Mini-Research on Single Methodology & Study: The Case Study Course: Research Methods V: Qualitative Inquiry in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies - Fall 2016 Professor: Dr. Kate Way Students: Fernanda V. Dias & Zeniah A. Sinclair Date: 09/27/2016

1. Mini-Research on Single Methodology
& Study: The Case Study
Course: Research Methods V: Qualitative Inquiry in Educational
Leadership and Policy Studies - Fall 2016
Professor: Dr. Kate Way
Students: Fernanda V. Dias & Zeniah A. Sinclair
Date: 09/27/2016

2. Part I:
An overview of the Case Study

3. What is a Case Study?
The case study method is one of the most flexible forms of research design, and is
particularly useful in researching issues related to sustainability and institutional
systems (such as education.)
Yin defines the case study research method as “an empirical inquiry that
investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context; when the
boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident; and in
which multiple sources of evidence are used.”
Gerring (2004)

4. Why is a Case Study useful?
The case study method is appropriate to:
• Answer why? Questions
• Answer how? Questions
• Gain an in depth understanding of a particular phenomenon
• Develop an initial hypothesis
• Establish a basis for future research
• Develop new theories
• Extend existing theories
• Test existing theory
• Gerring (2004) and Schwandt (2007).

5. Types of Case Studies
Most Favourable:
Illustrating a theory and show it in a positive light
Exceptional:
Validating or falsify a hypothesis by choosing a least favourable case
Critical Case:
Using a case to show the limitations of previous theories and other factors that might be operating.
Gerring (2004)

6. Steps to Conduct a Case Study
• Determine the research questions
• Decide if case study is appropriate
• Decide how many cases are appropriate
• Select the cases and determine data gathering and analysis techniques;
• Prepare to collect the data
• Collect data in the field
• Evaluate and analyze the data
• Write up the research and present the findings
Schwandt (2007).

7. Focus of the Case Study
Focus can include:
Individuals
Communities
Social groups
Organizations and institutions, and
Events, roles, relationships, and interactions
Schwandt (2007)

8. Methodology, Data Collection, and
ResultsMethodology is Qualitative
Data collection is done by interviews, surveys and so on.
Also decide how to capture data, written notes, audio tape
and or video
Results are first analyzed and then coded
Gerring (2004)

9. Different Perspectives in Case Study
Approach: Yin, Stake, and Merriam
- Case study is one of the most frequently used qualitative research methodologies. However, it still does
not have a legitimate status as a social science research strategy because it does not have well-defined
and well-structured protocols (Yazan, 2015);
- Yazan's main objective: to provide an analysis and synthesis of the differing perspectives which are held
by three prominent methodologists, namely Robert K. Yin, Sharan Merriam, and Robert E. Stake, on the
utilization of case study method in the field of educational research:
(1) Robert K. Yin's Case Study Research: Design and Methods (2002)
(2) Sharan B. Merriam's Qualitative Research and Case Study Applications in Education (1998)
(3) Robert E. Stake's The Art of Case Study Research (1995)
Yazan (2015)

10. Dimensions of Interest and Case Study
Methodologists' Perspectives (Yazan, 2015)

11. Dimensions of Interest and Case Study
Methodologists' Perspectives (Yazan, 2015)

12. Dimensions of Interest and Case Study
Methodologists' Perspectives (Yazan, 2015)

13. Part II:
An analysis of one study that has
used Case Study methodology
"A Case Study of a Principal
Preparation Program in one School
District" by Donald E. Robertson
(2007)

14. Background of The Study
School effectiveness is of paramount concern to a host of constituents from
parents, teachers, school boards, and politicians, to homeowners and industry. Of
particular Importance is the role principals play in improving the condition and
education of students in their schools.
The intent of this case study was to assess the impact of AAA Public School’s
Futures Leadership Academy on aspiring administrators and to determine if
central office administrators believe they have a higher level of preparedness
because of the components of this program.
Robertson, D. E. (2007).

15. Setting
Futures Leadership Academy participants are selected and organized into cohorts of 20-25
people. Each cohort attends seven, day and a half sessions, over a six-month period.
The first part of each session is an evening meeting from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., followed by the
second part of each session the following day from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Each session is structured in an organized manner to allow participants to learn in an
environment conducive to enhancing their skills.
Robertson, D. E. (2007).

