Qualitative Research and Special Education

Abstract

Qualitative research methods constitute the bulk of scientific design in the special education field because of their flexibility, open-ended nature, and the delivered ability to explore a complex reality with more insights and greater detail. To add, the qualitative design has been gaining even more attention in the recent decades, becoming a whole trend in special education literature. Based on the latter, the purpose of this research paper is to trace the usefulness and limitations of the qualitative methodology used in special education research in order to single out those methods which will appear the most applicable and practical in the field. Hence, the study design involves a literature review of five scientific articles devoted to qualitative research methods in special education research. The findings prove qualitative research methods as those which provide coherent, descriptive knowledge, help the researchers to get to the causes of the studied phenomena, structure the received data, and plan their further actions. The research paper also succeeds in defining three major qualitative methods, namely case studies in general, collective case studies, and ethnography, which seem the most hopeful in the special education field. The use of each depends on the specificity of data required, along with the challenges of the participants. At the same time, the study happens to reveal a number of challenges, which a scholar should be aware of in case of employing the qualitative design in special education research. Specifically, the research paper emphasizes various ethical issues that arise when one deals with the participants having special needs. In this case, a researcher should assure the safety and privacy of his or her target population; effective communication strategies are also to be set.

Special Education Integration Program: Teacher’s Insights on utilizing Technology in ESL Classroom

“…The semi-structured interview technique, a key component of the qualitative research arsenal, was strategically employed to extract rich insights and nuanced perspectives from participants, ensuring a thorough exploration of their beliefs and approaches. The utilization of this methodology holds significant worth in the field of special education, as it empowers researchers to delve into the intricate nature of special education environments with enhanced understanding and increased precision [25].…”

Postgraduate Students’ Perceptions on Moodle as Learning Management System for Online English Language Learning During Covid-19 Pandemic

“…In this study, a qualitative method was used in the descriptive design, with an online questionnaire serving as the research instrument. Because of their flexibility, openended character, and delivered ability to examine a complicated reality with more insights and deeper information, qualitative research methods, according to Alnaim (2018), make up the majority of scientific design in the special education sector. This research adapts the qualitative research procedures for Creswell and Guetterman (2019).…”

Trend of critical thinking skill researches in mathematics education in Scopus database across Indonesia: From research design to data analysis

“…On the other hand, qualitative research is considered relatively new in educational research (Sharma, 2013). However, the trend of qualitative research design is starting to increase in the field of education (Alnaim, 2018;Richards, 2009;Shakouri, 2014). Such conditions are closely related to the advantages of a qualitative approach to define a phenomenon in detail and comprehensively.…”

“…Trends in the increasing number of educational research publications with critical thinking skills in Indonesia Based on Figure2, it can be seen that the highest number of publications was in 2020 with 13 publications, second place, namely with 5 publications per year, namely in . Whereas in 2016, 2018 no documents were published. This means that from 2013 to 2019 there were not many changes.…”