Book•
Qualitative research & evaluation methods
01 Jan 2002-Iss: 1
TL;DR: In this paper, conceptual issues and themes on qualitative research and evaluaton methods including: qualitative data, triangulated inquiry, qualitative inquiry, constructivism, constructionism, complexity (chaos) theory, qualitative designs and data collection, fieldwork strategies, interviewing, tape-recording, ethical issues, analysis, interpretation and reporting, observations vs. perceived impacts and utilisation-focused evaluation reporting.
Abstract: This book explains clearly conceptual issues and themes on qualitative research and evaluaton methods including: qualitative data, triangulated inquiry, qualitative inquiry, constructivism, constructionism, Complexity (chaos) theory, qualitative designs and data collection, fieldwork strategies, interviewing, tape-recording, ethical issues, analysis, interpretation and reporting, observations vs. perceived impacts and utilisation-focused evaluation reporting.
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TL;DR: In this article, a comparative empirical study of partners in professional service firms in China and Japan is presented, showing that firms in each context demand quite different forms of capital and dispositions from firm members.
Abstract: Research on professional service firms describes these organizations as having been increasingly colonized by commercial imperatives over the last 30 years. Extant studies contrast this now dominant ‘commercial logic’ – which privileges revenue generation - with a ‘professional logic’ – which privileges public service. There are two problems with this commercialization thesis. Firstly, it focuses almost exclusively on Western European and North American empirical contexts in order to draw conclusions about ostensibly ‘global’ firms, thereby universalizing a particular. Secondly, professionalism and commercialism are conceived of in essentialized fashion, with meanings ascribed to each a priori. In the present study, we seek to move beyond these problems by drawing on a comparative empirical study of partners in professional service firms in China and Japan. The results show that firms in each context demand quite different forms of capital and dispositions from firm members. This implies that literature on global professional service firms need to take cognizance of the extent to which certain ‘rules of the game’ are applicable beyond Western countries. Conceptually, the study both outlines a framework for understanding professional service firms in comparative perspective, and proffers a theorization of professionalism as a de-essentialized form of symbolic capital whose meaning is culturally contingent.
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors identified major intermediary roles including information exchange, program design, networking, representation, and mediation, and administration and project coordination, along with crosscutting institutional factors of influence, process, and context.
Abstract: Intermediaries in payments for ecosystem services (PES) play diverse roles in facilitating transactions between buyers and sellers. From the literature, we identified major roles including information exchange; program design; networking, representation, and mediation; and administration and project coordination; and we evaluated these roles alongside crosscutting institutional factors of influence, process, and context. We applied this typology to a Western Panama case study informing PES feasibility using semi-structured interviews with 34 intermediary organizations to understand current and potential future PES roles, capacity, and connections. We found broad capacity to perform intermediary roles and ways in which the limitations of one organization (or sector) could be compensated for by another organization (sector) through partnerships. The strongest organization-to-organization connections were found between the civil and public sectors working at the local and regional scales, and between intermediaries overall and “supply-side” landowners. While beneficial, these connections highlight the need to ensure that the interests of weakly connected actors, particularly potential buyers, are adequately represented; furthermore, uncertain central government support may affect program development at the regional scale. Our study advances a more synthetic understanding of the intermediary actor landscape in relation to PES institutional analysis, which can inform future project-specific and theoretical analyses.
48 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the unique challenges associated with remote teaching and learning in early primary contexts and provided recommendations for remote learning as well as strategies for supporting in-person learning.
Abstract: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools across North America closed to in person learning in March 2020. Since then, it has becoming increasingly clear that physical distancing will need to be prolonged in the 2020/2021 school year and possibly resumed in the future. In response, education ministries shifted teaching and learning online. Research is urgently needed to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on teaching and learning, particularly in the foundational early primary years. This research directly responds to this concern by examining the unique challenges associated with remote teaching and learning in early primary contexts. Given that learning in kindergarten and early primary grades is largely play- and inquiry- based, there is a particular need to investigate the impacts of this move for teachers, parents, and children in K-2. As such, the purpose of this research is twofold: (1) to capture the unique challenges and unanticipated successes associated with remote teaching and learning, and (2) to utilize findings to provide recommendations for remote learning as well as strategies for supporting in-person learning in the COVID-19 era (and post COVID-19 era). Data collection included 45-min semi-structured interviews with K-2 teachers (n = 25) and parents (n =11). All participants were from Ontario Canada. Data were collected from April-June 2020. The sample size was chosen to ensure saturation while uncovering a variety of perspectives. Data were analyzed in NVivo using an emergent thematic approach (Patton, 2016). The emergent thematic approach to analysis revealed five themes: equity considerations, synchronous versus asynchronous teaching and learning, social and emotional effects on students, academic impacts, and effects on parents/families.
