FerrellJEDR8400-1

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Sociology

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Apr 3, 2024

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FerrellJEDR8400-1 1 Explore the Principles and Paradigms of Qualitative Research Joyce E. Ferrell School of Education, National University EDR-8400: Advanced Qualitative Methodology & Design Dr. Dale Crowe January 21, 2024
FerrellJEDR8400-1 2 Principles and Paradigms of Qualitative Research Qualitative research is a methodological approach to exploring and comprehending the complexities of human behavior, experiences, and phenomena. Unlike quantitative research, which focuses on numerical data and statistical analysis, qualitative research consists of in-depth examination and non-numerical data such as interviews, observations, and textual analysis. Qualitative inquiry contains valuable information that can be obtained through collaborative communication between the investigator and the study participants (Marshall & Rossman, 2016). Qualitative research also provides a holistic understanding that contributes to developing theories, frameworks, and a deeper appreciation of the social world. According to Bloomberg (2023), qualitative research is based on exploration and discovery, focusing on giving voice to the research participants. Overview of Key Characteristics of Qualitative Research There are various characteristics of qualitative research. The first essential characteristic is the natural setting. Often, the natural setting allows researchers to obtain data in a location where the participants have an issue or problem under the research study. The direct interactions and observations and the participants' behaviors are within a natural setting. Researchers can gather data face-to-face method (Creswell & Poth, 2018). Multiple methods are another characteristic of qualitative research. This allows the researcher to obtain many different forms of data, such as interviews of participants, observations, and documents. The researchers do not have to depend on a single data source but multiple ones. The following essential characteristic of qualitative research is the participants' perspectives. The focus is a holistic perspective that focuses on understanding the whole rather than breaking it down into isolated variables. The researcher values the perspectives and interpretations of participants in the research. The fourth
FerrellJEDR8400-1 3 key characteristic is inductive reasoning. The researcher organizes the data into abstract information groups (Creswell & Poth, 2018). It constitutes developing theories and concepts based on the collected data rather than testing existing hypotheses. Flexible design is the fifth key characteristic. It helps the researcher to have flexibility in the study design and data collection methods to adapt to the evolving nature of the research. Paradigms of Qualitative Research A research paradigm is a set of beliefs, assumptions, and methodologies that guide the research process. It includes the researcher's philosophical stance on the nature of reality and knowledge of how the research is completed. Qualitative research is grounded in various paradigms that form the foundation. Four major paradigms are critical theory, post-positivism, constructivism, and pragmatism. Critical theory focuses on social justice. It is often mentioned as a liberatory, advocacy, or participatory framework. The researchers aim to critically analyze and engage with social issues, aiming for a more equitable society through understanding. According to Bloomberg (2022), it also includes racialized discourses, feminist perspectives, queer theory, trans theory, and disability inquiry. Post-positivism is also known as the scientific method because it focuses on the fact that all knowledge can be obtained from direct observation and inferences based on measurement or observation (Bloomberg, 2022). Post-positivism utilizes cause and effect by observing the theories that are created. Another research paradigm is called constructivism. The constructivism paradigm recognizes the subjective nature of reality. Its focus is on understanding the meanings individuals attribute to their experiences. According to Creswell and Poth (2018), with this approach, people pursue knowledge of nature and reality in their surroundings through social interactions. The last paradigm is pragmatism. The pragmatism perspective targets the research process of behaviors and concerns of research. It integrates
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