Case Study ResearchBy Jennifer Cain, Christine Irwin, and Kendra

Wollert

Case Study Characteristics

Qualitative method

Bounded system (ie: classroom, event, )

Stems from a descriptive question (what happened when...?) or explanatory question (how or why something happened?)

Results are tangible or concrete in nature often because it is personal.

More Characteristics

Particularistic, Descriptive, and Heuristic

Particularistic focuses on a particular situation or event.

Descriptive means your study includes “thick descriptions” of the situation or event.

Heuristic is when the reader gains personal insight, beyond what they started with, when the results are in.

Multiple sites, multiple events, or multiple individuals?

Validity and/or generalizing

Different analysis techniques for a multiple:

Unordered Meta-Matrix

Site-Ordered Descriptive

Site-Ordered Predictor-Outcome Matrix

Time-Ordered Meta-Matrix

Scatterplots

Site-Ordered Effects Matrix

Causal Models

Conducting and Analyzing Case Studies

< Single vs. Multiple Case Studies >

What happened when you introduced sign language into

your classroom’s spelling curriculum.

Quick Note: Narrative vs. Case Study

Narrative studies are PERSONAL and share one’s life experiences or important events of one’s life.

Narrative studies are usually chronological.

Case studies usually surround social issues.

Case studies are bounded: by time, space, or people.

Narrative

Case Study

So, why study case studies?

Case Studies…•Are probably the most “mainstream” type of research

•Are used in a variety of fields (business, medicine, advertising)

•Are easily combined with other types of research

•Are a great teaching tool

Sample Case Studies

•Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences

http://www.paideia.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/SuccessStories.pdf

•Thirty Years Later: The Long-Term Effect on Boarding Schools on Alaska Natives and Their Communities

http://www.iser.uaa.alaska.edu/Publications/boardingschoolfinal.pdf

•Cincinnati Case Studyhttp://www.educationnation.com/casestudies/cincy/index.html

Case Study Publications

International Journal of Teaching and Case Studies

Clinical Case Studies

Journal of Case Studies in Education

Journal of Case Studies

Journal of Case Studies in Accreditation and Assessment

Journal of the International Academy for Case Studies

History Continued...

First used in the US in the early 1900’s

1st generation

Anthropology

Sociology

Decline in the 1930’s

History of Case Studies

Resurgence in the 1960’s

2nd generation

Law

Medicine

Education

Government

Other evaluative situations

Dr. Robert Yin

www.sagepub.com/authorDetails.nav?contribid-501003

Dr. Sharan B. Merriam

www.coe.uga.edu/vita/smerriam_vita.pdf

•

Dr. Robert E. Stake

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bf59TDochY

Dr. Joe R. Feagin

www.racismreview.com/blog/

References Davis, B. G. (1993) Tools for Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Glaser, B. &. ( 1967). The Discovery of grounded Theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Chicago: Aldine.

Hirshberg, D., & Sharp, S. (2005, September). Institute of Social and Economic Research Publications: Thirty Years Later: The Long Term Effect of Boarding Schools on Alaska Natives and Their Communities. Retrieved October 18, 2013, from Institute of Social and Economic Research: http://www.iser.uaa.alaska.edu/Publications/boardingschoolfinal.pdf.

http://education.illinois.edu/people/stake

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharan_Merriam

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Feagin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_E._Stake

http://www.sagepub.com/authorDetails.nav?contribId=501003

Johansson, R. (2003, September). Case Study Methodology. Retrieved October 12, 2013, from rolf.johansson@infra.kth.se: rolf.johansson@infra.kth.se

National Paideia Center. (2002). Paideia Stories: Successful Schools in Practice. Retrieved October 18, 2013, from Paideia Active Learning: http://www.paideia.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/SuccessStories.pdf

NBC News. (2013, October). Education Nation Cincinnati Case Study. Retrieved October 8, 2013, from Education Nation: http://www.educationnation.com/casestudies/cincy/index.htm

Tellis, W. (1997, July). Introduction to Case Study. The Qualitative Report, http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR3-2/tellis1.html

But, Wait, There’s More…Fascinating Case Study on Hybrid Learning in Rural

Alaska…

http://www.gandrewpage.com/sample-page/papers/ruralcasestudy/

Completed by none other than OUR OWN

Dr. Andy Page!