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Varieties of Qualitative Research Methods

Selected Contextual Perspectives

  • Covers place and context sensitive, as well as universally applied qualitative research methods

  • Speaks to the different ways of knowing and inquiry with integrity, rigor and relevance

  • Focuses on the introduction of various methods and means of inquiry

Part of the book series: Springer Texts in Education (SPTE)

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  • ISBN: 978-3-031-04394-9
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Table of contents (76 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xvii
  2. Introduction to a Variety of Qualitative Research Methods

    • Janet Mola Okoko, Scott Tunison, Keith D. Walker
    Pages 1-8
  3. Action Research

    • Janet Mola Okoko
    Pages 9-13
  4. Actor-Network Theory

    • Marguerite Koole
    Pages 15-20
  5. Affinity Research Approach

    • Mary A. Otieno
    Pages 21-28
  6. Appreciative Inquiry

    • Keith D. Walker
    Pages 29-33
  7. Archival Research

    • Connor Brenna
    Pages 35-40
  8. Arts‐Based Inquiry

    • Janet Mola Okoko
    Pages 41-45
  9. Asset Mapping

    • Keith D. Walker
    Pages 47-51
  10. Autoethnography

    • Lee B. Murray
    Pages 53-58
  11. Biographic Narrative Interpretive Method

    • Benjamin Kutsyuruba, Bernadette Mendes
    Pages 59-65
  12. Case Study

    • Thomas Ndame
    Pages 67-72
  13. Coding Qualitative Data

    • Marla Rogers
    Pages 73-78
  14. Comparative Analysis

    • Kenisha Blair-Walcott
    Pages 79-84
  15. Content Analysis

    • Scott Tunison
    Pages 85-90
  16. Critical Ethnography

    • Janet Mola Okoko, Nana Prempeh
    Pages 91-95
  17. Critical Race Theory

    • Maha Kumaran
    Pages 97-102
  18. Critical Theory

    • Michael Cottrell
    Pages 103-107
  19. Cultural Domain Analysis

    • Laila Albughayl, Wilfred Beckford
    Pages 109-114
  20. Decolonizing Methodologies: A Pacific Island Lens

    • Cherie Chu-Fuluifaga
    Pages 115-119

About this book

This book is a compilation of more than 70 qualitative research concepts that are used by researchers and practitioners in the social sciences and humanities. The concepts include methods and methodologies applied in qualitative research in various contexts. Each concept is a standalone chapter that is authored by a researcher or practitioner who has had some scholarly experience with it. The chapters are alphabetized using the titles of the concepts to provide easy access for readers. They follow a prescribed outline which ensures homogeneity in the layout of the book. Each chapter starts with a brief historical background of the concept, followed by a concise description of the concept, and the process used in its application. Readers are then provided with the possible ways in which the concept can be used, and its benefits. Each chapter concludes by providing readers with some strengths and limitations of the concept and a list of references that authors have used in the chapter. 

Keywords

  • qualitative research concepts
  • social sciences and humanities
  • historical background of qualitative research concepts
  • strengths and limitations of qualitative research concepts
  • foundational research courses
  • universally applied qualitative research methods
  • Indigenous qualitative research methods
  • qualitative research methods in sociology
  • qualitative research methods in social work
  • qualitative research methods in health sciences
  • qualitative research methods in psychology
  • qualitative research methods in kinesiology
  • qualitative research methods in business studies
  • research inquiry
  • qualitative research methods in human and social sciences

Editors and Affiliations

  • Department of Educational Administration, College of Education, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada

    Janet Mola Okoko, Scott Tunison

  • Department of Educational Administration, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada

    Keith D. Walker

About the editors

Janet  Okoko is an Associate Professor in the department of Educational Administration, College of Education at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. Her research focuses on school leadership preparation and development. She has used qualitative research approaches such as case studies and phenomenology, with contextualized methods that incorporate  interviews, focus group, mind mapping, transect walk, and photo elicitation, to study school leadership problems in various African countries and in Canada. She is currently studying teacher leadership, as well as school and system leaders’ preparation for work with culturally and linguistically diverse Newcomer/ Migrants. She has published work on school leadership preparation and development in Kenya, and on the experiences of Canadian school leaders with newcomers. In addition, she has co-authored a cross-cultural analysis of school principals’ preparation in Kenya, South Africa, and development for  Canada. Her recent publication reports on the  framing of  school leadership preparation and development  for Kenya and the essence of  school leaders’ work  with newcomer families in Saskatchewan, Canada. Scott Tunison

is an Assistant Professor in the department of Educational Administration, College of Education at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. His research focuses on evidence-informed leadership practice, strategic planning, and Indigenous education. He uses a broad range of qualitative research methods on their own and as part of mixed-methods investigations. He is currently studying district- and school-wide uptake of citizenship education instructional materials, models of district assessments of the efficacy of their support of Indigenous students and families, and school teams’ use of data as evidence of progress. He has published an authored book on processes to enhance K-12 leaders’ use of academic research to inform their practice. His other publications focus on reframing research ethics frameworks as guides for education systems’ use of data, K-12 leaders’ perspectives on honouring the best interests of children, educational administrators’ views of the value of academic research to guide their practice, developing community in online learning contexts, and processes for fostering and inspiring change and improvement in educational systems. 

Keith Walker is a Professor in the Department of Educational Administration at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, where he has served for about 30 years. His academic interests, expertise, and activity revolve around positive leadership and organizational development, follower and community well-being, research methodologies, governance and decision making together with applied ethics in education, public administration and not-for-profit sectors. He most identifies with his roles as husband, father, grand-father, teacher-scholar, apprentice, colleague, mentor and friend. His formal education has been in several disciplines and fields of study, including physical education, theology, philosophy, education and educational administration. He has supervised over 100 graduate students to completion and has authored and co-authored over 150 chapters, books, and refereed articles

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Varieties of Qualitative Research Methods

  • Book Subtitle: Selected Contextual Perspectives

  • Editors: Janet Mola Okoko, Scott Tunison, Keith D. Walker

  • Series Title: Springer Texts in Education

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-04394-9

  • Publisher: Springer Cham

  • eBook Packages: Education, Education (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-031-04396-3Published: 14 January 2023

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-031-04394-9Published: 01 January 2023

  • Series ISSN: 2366-7672

  • Series E-ISSN: 2366-7680

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XVII, 495

  • Number of Illustrations: 3 b/w illustrations, 98 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: Research Methods in Education, Educational Research, Higher Education

Buying options

eBook USD 59.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • ISBN: 978-3-031-04394-9
  • Instant PDF download
  • Readable on all devices
  • Own it forever
  • Exclusive offer for individuals only
  • Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout
Softcover Book USD 74.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)