'The case of the educated methodological study': An exploration of published technology related research case studies

Abstract

This paper reports the findings of a methodological content analysis carried out on a total of 300 technology related research case studies which used a qualitative methodology and were published during the 2005 to 2014 time period. Reasons for using the case study approach were identified to be classifiable into one of eight categories and these categories could, furthermore, be grouped according to whether they focused on the nature of, the benefit to be derived from, or how the researcher might engage with, the case study. In considering how the methodological argument of the education based studies compared with those undertaken outside the education sector, there is identification of some favouring of the case study approach within journals publishing education based research; that the boundedness of the study was more likely to feature in education based studies as compared with other research; that the greatest variation between education based and other studies related to the intention to derive theory; and that there was a tendency towards lone working researchers making use of the case study approach within the education sector. Learning arising from this analysis relates to the credibility of using the case study approach for technology related research activity; the targeting of case study research articles toward journals which favour the approach; and the importance of rigour in the methodological explanation