Hypothetical Designs

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Qualitative Design

According to Creswell, a case study is when “the researcher explores in depth a [case which can be a] program, an event, an activity, a process, or one or more individuals” (Creswell, 2003, p.15). According to Stake (1995) and Yin (2003), there are at least three criteria that make case studies an excellent approach these include answering how and why questions, when the researcher intends to be embedded in the setting, and when the activities being studied are current, not historical. The research questions proposed for this study fit all three of the criteria.

This research design includes the case study of four third-grade teachers that have assigned to a “residency” with a literacy coach. This multi-case study approach will provide the researcher with information about coaching relationships from multiple sources. This approach will allow for conclusions to be drawn about strategies, structures, systems and behaviors that exist when coaches effectively support the teachers with which they are assigned. In addition, using the same methodological approach with four different sets of teachers and coaches at four different schools will strengthen the findings (Bailey 2007; Yin 2003).

A variety of data sources will be used to inform the research question including teacher interviews, literacy coach interviews, observations of planning sessions, observations of co-teaching session, observations of other coaching activities, and coaching documentation reviews. According to Yin (2006), all of these collection techniques are traditionally used in a case study approach. In an effort to enhance the validity of this study, the data sources will be triangulated. Data triangulation is a technique that qualitative resea...

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...tive protocols will be provided and each team will have opportunities to experiment with each to find the protocol that best meets their needs. In addition, participants will have the freedom to modify any of the protocols to meet their needs if it becomes necessary.

Works Cited

Bailey, C. A. (2007). A guide to qualitative field research (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Johnson, B., & Christensen, L. (2000). Educational reasearch: Quantitative and qualitative approaches. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Stake, R. (1995). The art of case research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.

Yin, R. (2003). Case study research: design and methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing.

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