Scope and limitations of qualitative research in pedagogy

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to point out to the advantages and limitations of qualitative research approaches in learning about and advancing the pedagogical reality, as well as to point out to the possibilities and problems of combining qualitative and quantitative methods in studying certain pedagogical problems. In the first part of the paper, we discuss theoretical assumptions underlying qualitative research approaches, presenting them as critical and complementary to quantitative approaches. We discuss special issues that we consider important for the field of qualitative pedagogical discourse: the criteria of scientific nature, the strategies for sample formation and relevance of these types of research for practice and planning of educational policy. Three qualitative research approaches have been considered in more detail: case study, ethnographic approach and action research, that is, the scope and limitations of application of these approaches in studying pedagogical phenomena. In the end of the first part of the paper, we discuss the possibilities and limitations of research designs that combine qualitative and quantitative methods. In the second part of the paper, on the example of our action research in primary school, we illustrate the contribution of this approach to learning about and changing the pedagogical reality. We are dealing with the development and evaluation of an alternative program of primary school, which has as one of its basic characteristics the application of group-investigation model of learning. This research design combines qualitative and quantitative procedures and data collection techniques. There is a more detailed presentation of that portion of research results that refers to the application of group-investigation work of pupils in class on topically organised teaching contents of Social Science in the fourth grade, as an illustration of the possibilities of action research to contribute to the easier introduction of innovations in educational practice. In that sense, as a special contribution of this research, we provide a suggestion for changes in program contents of this subject and approaches to their studying.

Cilj rada je da se ukaţe na prednosti i ograniĉenja kvalitativnih istraţivaĉkih pristupa u saznavanju i unapreĊivanju pedagoške stvarnosti, kao i da se ukaţe na mogućnosti i probleme kombinovanja kvalitativnih i kvantitativnih metoda u prouĉavanju odreĊenih pedagoških problema. U prvom delu rada, razmatraju se teorijske pretpostavke koje leţe u osnovi kvalitativnih istraţivaĉkih pristupa, predstavljajući ih kao kritiĉke i kao komplementarne kvantitativnim pristupima. Diskutujemo o posebnim pitanjima koja smatramo vaţnim za polje kvalitativnog pedagoškog diskursa: o kriterijumima nauĉnosti, strategijama formiranja uzorka i relevantnosti ovih istraţivanja za praksu i planiranje obrazovne politike. Detaljnije su razmotrena tri kvalitativna istraţivaĉka pristupa: studija sluĉaja, etnografski pristup i akciono istraţivanje, odnosno dometi i ograniĉenja primene ovih pristupa u prouĉavanju pedagoških fenomena. Na kraju prvog dela rada, raspravljamo o mogućnostima i ograniĉenjima istraţivaĉkih nacrta u kojima se kombinuju kvalitativne i kvantitativne metode. U drugom delu rada, na primeru našeg akcionog istraţivanja u osnovnoj školi ilustrujemo doprinos ovog pristipa saznavanju i menjanju pedagoške stvarnosti. Reĉ je o razvijanju i evaluaciji alternativnog programa razredne nastave, ĉija je jedna od osnovnih karakteristika primena grupno-istraţivaĉkog modela uĉenja. U istraţivaĉkom nacrtu kombinovani su kvalitativni i kvantitativni postupci i tehnike za prikupljanje podataka. Detaljnije je prikazan deo rezultata istraţivanja koji se odnosi na primenu grupno-istraţivaĉkog rada uĉenika u nastavi na tematski organizovanim nastavnim sadrţajima Poznavanja društva u ĉetvrtom razredu, kao ilustracija mogućnosti akcionog istraţivanja da doprinese lakšem uvoĊenju inovacija u pedagošku praksu. U tom smislu, kao poseban doprinos istraţivanja, dajemo predlog za izmene u programskim sadrţajima ovog predmeta i pristupima za njihovo izuĉavanje.