Action Research: Thoughts on the significance and advantages of qualitative research.

The most distinguishable aspect of qualitative research for me is that it is more applicable to the smaller sample sizes (our classrooms) available to us as teacher/researchers . It also considers the whole of our local situations as opposed to particular variables in larger quantitative research studies. For most of us teaching in international schools, the application of our action research will take place in the qualitative realm of research.

In my context, learning is very student-centered and promotes learning that meaningful to students, building within them skills and concepts that they can carry with them into the 21st century and beyond the classroom context. An advantage of qualitative research is that “the goal is to understand the situation under investigation primarily form the participants’ not the researcher’s perspective” (Hancock & Algozzine, p. 9, 2011). If curriculum is to be successful in the education of students, then it should not only align with the goals of the school but it should also be meaningful to the students. Qualitative research can be a very powerful tool for an action researcher in understanding how to promote more meaningful learning in a school. ​

When we view general data from quantitative studies with larger samples and more general populations, we can compare a smaller sample from our unique contexts through qualitative research methods. Having a more holistic view of how certain phenomenon apply, we can make more specific conclusions for the implications on our teaching and learning.


Reference:
Hancock, D. R., & Algozzine, B. (2011).  Doing case study research:  A practical guide for beginning researchers (2nd ed.).  New York:  Teachers College Press.  (ISBN-10: 0807752681, ISBN-13: 978-0807752685)