Shaping Qualitative Research in Educational Psychology

Abstract

Qualitative research has made very little headway toward being accepted as a research method in educational psychology. This paper argues that a clear vision of the role of qualitative methods within educational research is needed, and a series of six guidelines to help chart out that vision are offered. Next, the notion of research genres, within a postmodern framework, is used to reconcile the differences between qualitative and quantitative research. Finally, these threads are pulled together in a discussion of research activities relevant for the development of future researchers.