Advice on case selection in small-"N" research emphasizes controlling for confounding variables to facilitate inferential tests of a cross-case pattern. Yet many researchers embrace the "mechanismic worldview" and aim to construct explanations. Explanations differ from inferences because one explains an outcome at the…

Mathematics education has benefited from qualitative methodological approaches over the past 40 years across diverse topics. Although the number, type, and quality of qualitative research studies in mathematics education has changed, little is known about how a collective body of qualitative research findings contributes to our understanding of a…

This paper argues that typography can be an affective re/presentational strategy when used as a medium within the research framework of arts-based inquiry. Grounded in a larger comparative case study exploring the experiences of two elementary teachers in south Texas, the purpose of this paper is to (1) situate typography within the field of…

In a previous paper (Loizou, F. 2011. How Cypriot primary school teachers promote their professional development through reflective practice. "Education 3-13" 39, no. 3: 233--247.) I explored the concept of theories-in-use within a qualitative research study in order to analyse the role of reflection in bringing about change in the…

In this paper we argue that living in university accommodation is a possible means of improving the security of international students. Our argument is supported by a qualitative case study of a single Hall of Residence on Monash University's Clayton campus. Data were collected primarily from interviews with three groups of participants--six…

Explored through a focus on the behaviour and related experiences of a 9 year old Muslim Somalian boy called Zak, Woods offered a fascinating in-depth case study account of the rewards and sanctions systems in place at a culturally and religiously diverse London primary school. Over a period of 18 months, Woods employed a range of methodological…

The purpose of this article is to illustrate how theory and particularly the theoretical perspective of social constructionism can influence the ways in which scholars conduct qualitative research studies in the area of family systems. The authors argue for the importance of theory in qualitative research projects and promote researchers' clear…

This article presents an interview with Eric Barela, a K-12 school district internal evaluator who conducted the Title I Best Practices study for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), Research and Planning Division (formerly known as the Program Evaluation and Research Branch). In this interview, the author focuses not only on the…

The purpose of this article is to exemplify and enhance the place of modelling as a qualitative process in educational research. Modelling is widely used in quantitative research as a tool for analysis, theory building and prediction. Statistical data lend themselves to graphical representation of values, interrelationships and operational…

Some issues in the debate between qualitative and quantitative researchers are examined. It is argued that "local theories" that apply in particular contexts can allow quantitative researchers to abandon the search for universal theories. Parallels are drawn between local theories in the quantitative tradition and case studies in the qualitative…

Utilizes naturalistic inquiry to interview Anne, a former assistant dean for an academic division at an ivy league school. Anne discusses the influence that the 1985 publication of Richard Moll's "The Public Ivys" has had on private higher education and on her campus in particular. (MKA)

Guidelines are proposed to ensure rigor in case studies. Problem representation should be clear and consistent with the original intent of the research. The reader should be able to determine how the evidence was interpreted, conclusions reached, and judgments made. To increase the believability of the case study, the underlying assumptions must…

The author discusses the evolution of ideas about the relationship between national and international development and educational change since World War II. He critically reviews relevant literature in comparative and international education, focusing on the concept of teachers' work. The analyses draw on theories of postcolonialism. The author…

Reports case study research is essentially concerned with providing credible representations of reality. Notes the possibility of using audio, photo, and video media. Argues for a key theoretical resource, a set of ideas developed around the idea of a case record. (BT)

Illustrations from a recent study of farm families who had lost a family member are used to illuminate some of the ethical challenges in qualitative bereavement research. Included in the exploration are ethics involved in interview recruitment, causing pain, informed consent, the boundaries of research and therapy, family dysfunction, and…