This case study examines the challenges of researching one of the most sensitive topics in education contexts: racism. Based on a research project that critically examined the culture in a U.K. university, data were collected using participant observation and in-depth interviews with participants from an underrepresented group. The data were then…

This paper explores the experiences involved in adapting on-the ground research to fit the emerging work-related realities at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. During this time, citizens across the world were experiencing various restrictions, disruptions, and uncertainty. Like many academics, we found our research project interrupted, which…

The teacher-education accreditation process is time-consuming, involving deadlines and justifications, intense examinations, and critical reflections. Rather than approach, it as something that is dreaded, the authors use the writing of the self-study report as an action research case-study opportunity. Breaking it down into manageable steps, this…

Photovoice is a participatory action research approach that integrates photography and critical discussion to examine issues from the perspective of co-researchers with the goal of promoting change at the personal and community level and to promote a sense of empowerment. This case study is based on a senior thesis research project that took place…

The need to administrate experiments online is rising due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which brings both challenges and opportunities. However, the field of online experimental research design is still in its infancy. This case study elaborates on the experiences and decision-making process that guided an online experimental research project. First,…

Narrative inquiry is a research approach used for the collection of personal accounts about an issue or experience among a pre-selected group of informants (participants) and assumes that we are all "storied individuals"--holding our own narratives and life stories about our experiences. As part of the PhD in educational research that I…

Determining the researcher role is an important, yet challenging decision for any project. It is especially difficult for new educational researchers whose prior experiences as teachers, administrators, and students may make it challenging to disengage from participant roles. In this case, we offer an example of a research project in which we…

As part of my PgCert in Higher Education Practice, I undertook a learning and teaching research project into the effect of small group mathematics tutorials on student confidence and academic performance. I chose this project because it related directly to my practice as a higher education lecturer: I regularly supported first year animal science…

This case study is an example of organizational qualitative research in action. In 2013, I began the methodological journey for my PhD to study the link between how violence (in particular bullying) is constructed on an everyday basis by organizational members and organizational practices developed and implemented to counter and respond to forms…

This case study provides an account on how we struggled with the coordination of the many activities of a research project in Science Education: managing the project as a whole, collaborating on the literature review, integrating diverse research methods (interviews, classroom observation, survey), analyzing, and reporting. The initial…

In the research project which formed part of my PhD study, I dealt with the topic of inequity in education. My main interest was to find out how (formal) educational careers can be fostered even if the starting position within the system is one which makes a successful educational career very difficult. Despite the fact that in the Austrian…

This case study describes the process I engaged in to plan for and implement a design-based research project in an effort to explore what critical language study looked like in practice as well as how teachers and students responded to this instructional approach. In this case study, I focus, specifically, on the choice I made to take on the role…

This case study provides an overview of an Action Research project that examines effective instruction-giving in the language classroom. The case describes each of the various phases of the Action Research cycle from identifying a researchable pedagogic puzzle or critical incident, collecting and analyzing classroom data about it, bringing about…

People who can provide or deny access to research participants are known as 'gatekeepers'. In my 30 years as a researcher, I have learned that gatekeepers have a variety of motivations and strategies to block (or facilitate) research. This case describes several research projects where gatekeepers have played a pivotal role, and what I have…

In this case study, two members from a team of a tenured professor, an early career professor, and a doctoral student outline their experiences from conducting an online qualitative survey research study. The goal of the study was to seek the opinion of experts in the field of education, statistics, and economics about the use of value-added…