The document discusses various qualitative research theories and approaches that can be used to guide research. It explains that theories help researchers choose appropriate research designs, provide conceptual frameworks, guide data interpretation and analysis, enhance validity and reliability, and contribute to expanding knowledge and building new theories. Theories are important for structuring qualitative research and understanding findings in context.

1. Theories onQualitative
Approach to Research.

2. The
Challenge
 Educators often pose questions about
qualitative research. For example, a program
director might say: “I collect data from my
residents about their learning experiences in a
new longitudinal clinical rotation. If I want to
know about their learning experiences, should I
use qualitative methods? I have been told that
there are many approaches from which to
choose. Someone suggested that I use
grounded theory, but how do I know this is the
best approach? Are there others?”

3. What Is Known
 Qualitative research is the systematic inquiry
into social phenomena in natural settings.
These phenomena can include, but are not
limited to, how people experience aspects of
their lives, how individuals and/or groups
behave, how organizations function, and how
interactions shape relationships. In qualitative
research, the researcher is the main data
collection instrument.The researcher examines
why events occur, what happens, and what
those events mean to the participants studied

4. What Is Known
 Qualitative research starts from a fundamentally
different set of beliefs—or paradigms—than those that
underpin quantitative research. Quantitative research
is based on positivist beliefs that there is a singular
reality that can be discovered with the appropriate
experimental methods. Post-positivist researchers
agree with the positivist paradigm, but believe that
environmental and individual differences, such as the
learning culture or the learners' capacity to learn,
influence this reality, and that these differences are
important. Constructivist researchers believe that there
is no single reality, but that the researcher elicits
participants' views of reality.3 Qualitative research
generally draws on post-positivist or constructivist
beliefs.

5. What Is Known
 Qualitative scholars develop their work from
these beliefs—usually post-positivist or
constructivist—using different approaches to
conduct their research. Each acts as a pivotal
frame that shapes the research question(s), the
method(s) of data collection, and how data are
analyzed.

6. What is
qualitative
research?
 Qualitative research is an approach to research
that seeks to understand and interpret human
behavior, experiences, and phenomena in their
natural context. It is typically used when
researchers aim to explore and gain insights
into complex social, cultural, psychological, or
behavioral phenomena.There are several
theories and frameworks that underpin the
qualitative approach to research, helping
researchers design and conduct their studies
effectively.

7. Qualitativ
e Research
 This is different from quantitative methods like surveys and case
control studies. In quantitative research we obtain relatively little
detailed information from each person. This is because with
quantitative methods we are interested in describing WHAT
people do (things like how many people have had vaccinations) -
without really wanting details about why the situation is like that.
Because we need less time with people to get this information, we
can interview A LOT OF people.
 Both qualitative and quantitative methods are important, and
whether we use one or the other depends on what we are
trying to learn.
 Quantitative approaches are important and solve many type of
research problem. Qualitative research is appropriate for
different type of questions.

8. Grounded
Theory:
 Grounded theory, developed by Barney G.
Glaser and Anselm L. Strauss, is a systematic
methodology for developing theory from
qualitative data. It involves the iterative
process of data collection, coding, and theory
development, with the goal of generating new
concepts and theories grounded in the data.

9. Phenomeno
logy:
 Phenomenology, influenced by the work of
philosophers like Edmund Husserl and Martin
Heidegger, focuses on understanding and
describing the lived experiences of individuals.
Researchers aim to uncover the essence of a
phenomenon by examining participants'
subjective experiences and perspectives.

10. CaseStudy:
 Case study research involves an in-depth
examination of a single case or a small number
of cases. Researchers aim to understand the
complexities of a specific situation,
organization, or individual. It is often used in
exploratory research or when the context is
unique or unusual.

11. Narrative
Analysis:
 Narrative analysis focuses on the stories people
tell about their experiences. Researchers
examine the structure, content, and meaning
of narratives to gain insights into how
individuals construct their identities and make
sense of their lives.

12. Critical
Theory:
 Critical theory, rooted in the works of critical
theorists like Max Horkheimer andTheodor
Adorno, emphasizes the examination of power
structures, social inequalities, and the impact
of ideology on human behavior and
experiences. Qualitative research from a critical
perspective often seeks to challenge dominant
narratives and explore social injustices.

13. Constructivi
sm:
 Constructivism posits that individuals actively
construct their own reality and meaning.
Researchers using this approach aim to
understand how individuals create their
worldviews and the social and cultural factors
that influence their perceptions.

14. Symbolic
Interactioni
sm:
 Symbolic interactionism, associated with
George Herbert Mead and Herbert Blumer,
explores how individuals use symbols and
interactions to create and negotiate meaning
in their social worlds. Researchers using this
approach focus on the micro-level interactions
that shape individuals' experiences.

15. Feminist
Research
 :
 Feminist research approaches are concerned
with understanding and addressing gender-
related issues and inequalities. Researchers use
feminist theories to examine the experiences of
women and other marginalized groups and to
challenge traditional gender norms.

