Qualitative Research Methods in Education and Educational Technology (Hc)

Qualitative Research Methods in Education and Educational Technology was written for studentsand scholars interested in exploring the many qualitative methods developed over the last 50 yearsin the social sciences. The book does not stop however at the boundaries of the social sciences.Social scientists now consume and use research methods from many fields. The rich resources ofresearch methods and theories from both the humanities and philosophy are also covered in thisbook. It explains why postpositivist quantitative research should not be “the only game in town”and provides solid theoretical foundations beginning with the positions of Plato and Aristotle forbroadening our horizons about what warrants our attention. Using Aristotle’s concept of phronesisthe author shows why methods such as narrative research and storytelling hermeneutic inquiryliterary theory philosophical inquiry and much more have important applications in educationand educational technology. On those foundations the author also builds a framework for doingmany types of research – from participatory action research to content analysis to postmodern case studies to empowerment researchand philosophical inquiry. He accomplishes this through a combination of original text summaries of exemplary research in educationand educational technology and suggested readings that are annotated and introduced at the end of each chapter. Many of these readingsare available online and they extend the discussion of research methods or serve as exemplars of a particular type of educationaltechnology research. There are open ended and conceptual questions for each reading and developing your own answers to them is oneway you can extend your depth of understanding about qualitative research methods in education and educational technology.