Lancey - Studying Children and Schools

Studying Children and Schools: Qualitative Research Traditions. David F. Lancy. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press, Inc., 2001. 202 pp.

LEE ANN TRUESDELL Queens College, City University of New York

LTruesQC@aol.com

In this introductory text to qualitative research, Lancy explains and illustrates qualitative methodology while placing it within several research traditions: anthropology, sociology, psychology, case study, and personal accounts. Lancy introduces the reader to qualitative research in the first chapter. In the final chapter, he spells out methods for conducting and writing up a qualitative study. For each tradition, he organizes qualitative research about schooling into major themes. As an experienced ethnographer, I found these chapters a valuable review of a vast amount of qualitative research. Lancy draws upon his vast qualitative research experience to illustrate aspects of qualitative research within each tradition.

The first chapter differentiates qualitative and quantitative research, describes phenomenology, delineates qualitative methodology, and argues for standards to evaluate qualitative research studies. Phenomenology captures the reality of a situation, providing the substantial and recursive data from which grounded theories are derived. The basic techniques of qualitative methodology are described and well illustrated with examples from research studies and references. By contrast, the discussion of the observation process is minimal and focuses on how to record observation notes. For the reader who wants more information about research methodology, Lancy provides an extensive set of references. Chapter 1 concludes with a discussion of the quality and use of qualitative research. Qualitative methods achieve transparency by presenting clear descriptions of situations that members of the group being studied can recognize. Many studies that claim to be qualitative do not adhere to the epistemology of qualitative research--they either do not provide sufficient data to support the assertions delineated by the research, or they organize data in preexisting categories. Lancy argues that standards are needed for evaluating qualitative research, such as: a fit between the research question and the methods used, an adequate length of stay in the field, an investigator's self-awareness, the availability of data for reanalysis, as well as consideration of the issues of reliability and validity. A qualitative study should present multiple perspectives that include the perspectives of the members of the group being studied.

The anthropological tradition emphasizes the effects of culture on learning and education with predominant themes of enculturation, transition and school-community relations. In discussing various research studies, Lancy provides valuable insights into methodological issues such as: ways of "making the familiar strange," recognizing perspectives that are limiting, and the need for comparison or cross-cultural perspectives. The sociological tradition focuses on social and economic stratification and how stratification plays out in schools. Lancy discusses studies of preschools, high school tracking, special education, and reading instruction. In general, many studies within the sociological tradition indicate that the influence of the family on school experiences overrides instructional and institutional factors. Issues of methodology, especially the use of video, are discussed in terms of their utility in answering specific research questions.

In traditions derived from the study of animal behavior and psychology, Lancy differentiates applications of ethology, the naturalistic study of animal behavior, from human ecology. The former emphasizes the theme of hierarchical dominance, observing behavior without inference. The latter observes precisely defined categories of goal-directed behavior. These research traditions require extensive resources, including multiple researchers looking for meaningful patterns of behavior. Ethical issues of consent were raised in a study of dominance hierarchy of adolescents at camp. Although Lancy points out here that the study would not pass the scrutiny of a Human Subjects Committee, he did not seize this opportunity to delve into the very complex ethical issues of consent that confront qualitative researchers.

This text also discusses case study and personal accounts or biography as qualitative traditions. Case studies focus on the evaluation of innovations and often use qualitative methodology without framing the work in qualitative paradigms. Biography provides the researcher with first-person accounts of teaching experience within the context of classroom, school, and community. Lancy found in his review of teachers' personal accounts that they rely more on classroom experiences than on ideas from college courses to make decisions about teaching. He points out that when studies of individual teachers do not provide information about personal histories, we do not learn about the genesis of their thinking. This chapter attempts to bring order to a range of literature featuring personal accounts and biographies by explaining and illustrating categories of literature. Lancy identifies the issues, problems, and challenges that currently pervade this tradition.

The final chapter returns the reader to considerations of method and research practice. Self-analysis, problem situations, review of the literature, data collection and analysis, and writing the report are all touched upon to orient the novice researcher. This text is unlike others that introduce qualitative methodology. First, it grounds discussions of method within research contexts, then it introduces and orients the reader to the "traditions" of qualitative research, delineating important themes. As a reader more familiar with the literature of some traditions than others, I found that the text clarified and organized my thinking. Although discussion of methodology is well grounded in research, it is not adequate for preparing the novice researcher. The text does, however, offer a wealth of references that provide extensive information on methodology and additional research examples. As such, this text would be a rich source for students in an introductory course in qualitative research. It is also a very good source for practicing qualitative researchers.