This case study examines the challenges of researching one of the most sensitive topics in education contexts: racism. Based on a research project that critically examined the culture in a U.K. university, data were collected using participant observation and in-depth interviews with participants from an underrepresented group. The data were then…

Narrative inquiry is a research approach used for the collection of personal accounts about an issue or experience among a pre-selected group of informants (participants) and assumes that we are all "storied individuals"--holding our own narratives and life stories about our experiences. As part of the PhD in educational research that I…

In the research project which formed part of my PhD study, I dealt with the topic of inequity in education. My main interest was to find out how (formal) educational careers can be fostered even if the starting position within the system is one which makes a successful educational career very difficult. Despite the fact that in the Austrian…

In this case study, two members from a team of a tenured professor, an early career professor, and a doctoral student outline their experiences from conducting an online qualitative survey research study. The goal of the study was to seek the opinion of experts in the field of education, statistics, and economics about the use of value-added…

This research method case describes the use of bibliometric analysis for the purpose of evaluating a large, federal research program that supported basic research in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics education. Program evaluation is critical for providing rigorous evidence about program effectiveness and demonstrating that public…

Q methodology is a conceptual framework and set of procedures used to systematically study the subjective. Since publication of "The Study of Behavior" by William Stephenson in 1953, Q methodology has become increasingly popular among students of the human sciences interested in scientifically studying the subjective. Q methodology…

Collaborative research aimed at building local capacity is a complex, contested, time-consuming, and at the same time immensely rewarding experience. The clash of different research cultures, managerial approaches, and values involved in conducting and delivering research is inevitable. Collaborative research requires support structures on…

This case study takes the perception of ethnography as not being generalisable and questions whether such an understanding is correct and also whether a different perspective on generalisability might be helpful in developing formative approaches to educational technology research. The aim is to encourage discussion about ethnography as a tool for…

This case study describes how our research team conducted an individual differences research project in a middle school science classroom. The main goal of our work was to investigate whether individual differences in cognitive abilities predict individual differences in scientific reasoning in middle school students. In order to address our…

This project uses institutional ethnography to analyze the textually mediated relationships between consumers and the professionals involved in real estate: sales agents, insurance agents, mortgage lenders and community development programs. Since 2008, researchers have been debating the causes and consequences of the US financial crisis. A great…

In 2007, I embarked on what turned out to be a 6-year-long PhD study that examined the leadership of teaching and learning through advice and information in school subject teams. Previous research had focused predominantly on formally designated leaders and their interactions with followers in informal contexts. My study focused on both formal and…

The study reports on a small international qualitative research project on the implementation of national curriculum reform in Chinese middle schools, involving a team of eight researchers from the University of Leeds and two Chinese partnership institutions in Zhejiang and Beijing. Data were collected from six case study schools based on a…

In 2012, I began a life history research dissertation examining the lives of three Black art teachers in order to understand how they conceptualize and reconcile their social and professional identities as Black/artist/teacher. As a constructivist researcher, my goal was to understand the multiple social constructions of meaning of this group,…