSTANDING QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
Qualitative research, also called interpretive research or field research, is a methodology that has been borrowed from disciplines like sociology and anthropology and adapted to educational settings. Qualitative researchers, as you already have learned, use the inductive method of reasoning and strongly believe that there are multiple perspectives to be uncovered.
Qualitative researchers focus on the study of social phenomena and on giving voice to the feelings and perceptions of the participants under study. This is based on the belief that knowledge is derived from the social setting and that understanding social knowledge is a legitimate scientific process.
The following are the key characteristics of qualitative research:
• Studies are carried out in a naturalistic setting.
• Researchers ask broad research questions designed to explore, interpret, or understand the social context.
• Participants are selected through nonrandom methods based on whether the individuals have information vital to the questions being asked.
• Data collection techniques involve observation and interviewing that bring the researcher in close contact with the participants.
• The researcher is likely to take an interactive role where she or he gets to know the participants and the social context in which they live.
• Hypotheses are formed afterthe researcher begins data collection and are modified throughout the study as new data are collected and analyzed.
• The study reports data in narrative form.
How does Rayna’s study fit into the description provided for qualitative research? At this point, you might want to reflect on why Rayna would want to choose a qualitative study to examine her questions.
Steps in Conducting Qualitative Research
Qualitative researchers use scientific methods to answer their research questions, although the steps