Researching distance learning using a qualitative case study approach: Tackling the issue of generalisation - to generalise or not generalise...

Qualitative case study enables us to have a thick description and understanding of the reality. It provides a sense of ‘being there’. Despite the many positive aspects of case studies in qualitative research, qualitative case studies continued to be criticized for its lack of objectivity and general...

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Main Author: Dzakiria, Hisham
Format: Conference or Workshop Item
Language:English
Published: 2006
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Online Access:http://repo.uum.edu.my/1646/1/Hisham_Dzakiria%2C%2C%2C.pdf
http://repo.uum.edu.my/1646/
http://pcf4.dec.uwi.edu/viewpaper.php?id=232
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spelling my.uum.repo.16462010-11-30T06:10:44Z http://repo.uum.edu.my/1646/ Researching distance learning using a qualitative case study approach: Tackling the issue of generalisation - to generalise or not generalise... Dzakiria, Hisham LC5201 Education extension. Adult education. Continuing education Qualitative case study enables us to have a thick description and understanding of the reality. It provides a sense of ‘being there’. Despite the many positive aspects of case studies in qualitative research, qualitative case studies continued to be criticized for its lack of objectivity and generalisability. The word 'generalisability' is defined as the degree to which the findings can be generalized from the study sample to the entire population. Quantitative research implicitly assumes that theories are only built upon statistical inference. It tends to forget that statistics are but one instrument to assist human minds to arrive at theories. A theory which is well tested over one population does not necessarily apply to another population and it decays over time. This paper suggests that while qualitative studies are not generalisable in the traditional sense of the word, nor do they claim to be, they can have other redeeming features which make them highly valuable in the education community. This can be achieved by extending the power to generalise to readers or other researchers through the concept of relatability in responding to the issue of generalisability in qualitative research. In doing so, this paper discussed Michael Bassey’s fuzzy generalisation to explain the power play that readers can have in generating generalisation in qualitative research. The concept of ‘relatability’ has its own merits, one that is justifiable and has its own potential to be developed.This paper is based on two qualitative case study on the experiences and perspectives of a small group of distance learners as they progress through their courses at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) and a study on the perspectives of five-star hotel in Penang towards environmental policy and issues in Malaysia . 2006 Conference or Workshop Item NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en http://repo.uum.edu.my/1646/1/Hisham_Dzakiria%2C%2C%2C.pdf Dzakiria, Hisham (2006) Researching distance learning using a qualitative case study approach: Tackling the issue of generalisation - to generalise or not generalise... In: The Fourth Pan Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF4), 30 October - 3 November 2006, Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort, Ocho Rios, Jamaica. (Unpublished) http://pcf4.dec.uwi.edu/viewpaper.php?id=232
institution Universiti Utara Malaysia
building UUM Library
collection Institutional Repository
continent Asia
country Malaysia
content_provider Universiti Utara Malaysia
content_source UUM Institutionali Repository
url_provider http://repo.uum.edu.my/
language English
topic LC5201 Education extension. Adult education. Continuing education
spellingShingle LC5201 Education extension. Adult education. Continuing education
Dzakiria, Hisham
Researching distance learning using a qualitative case study approach: Tackling the issue of generalisation - to generalise or not generalise...
description Qualitative case study enables us to have a thick description and understanding of the reality. It provides a sense of ‘being there’. Despite the many positive aspects of case studies in qualitative research, qualitative case studies continued to be criticized for its lack of objectivity and generalisability. The word 'generalisability' is defined as the degree to which the findings can be generalized from the study sample to the entire population. Quantitative research implicitly assumes that theories are only built upon statistical inference. It tends to forget that statistics are but one instrument to assist human minds to arrive at theories. A theory which is well tested over one population does not necessarily apply to another population and it decays over time. This paper suggests that while qualitative studies are not generalisable in the traditional sense of the word, nor do they claim to be, they can have other redeeming features which make them highly valuable in the education community. This can be achieved by extending the power to generalise to readers or other researchers through the concept of relatability in responding to the issue of generalisability in qualitative research. In doing so, this paper discussed Michael Bassey’s fuzzy generalisation to explain the power play that readers can have in generating generalisation in qualitative research. The concept of ‘relatability’ has its own merits, one that is justifiable and has its own potential to be developed.This paper is based on two qualitative case study on the experiences and perspectives of a small group of distance learners as they progress through their courses at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) and a study on the perspectives of five-star hotel in Penang towards environmental policy and issues in Malaysia .
format Conference or Workshop Item
author Dzakiria, Hisham
author_facet Dzakiria, Hisham
author_sort Dzakiria, Hisham
title Researching distance learning using a qualitative case study approach: Tackling the issue of generalisation - to generalise or not generalise...
title_short Researching distance learning using a qualitative case study approach: Tackling the issue of generalisation - to generalise or not generalise...
title_full Researching distance learning using a qualitative case study approach: Tackling the issue of generalisation - to generalise or not generalise...
title_fullStr Researching distance learning using a qualitative case study approach: Tackling the issue of generalisation - to generalise or not generalise...
title_full_unstemmed Researching distance learning using a qualitative case study approach: Tackling the issue of generalisation - to generalise or not generalise...
title_sort researching distance learning using a qualitative case study approach: tackling the issue of generalisation - to generalise or not generalise...
publishDate 2006
url http://repo.uum.edu.my/1646/1/Hisham_Dzakiria%2C%2C%2C.pdf
http://repo.uum.edu.my/1646/
http://pcf4.dec.uwi.edu/viewpaper.php?id=232
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score 13.211869