CASE STUDY Methodology

1. CASE STUDY Methodology Brad Sterner, Heather Lesoine, Kathy Swantner, Terri Lewis EDL 720: Orientation to Doctoral Research 14 December 2009

2. CASE STUDY defined: • Involves the study of an issue explored through one or more cases within a bounded system (i.e. setting or context) (Cresswell, 2007) (cited in Ryan, 2009) • Studies focusing on society and culture in a group, a program, process, or an organization typically espouse some form of case study as a strategy • Method of learning about a complex instance through description and contextual analysis

3. CASE STUDY defined: • Takes the reader into the setting with a vividness and detail not typically present in more analytic reporting formats (Marshall & Rossman, 2006, p. 164) • Analyze an existing real-life situation in all its complexity, exploring it as close to the people concerned as possible, and finally explaining the findings in a clear and comprehensible way • Consists of a comprehensive research strategy including qualitative and quantitative methods informed by a distinct theoretical background

4. Case studies are most commonly conducted within an interpretive (naturalistic or constructive) paradigm of inquiry. Not to test a theory Concerned with illuminating the sense that participants make of their experiences Enable in-depth information to be revealed about the specific context as well as the intentions, organization and process surrounding a group, etc. Focuses on the unique understandings and experiences of the individuals involved Include analysis of any patterns or themes that emerge from the participants’ descriptions and explanation. Researchers should be sensitive to their own personal experiences and understandings as they decide which what parts of the participants’ stories will be told Purpose of a Case Study

5. CASE STUDY methodology compared to other methods • Case study research objects are complex social situations with a large number of variables which cannot be controlled and cannot even be perceived and recognized in all dimensions. Will ask:Will not ask: Why? Who? What? How many? How?

6. CASE STUDY methodology compared to other methods • Case studies do not rely on a controlled or artificial environment • Case studies analyze an existing, real-life situation and describe that situation in as much detail as possible • Case studies use QUALITATIVE and QUANTITATIVE methods or strategies.

7. Descriptive: describes a case Explorative: goes beyond description and tries to provide an understanding of the case against the background of its context, uses fieldwork and data collection. Often considered as prelude to social research. Explanatory-causal: tries to interpret phenomena to the point of answering questions of “why” on a theoretical basis Intrinsic: learn about a unique phenomenon which the study focuses on. Researcher needs to be able to define the uniqueness of this phenomenon which distinguishes it from all others. Instrumental: provide a general understanding of a phenomenon using a particular case. Collective: done to provide a general understanding using a number of instrumental case studies that either occur on the same site or come from multiple sites. Types of Case Studies:

8. Individual researcher Team of researchers Internal participants Collaboration of non-participant(s) with participant(s) Researched participants Non-participant or participant researchers Readers of the case Audiences for a case study can be: Case Studies can be conducted by:

9. Role of Theory: • Stake (1995) – theory can be absent from studies which focus on describing a case and its issues • Yin (1995) – theory can be used to guide the case study in an exploratory way • Creswell (1994) – theory is employed toward the end of the study providing a “theory-after” perspective in which other theories are compared and contrasted with the theory developed in the case study

10. CASE STUDY CONCERNS:Argument over the nature of both the concept of a case or what constitutes a case study, BUT agreement that case studies do draw on a variety of data collection sources and techniques (TRIANGULATION). • Observations, interviews, document analysis are used to assemble a detailed or rich account of a singe or multiple cases of an individual students, classroom group, program, or institution. • Can vary from relatively simple (vignette of an individual in a single episode or event or complete (multiple cases of longitudinal studies of a programs or organization).

11. Concerns for case studies: • Problems with clearly defining the meaning of the term • Lack of a basis for generalizability • General lack of quality or rigor in their research

12. Does case study methodology lack rigour?(Kyburz-Braber, 2004) • “Case studies seem to allow research to be conducted with a minimum of effort, but they also allow the results to be communicated much more easily and directly to the people concerned” (p. 53) • “Case-study research is a method which goes beyond the mere thick description (Geertz, 2000) of a situation. It can be fully recognized as a scientific method if certain quality criteria which follow the general criteria of objectivity, reliability, and validity are fulfilled (see Yin, 1994): • a theoretical basis including research questions is described • triangulation is ensured by using multiple sources of evidence • a chain of evidence is designed with traceable reasons and arguments • the case-study research is fully documented • the case-study report is compiled through an iterative review and rewriting process (p. 58)

13. Determine & define the research ?s Select the case(s) & determine data gathering & analysis techniques Prepare to collect the data Collect data in the field Evaluate & analyze the data Prepare the report Design the case study Conduct the case study Analyze the case study evidence Develop conclusions, recommendations, and implications CASE STUDY design:

14. WIKI Resources: http://edl720-casestudy.wikispaces.com/

15. Sources for further exploration: Benjamin F. Crabtree and William L. Miller, 1999--Second Edition, Doing Qualitative Research, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, California John Creswell, 1994 Research Design: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, California John Creswell, 1998 Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing among Five Traditions, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, California Alan E. Kazolin, 1982, Single Case Research Design: Methods for Clinical and Applied Settings, Oxford University Press, New York William Naumes and Margaret Naumes, 1999 The Art and Craft of Case Writing, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, California Robert E. Stake, 1995 The Art of Case Study Research, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, California Robert K. Yin, 1994--Second Edition Case Study Research: Design and Method, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, California

16. REFERENCES Corcoran, P., Walker, K., & Wals, A. (2004). Case studies, make-your-case studies, and case stories: a critique of case -study methodology in sustainability in higher education. Environmental Education Research, 10(1), 7-21. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database. Harling, K., Dr. (2002, July). An Overview of case study. Retrieved December 2, 2009, from Farm Foundation website: www.farmfoundation.org/news/articlefiles/284-1_harling.pdf Kyburz-Graber, R. (2004). Does case-study methodology lack rigour? The need for quality criteria for sound case-study research, as illustrated by a recent case in secondary and higher education. Environmental Education Research, 10(1), 53-65. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database. Marshall, C., & Rossman, G. B. (2006). Designing qualitative research (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Stevenson, R. (2004). Constructing knowledge of educational practices from case studies. Environmental Education Research, 10(1), 39-51. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.