16. Research Question
Are school personnel who participate in a formal school
division sponsored leadership training program better
prepared for the principalship than those personnel who have
not had any additional school division sponsored leadership
training?
Robertson (2007)

17. Findings of the Study
- Findings:
- Finding 1: School personnel who participated in the academy program are better prepared for the roles and responsibilities of the
principalship than those school personnel who had not participated in the academy program.
- Finding 2: The leadership academy has been effective in attracting, training, and recommending school personnel for administrative
positions.
- Finding 3: The leadership academy has been very effective in preparing school administrators to handle specific issues related to
school leadership.
- Finding 4: The leadership academy has been effective for school administrators at the elementary, middle, and high school level.
- Finding 5: Additional training is needed in the areas of school finance, special education, and effective classroom instructional
practices for all principals.
- Finding 6: The leadership academy has continued to evolve based on feedback from participants and on needs identified by the
school division.
- Finding 7: Additional professional development training for current principals is needed to help them prepare to handle the changing
role of the principalship and to be conscious of new educational mandates at the federal, state, and local level.

18. Organization of the Study
This study used a random sample of principals from Virginia public schools to
investigate the relationship between principal quality and student achievement. One
hundred sixty schools, where principals had more than five years of experience in the
particular school beginning no later than 1988, met this criteria and were selected for this
study.
Each principal’s superintendent and immediate supervisor was asked to complete a
questionnaire based on the six standards of effective principals developed by the Interstate
School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) to assess principal quality (Kaplan et al.,
2005).

19. Focus Groups organization
FOCUS GROUP 1 (School Level Administrators had completed the school
division’s leadership academy): Six participants (one assistant principal and one
principal from the elementary, middle, and high school level)
FOCUS GROUP 2 (school level administrators who had not participated in the
school division’s leadership academy): Six participants (one assistant principal
and one principal from the elementary, middle, and high school level)
FOCUS GROUP 3: four assistant superintendents who evaluate principals

20. Methodologies used
- A case study approach was selected based on its usefulness and
appropriateness for this particular study (p. 47)
- Theoretical Case Study's supports: Yin (1994), Merriam (1988), and
Creswell (1998)
- Data Collection Instruments:
- Data collected by the researcher in this study includes interviews,
observations, field notes, and document reviews. (p. 49)

21. Methodologies used cont.
- Case Study & Data Collection Procedures:
- Focus Groups
- Focus group research involves an organized group interview that allows the
researcher to obtain several perspectives on the same topic in a relatively
small amount of time (Patton, 1990).
- Case Study & Data Quality Procedures:
- Credibility: data triangulation
- The researcher triangulated his data by conducting interviews in focus
groups, completing observations of the academy program, and reviewing
appropriate academy program documents to add to the validity of this study.

22. Methodologies used cont.
- Case Study & Data Analysis Procedures
- Data analysis in a qualitative case study consists of a detailed description of the
case and the setting (Creswell, 1998) in conjunction with a structured approach at
analyzing results.
- The researcher used the constant comparative method of data collection to
identify general themes first followed by a detailed discussion of the most
salient themes.

23. Summary
In summary the methodologies used by the researchers clearly found Case Study
to be an effective means of addressing the research question.
Using a qualitative approach provided insight into the on going problem of lack of
training and support provided to principals. It also provided a nice correlation
between that and student success and satisfaction.
Case studies can be used to gain deeper insights into a given problem,
addressing the needs of individuals, families and communities as well as tacking
larger organizations and institutions.

24. References:
Gerring, J. (2004). What Is a Case Study and What Is It Good for? American Political
Science Review , 98 (2), 341-354.
Robertson, D. E. (2007). A Case Study of a Principal Preparation Program in one
School District. Dissertation, Faculty of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University,
Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Virginia Beach.
Schwandt, T. A. (2007). The SAGE Dictionary of Qualitative Inquiry (3rd ed.). Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage.
Yazan, B. (2015). Three Approaches to Case Study Methods in Education: Yin,
Merriam, and Stake. The Qualitative Report , 20 (Teaching and Learning Article 1), 134-152.