HIGHER EDUCATION RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This book is for anyone who wishes to improve university teaching and learning through systematic inquiry It provides advice, but also a constructive critique of research methods and, in turn, the authors also make a contribution to the theories of research methodology Topics covered include ontology, epistemology and engagement with academic literature, as well as research design approaches and methods of data collection There is a keen focus on quality in both the analysis and evaluation of research and new models are proposed to help the new researcher The authors conclude by examining the challenges in getting work published and close with some words on quality of thought and action The ideas in the book come from the authors’ extensive experience in teaching research methods courses in higher education, health and the corporate sector, as well as several empirical research projects that have helped provide a methodology for higher education It will be of particular interest to postgraduate students, academic developers and experienced academics from a wide variety of disciplines Ben Kei Daniel is Associate Professor in Higher Education at the University of Otago, New Zealand, where he teaches research methodology (quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods) and educational technology He is the convenor for educational technology for the university Tony Harland is Professor of Higher Education at the University of Otago, New Zealand His main research interest is in the purposes of a university education Tony teaches qualitative research methods and other topics such as learning theory, leadership and peer review HIGHER EDUCATION RESEARCH METHODOLOGY A Step-by-Step Guide to the Research Process Ben Kei Daniel and Tony Harland First published 2018 by Routledge Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2018 Ben Kei Daniel & Tony Harland The right of Ben Kei Daniel & Tony Harland to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 All rights reserved No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data A catalog record for this book has been requested ISBN: 978-1-138-55598-3 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-138-55600-3 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-14978-3 (ebk) Typeset in Bembo by Out of House Publishing CONTENTS Acknowledgements Foreword Figures Tables Introduction The origin of the thesis What is research in higher education? Data sources Bibliography The study of higher education Introduction The higher education community Research as a form of teaching The evolution of teaching research The intellectual exercise of qualitative research Discovery Jargon or disciplinary language? Research methodology as a field of inquiry in higher education Bibliography ix x xii xiii 2 3 5 10 11 11 12 13 15 16 16 17 17 18 Ontology and epistemology 19 Introduction Ontology and epistemology 19 21 vi Contents How ontology and epistemology are made explicit How research teams work and negotiate different philosophical positions Epistemic access Conclusion Bibliography Qualitative research approaches Introduction Phenomenology Grounded theory Ethnography Narrative inquiry Case study Conclusion Bibliography Surveys and other quantitative approaches Introduction Survey approaches Experimental approaches Statistical decision making Conclusion Bibliography Research methods Introduction Interviews Focus groups Questionnaires Observational methods Video and interpersonal process recall (IPR) Conclusion Bibliography The single case Introduction What is the potential of case study? Which forms of data are acceptable? When does analysis stop? What makes a quality case study? 27 30 32 33 36 37 37 38 40 40 40 42 42 43 44 44 46 51 53 53 55 56 56 56 60 61 63 65 67 67 68 68 70 71 72 73 Contents vii Conclusion Bibliography Research tools Introduction Tools for the qualitative researcher A multi-tool Discipline Reflections as a source of data Conclusion Bibliography Engaging with the literature Introduction Developing a conceptual framework How to engage systematically with the literature Tools for reviewing the literature A non-systematic approach Conclusion Bibliography Qualitative data analysis Introduction Data analysis process Coding qualitative data Intercoder reliability Theoretical approaches to data analysis Conclusion Bibliography 10 Evaluating qualitative research Introduction Trustworthiness Auditability Credibility Transferability Conclusion Bibliography 11 Writing for publication Introduction Mind the gap 75 76 78 78 79 80 82 83 84 84 85 85 87 88 90 94 94 97 98 98 99 100 103 105 107 108 111 111 113 115 116 117 117 119 122 122 123 viii Contents A systematic inquiry made public The problems with submitted work Conclusion Bibliography 124 125 127 128 12 Final words 129 Further reading Index 132 135 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This book could not have been written without all the postgraduate students who have studied with us, and our colleagues from other disciplines who have ventured into the higher education field All these collaborations have enriched our experiences, forced us to think more critically about higher education methodologies and, most importantly, made our work much more pleasurable Special thanks go to our outstanding colleagues in the Higher Education Development Centre at the University of Otago for sharing expertise, and for their kindness and friendship.We would also like to thank Andrew Barlow and all those who helped test and develop the Tripartite Model, and those who provided other sources of empirical data After reading the foreword written by Dr Navé Wald, we finally understood what we had been trying to achieve with this book So thank you, Navé, for framing the text and for your support Most of all, we are eternally grateful to our partners, Michelle and Sarah, who have truly had to put up with so much over the years, but whose support and encouragement have been unwavering ... Press/McGraw-Hill Education Higher Education Research & Development Further reading 133 Tight, M (2003) Researching higher education Maidenhead, UK: The Society for Research in Higher Education and... Democracy and education New York, NY: The MacMillan Company Harland, T (2009) People who study higher education, Teaching in Higher Education, 14, 5: 579–582 Harland, T (2012) Higher education as... is research in higher education? Data sources Bibliography The study of higher education Introduction The higher education community Research as a form of teaching The evolution of teaching research