S-529

Case Study Research Methods

Class Session 9
04/01/2016
Irene A. Liefshitz, Ed.D
S-529 Case Study Research Methods
Class Session 9

AGENDA
–Welcome
–Class Community
–Methods & Case Study Discussion
–Break
–Ethics & Politics
–Closure
.
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 Class
Community
S-529 Case Study Research Methods
04/01/2016
S-529 Case Study Research Methods
Class Session 9: Class Community

FEEDBACK FROM LAST CLASS

QUESTIONS, ANNOUNCEMENTS
NEXT CLASS: 04/08/2016 (Analytic Techniques)
• Methodological readings, “3-2-1” Reading Responses
• Alexander Means case study
• Means group will post guiding questions for the 1st part of our case
study discussion by Monday 4/4

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Generalization & Theory Building:
Miller, Cortez, Levinson
S-529 Case Study Research Methods
04/01/2016
S-529 Case Study Research Methods
Class Session 9: Methods & Case Study Discussion
Case studies
 Miller’ study of an after-school
youth entrepreneurship program
(2011)
  Cortez’ study of a parent group’s
activism to protest Chicago Public
Schools funding decisions (2013)
 Levinson’s study of Boston Public
Schools school assignment policy
(2015)
Methodological readings
On generalization:
 Gomm, Hammersley & Foster
(2009) chapter 5
On theory:
 George & Bennett (2005) chapter 6
 Eisenhardt & Graebner (2007)
 Gomm, Hammersley & Foster
(2009) chapter 12
 
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S-529 Case Study Research Methods
Class Session 9: Methods & Case Study Discussion
Empirical Generalization

How does Miller (2011) succeed in, or approach, making empirical

generalizations as defined by Gomm, Hammersley & Foster (chapter
5)?
• Can’t just dismiss generalization in CSR
• Heterogeneity of dimensions
• Knowing the population (facts and theory)
• Case selection
• Internal generalization: temporal
• Internal generalization: context
• Providing sufficient information about boundaries of the
case

Pair/triad preparation: 15 min

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S-529 Case Study Research Methods
Class Session 9: Methods & Case Study Discussion
Critiques & Recommendations
Dissertation Committee Journal Reviewers

Recommendations for Recommendations for

Miller to strengthen the Miller to strengthen the
empirical generalizations empirical generalizations
of his case study design of his reporting

Small group discussion: 10 min

Whole group share
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S-529 Case Study Research Methods
Class Session 9: Methods & Case Study Discussion
Theory & CSR
1) What is the (potential) theoretical contribution of each case?

2) Does theory-building or theory-testing have to be part of a case study

design? Besides theory, what other academic and social contributions
can a study make?

3) Each of the case studies is a single-case design, but all three

methodological readings (George & Bennett, 2005; Eisenhardt &
Graebner, 2007; and Gomm, Hammersley & Foster, 2009) advise a
“building block” approach to build theory with several cases.
• Pick one case (Miller, Cortez, or Levinson) and apply 1-2
key ideas from these three methodological readings to
propose a follow up case study that would build on its
theoretical contribution.

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S-529 Case Study Research Methods
Class Session 9: Methods & Case Study Discussion
Closure

one insight from today’s class for your case study

design

 
 

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Ethics & Politics
S-529 Case Study Research Methods
04/01/2016
 Closure
S-529 Case Study Research Methods
04/01/2016
S-529 Case Study Research Methods
Class Session 9: Closure

NEXT CLASS:

FEEDBACK!!!!!!!

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