Case study research is the study of an issue explored through one or more cases within a bounded system

(Creswell, 2007,p. 73).

What happened?

"This method is appropriate when the researcher wants to answer a descriptive question or an explanatory question" (Gay, Mills & Airasian ,2009,p. 427)

How or why did this happen?

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Case study research often explores a bounded system (a case) or multiple bounded systems (more than one case) over a period of time (Creswell, 2007, p. 73).
Merriam, as cited in Gay, Mills & Airasian (2009), in explaining a bounded system said, I can fence in what I am going to study (p. 426). In education for example, the bounded system might be a teacher, classroom or school.

Case study research can be presented as a strategy of inquiry, a methodology or a comprehensive research strategy(Creswell, 2007, p. 73).

CASE STUDY

Creswell (2007) identifies the different types of case studies as: The collective or multiple case study in which one issue or concern is selected, but the inquirer selects multiple case studies to illustrate the issue (p. 74). The intrinsic case study in which case focuses on itself. (p. 74).

Determine if a case study method is suitable to the research problem. 2) Ascertain suitable case or cases. 3) Collect extensive data relying on numerous sources of information, such as observations, interviews, documents, and audiovisual materials (Creswell, 2007, p. 75). 4) Analyse data in either a holistic or embedded manner. 5) Report on the meaning or implications of the case or cases. (Creswell, 2007, p. 74-75)
1)

It can often be difficult for researchers to identify a suitable case or cases (Creswell, 2007, p. 75).

Focus groups encompass everyday social interactions, including group discussions, conversations, and negotiations within a diversity of settings (Bakhtin, 1986, as cited in Kamberelis & Dimitriadis, 2008). Focus groups are essentially a community of inquiry in which pedagogy, politics, and research merge (Kamberelis & Dimitriadis, 2008). According to Kamberelis and Dimitriadis (2008), Foucaults (1984) genealogical approach, which is used to interpret the various factors that influence people, social occurrences, and institutions, is useful in deconstructing focus groups as pedagogical, political, and research practices.

Paulo Freire - through literacy programs, Freire encouraged people to reflect on their circumstances and to make an effort to improve their lives, often through political action. Freire viewed education as a tool for collective empowerment. In Freires view, liberation and transformation are never fully complete (Kamberelis & Dimitriadis, 2008). Jonathan Kozol - drew on Freires emancipatory work in literacy programs and advocated for complex and rich word use in deconstructing meanings within social and political contexts. His study circles were held in unofficial locations and facilitated the empowerment of the people from within (Kamberelis & Dimitriadis, 2008).

Consciousness-raising groups (CRGs) served to formulate theory based on the experiences of women in second and third wave feminism that could lead to their empowerment (Kamberelis & Dimitriadis, 2008). Esther Madriz (2000) perceived focus groups in feminism as places in which women could feel safe, share their experiences with one another, and regain control of their lives within a nurturing environment, enabling them to speak out against social injustices (as cited in Kamberelis & Dimitriadis, 2008). Abortion, incest, and sexual and physical abuse were some of the issues that emerged and were recognized as requiring political and legislative action (Eisenstein, 1984, as cited in Kamberelis & Dimitriadis, 2008). Third wave feminism emphasized the involvement of women of different ethnicities, classes, ages, background, and sexual identities (Kamberelis & Dimitriadis, 2008). Informal spaces enabled women to freely share their experiences in third wave feminism, shedding light on social issues and initiating positive change (Kamberelis & Dimitriadis, 2008).

Paul Lazarsfeld and Robert Merton conducted focus groups in 1941 to assess peoples perceptions of WWII in order to continue developing propaganda. These focus groups were conducted within formal, face-to-face settings with predetermined themes (expressed content) (Kamberelis & Dimitriadis, 2008). Janice Radway held focus groups to interpret the dynamics surrounding womens interest in romance novels (socially constructed audience analysis) (Kamberelis & Dimitriadis, 2008). According to Kamberelis and Dimitriadis (2008), focus groups allow the participants more involvement and in the research process, decentralizing the role of the researcher and providing a more democratic style of research.

