Qualitative Research in Educational Settings

Catalogue Description of Soc 110: Basic understanding of participant observation, interviewing, and other ethnographic research techniques through field experiences in school, college, and community settings. Students will learn to take field notes, write up interviews, and compose interpretive essays based on their field experiences.

Course Objectives:

• Understand the theoretical and practical concerns that guide qualitative research
• Understand how to generate and frame a sociological research question
• Learn how to do qualitative fieldwork in an ethical manner
• Practice use of interview techniques
• Become skilled at strategies for analyzing qualitative data, including coding
• Think creatively and collaboratively about qualitative research design
• Use your empirical research and scholarly literature to write a final paper in the basic format of a social science journal article