Case studyJammu University2 Year B.Ed.Paper 202Sem: IIUnit: I

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Case study isa way of organizing social data for the

purpose of viewing social realityStudy of instance in actionStudy of particularExample of real people in real situations

enabling readers to understand ideas more clearly than simply presenting them with abstract theories or principles

Examine social unit as a wholeCan establish cause and effectConcerned with rich and vivid description of

events relevant to the caseProvides chronological narrative Blends description of events with analysis

High lights specific events relevant to the caseResearchers integrity is involved in the case case study may be linked to the personality of

the researcherAttempt to portray the richness of case in the

reportWill have sequential characteristics which help

to define their nature

Have geographical parameters Will have boundaries for definitionMay be defined as individual in particular

context at a point in time Defined by characteristic of the group

Unit = person, family, social group, social institution, community

Purpose: to understand the life cycle or important part of life cycle of the unit

Studies: analyses interactions between factors that explains present stats or that influence change or growth

Is a longitudinal approach showing development over a period of time

Types

Exploratory (as a pilot to other studies or research questions)

Descriptive providing narrative accountsExplanatory testing theoriesInterpretive developing conceptual categories

inductively in order to examine the initial assumption

Evaluative explaining and judgingEthnographic case studyAction research case studyEducational case studyIntrinsic cases study – undertaken to

understand a particular case in question

Instrumental case studies examine a particular case in order to gain insight to into a issue or theory

Collective case studies group of individual case studies undertaken to gain a fuller picture

Individual case studiesSocial group Studies on organisations and institutionsStudies of events roles and relationships

Designs of case study research Single case design- focus on one critical issue, an extreme

case, a unique case, representative or typical case, Embedded single case study- more than one unit of

analysis is incorporated into the design case study of school will include study of classes teachers, students, parents requiring different set of data collection methods

Multi case- e.g. comparative case study within an overall piece of research,

Embedded multi case design- different subunits might be involved in each of the different cases and a range of instruments (survey questionnaire interviews observations)

Data sources/ methods. TypesDocuments- school records, health records, notesArchival records prior studies, records of

organisations, lists and the likeDirect observation- Participant observation- ethnography and

anthropologyInterviews- open ended, triangulation of dataPhysical artifacts- physical anthropological

studies

Advantages/ strengthsResults are more easily understandable as written in

every day nonprofessional language Immediately intelligible speak for them selvesCash unique factors that may be lost in large dataStrong in realty Provides insights into others similar situations and cases Can be done by a single researcherCan embrace and build in unanticipated events and

uncontrolled variables

Advantages/ strengthsStrong in reality but difficult to organizeAllow generalizations to a classRecognizes complexity and reality of social

truthsA step to action feedback, formative

evaluation, n- individual self development, educational policy making

WeaknessMay not be generalizedNot easily open to cross checking- selective ,

biased, personal and subjectiveProne to the problems of observer bias