16. Postmodernis
m:
Postmodernism questions the existence
of objective truths and emphasizes the
diversity of human perspectives.
Researchers adopting a postmodern
perspective may explore how different
voices and narratives shape knowledge
and understanding.

17. These are just a few of the theoretical
frameworks that guide qualitative
research. Researchers often choose the
theory or approach that best aligns with
their research questions and objectives.
Qualitative research methods can be
flexible, allowing researchers to adapt
their approach as they gather and analyze
data to gain a deeper understanding of
the phenomena under investigation.

18. Case study
1
Malaria
 A group of researchers from University of Limerick worked in a
village in South Sudan. They did a survey of villagers and asked
them what were the most serious problems. The villagers said that
one of the most serious problems was malaria.
 The researchers tested the blood of some of the villagers and
found that malaria was very common. They gave people in the
village bed-nets soaked in insecticide and told them that using the
nets would decrease malaria.
 The people started using the nets. The research team tested the
blood of the people and found that there was a big reduction in
malaria for those people who used the nets. So they felt the
program was successful.

19. Case
study 1
 Later some other researchers came to the village. They found the
people no longer used the nets.They said that they didn’t work.
 The villagers were sceptical of outsiders and were less interested
in cooperating in programs to reduce malaria.
Question:
What are possible reasons that the people stopped using the
nets?

20. Case
study 1
the real
reason:
 In this case the reason the villagers stopped using the nets
was a misunderstanding. By ‘malaria’ the researchers meant
infection with the malaria parasite. But the villagers meant all
fevers. Therefore, although the number of ‘malaria infections’
decreased, the total number of ‘all fevers’ did not change
much in the community’s eyes.
For this reason, they felt the nets did not work against what the
community called ‘malaria’ and abandoned using the nets.
Question:
Ask yourself: How could we have discovered the real reason?

21. Case
study 2
The Mountain
 Think of a mountain. If you were standing in one
place looking at a mountain and tried to describe it,
you would only see one side.
 So your description would be biased. You would need
to stand at different places to be able to see the whole
mountain and really describe all of it.
 But even then the description would be biased
because you may prefer to describe some things and
not others.

22. Case
study 2
The Mountain
 Therefore we should bring in other people and
ask them to describe the mountain also.
 But even then the description is biased because
we are all looking at the mountain with the
same method, our eyes.
 We should use different methods, like using a
telescope as well as our own eyes, to get a
more complete description.

23. Case
study 2
The Mountain
 But the description is still biased because we are all
looking at the mountain at the same time of year.
 Some months there may be snow on the mountain but
not at other times, so we would want to look at
different times of the year.
 There is a name for reducing bias by using different
ways to study the same thing. It is called
TRIANGULATION. We do this, triangulation, in
qualitative studies to describe populations instead of
mountains.

24. Importance of
Theories in
Qualitative
Research
 Guiding the Research Design:Theories help researchers choose
an appropriate research design and methodology that aligns with
their research questions and objectives. Different qualitative
research designs, such as phenomenology, ethnography,
grounded theory, historical research, case study, and action
research, are grounded in specific theoretical frameworks that
inform the overall approach to data collection and analysis.
 Providing a Conceptual Framework:Theories provide a
conceptual framework for understanding the phenomena under
investigation.They help researchers develop a deep
understanding of the social, cultural, and historical context in
which the phenomena occur. By drawing on existing theories,
researchers can identify key concepts, variables, and relationships
that are relevant to their research.

25. Importance of
Theories in
Qualitative
Research
 Interpreting and Analyzing Data:Theories guide the
interpretation and analysis of qualitative data.They help
researchers make sense of the rich and complex data they have
collected by providing a lens through which to view and interpret
the findings.Theories provide a set of concepts, categories, and
patterns that can be used to organize, code, and analyze the data
in a systematic and rigorous manner.
 EnhancingValidity and Reliability:Theories contribute to the
validity and reliability of qualitative research by providing a
framework for data collection and analysis.They help researchers
ensure that their findings are credible, transferable, dependable,
and confirmable.Theories also help researchers address potential
biases and subjectivities that may arise during the research
process.

26. Importance of
Theories in
Qualitative
Research
 Expanding Knowledge andTheory
Building: Qualitative research theories contribute to
the development and refinement of existing theories or
the generation of new theories.Through in-depth
exploration and analysis of qualitative data,
researchers can uncover new insights, patterns, and
relationships that can inform and enrich existing
theories or lead to the development of new theoretical
frameworks.

27. SUMMARY
 These theoretical perspectives can be used
individually or in combination, depending on the
research context and objectives. Researchers often
employ a reflexive approach, acknowledging their
own positionality and biases in the research
process, as qualitative research is often deeply
influenced by the researcher's perspective and
engagement with participants and data.
 In summary, theories play a critical role in
qualitative research by guiding the research
design, providing a conceptual framework,
interpreting and analyzing data, enhancing validity
and reliability, and contributing to knowledge
expansion and theory building.