48 citations
14 Nov 2011
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Cites background from "Qualitative research & evaluation m..."
...(Patton 2002:96)....
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...When considering which approach to select, there is no accepted standard approach, there are only more or less suitable ones (Patton 2002; Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill 2007)....
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...Because the constuctivist viewpoint is “built on the thesis of ontological relativity” (Patton 2002:96-97), which is close to my notion of ontological interpretivism, social construction or constructivist philosophy fits well with my epistemological view....
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...Although some researchers consider that analysis begins already with the coding of the data (e.g. Miles & Huberman 1994; Spiggle 1994; Patton 2002), I make a distinction between coding and categorisation, data analysis and interpretation....
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...(Patton 2002:113)....
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TL;DR: The authors examined 26 white middle school teachers' perceptions of their experiences teaching in a predominantly white midwestern middle school with a growing African American student population using focus group interviews, and found that teachers elaborated on their experiences with navigating racial, ethnic and cultural boundaries as they attempted to promote academic success for all students.
Abstract: This qualitative study examines 26 White middle school teachers' perceptions of their experiences in a predominantly White middle school with a growing African American student population. Utilizing in-depth focus group interviews, teachers elaborated on their experiences with navigating racial, ethnic and cultural boundaries as they attempted to promote academic success for all students. The constant comparative methodological approach was utilized to analyze the data. Through this process, three overarching themes were generated: (a) awareness of diversity, (b) reactions to diversity and (c) systemic issues and barriers to forging relationships. Finally, suggestions for teachers and other educators experiencing similar circumstances in their schools are provided. Keywords: White, Black, tea1cher, middle school, culturally relevant pedagogy, color-blindness In 2012, Keaton (2012) reported that during the 2010-2011 academic year, 45.1 percent of all students in American public K-12 schools were identified as minority students (e.g. Hispanic; Black; Asian and Pacific Islander; American Indian and Alaska Native). Conversely, an examination of the teacher workforce during the 2007-2008 academic year revealed that 82.9 percent of all teachers in this country are categorized as White (Aud et al., 2011). Additionally, although there has been a slight increase in the representation of racial and ethnic minority teachers (National Center for Education Information, 2005), this increase may be short-lived given the overrepresentation of White females in teacher education programs across the country (Gay & Kirkland, 2003). Given this reality, the question of whether a predominantly White teacher workforce can effectively educate culturally and racially different students, including African American students, has been posed (Milner, 2006; Thompson, 2004). While the answer to this question appears to be yes in certain circumstances (Ladson-Billings, 2006), it is, nevertheless, important to examine White teachers' perceptions of their experiences with students of color (Picower, 2009). To explore the issue scientifically, this qualitative study examines White teachers' perceptions of their experiences teaching in a predominantly White midwestern middle school with a growing African American student population. LITERATURE REVIEW Perhaps the greatest concern is that many of White teachers have limited personal and professional encounters with individuals who are racially, ethnically, linguistically and culturally different from themselves (Gay & Kirkland, 2003; Ladson-Billings, 2005; Tatum, 1997). Literature suggests several teachers are inadequately prepared to work within multiracial classrooms (Ladson-Billings, 1994, 2006), while pre-service teachers have expressed dissatisfaction with their preparation for teaching diverse students (Gay, 2002). This unfamiliarity with diverse students can leave teachers ill-prepared to function effectively in multiracial schools (Gay & Kirkland, 2003). It would be erroneous to presume these differences prevent White teachers from successfully educating African American students. Studies have found some African American students (Dickar, 2008) and parents (Ladson-Billings, 1995) are satisfied with White teachers. Similarly, it would be naive to suggest these differences are irrelevant disparities in the lived experiences of many White and Black people in this country (Mcintosh, 1989; Wise, 2008). Therefore, teachers must be cognizant of their racial and cultural backgrounds, how these factors impact their beliefs about education, and employ strategies that support rather than alienate minority students (Dickar, 2008). Much literature has been generated on White teachers' interactions with African American students. Overwhelmingly, these explanations explore pedagogical strategies for instructing African American students or provided variables impinging on the educational experiences of this group (Howard, 2006; Milner, 2006). …
48 citations