Qualitative research approaches and their application in education

Abstract

For new researchers there exists an almost baffling array and volume of literature for the available qualitative approaches. Further, within the literature of many approaches is a tangled history of the development, key figures, and resulting variations of the approaches, which can lead to confusion and frustration in beginning researchers. The purpose of this chapter is to simplify the choice of methods for scholars by presenting a more easily understandable overview of seven qualitative research approaches common in education studies, including, case study, discourse analysis, grounded theory, ethnography, narrative inquiry, participatory action research, and phenomenology.