Feminist research approaches center and make problematic womens diverse situations and the institutions that frame those situations (Creswell 2007, p. 25)

The aim of feminist research is to correct both the invisibility and distortion of female experience in ways relevant to ending womens unequal social position (Lather as cited in Creswell,
2007, p. 26)

 In feminist research approaches, the goals are to establish collaborative and nonexploitative relationships, to place the researcher within the study so as to avoid objectification and to conduct research that is transformative (Creswell 2007, p. 26)

Feminist researchers need to look for what has been left out in the social science writing, and to study womens lives and issues such as identities, sex roles, domestic violence, abortion activism, comparable worth, affirmative action, and the way in which women struggle with their social devaluation and powerlessness within their families (Creswell, 200,
p. 26)

To explore feminism and the complexities of gender as a social and cultural marker through a visual medium click on the website below

http://www.feminist.com/resources/artspeech/vi deolist.html#his

Action research is described as critical research dealing with real-life problems, involving collaboration, dialogue, mutual learning , and producing tangible results (Denzin and Lincoln
2008, p. 643) Two main types of action research: Critical action research the goal is liberating individuals through knowledge gathering; also known as emancipatory action research (Gay, Mills, Airasian, 2009 p. 488).

Practical action research emphasizes more of a how to approach to the processes of action research and has a less philosophical bent (Gay, Mills, Airasian, 2009 p. 488).

Characteristics of action research (Gay, Mills, Airasian, 2009 p. 486).

Persuasive and authoritative action research is done
possibility and impact of an intervention. by individuals interested in solving every day problems they encounter in their job, data sources are identified that provide persuasive insights into the

Relevant to the participants and researcher in their particular context

because researcher identifies the area of focus based on specific problems they encounter

Accessible not tied to the rigorous methods of other research

approaches. Action researchers challenge their own assumptions, and are willing to reflect on and change their thinking and practice

The basic steps in the action research project (Mills, G, 2000)

Identify an area of focus

Develop an action plan Analyze and Interpret Data

Collect data

References:
Denzin, N.K., & Lincoln Y.S. (Eds.). (2008). Collecting and Interpreting Qualitative Materials (3rded.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Gay, L. R., Mills, G. E., & Airasian, P. (2009). Educational Research: Competencies for analysis and applications (ninth ed.) Columbia, Ohio: Pearson Education Ltd. Mills, G. (2000). Come to my web (site) said the spider to the fly: reflections on the life of a virtual professor in Loughran, J. & Russell, T. (Eds.).(2000). Exploring myths and legends of teacher education (pp. 178182). East Sussex, UK. Retrieved from http://resources.educ.queensu.ca/ar/sstep/S-STEP3-2000.pdf#page=186

Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Kamberelis, G. & Dimitriadis, G. (2008). Focus groups: Strategic articulations of pedagogy, politics, and inquiry. In Denzin, N.K. &Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.), Collecting and interpreting qualitative materials (3rd ed., p. 375-402). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Denzin, N.K., & Lincoln Y.S. (Eds.). (2008). Collecting and Interpreting Qualitative Materials (3rded.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Gay, L. R., Mills, G. E., & Airasian, P. (2009). Educational Research: Competencies for analysis and applications (ninth ed.) Columbia, Ohio: Pearson Education Ltd. Kamberelis, G. & Dimitriadis, G. (2008). Focus groups: Strategic articulations of pedagogy, politics, and inquiry. In Denzin, N.K. &Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.), Collecting and interpreting qualitative materials (3rd ed., p. 375-402). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Mills, G. (2000). Come to my web (site) said the spider to the fly: reflections on the life of a virtual professor in Loughran, J. & Russell, T. (Eds.).(2000). Exploring myths and legends of teacher education (pp. 178-182). East Sussex, UK. Retrieved from http://resources.educ.queensu.ca/ar/sstep/S-STEP3-2000.pdf#page=186