Sharing What Works: Building Knowledge through Practitioner Case Study

Abstract

AbstractThe authors present a plan for classroom teachers and literacy professionals to conduct case studies, particularly of students’ reading motivations and engagement. The authors argue for case study as a way for practitioners to contribute important knowledge to the field that is grounded in practitioners’ deep, contextual understanding of the realities of classroom life. A roadmap for conducting a case study is presented, beginning with the selection of an inquiry topic and proceeding through data collection, analysis, and sharing of results. The roadmap is grounded in examples from the authors’ and other practitioner researchers’ case studies of reading motivation and engagement, and additional resources and suggestions for accomplishing a case study within the constraints of classroom routines are provided.