Comparison of Two Studies

The study conducted by Worthen and McNeill (2002) was a phenomenological study in the phenomenological tradition of qualitative research. The Worthen and McNeill (2002) study was "A Phenomenological Investigation of 'Good' Supervision Events". The Burbules (2002) study was a critical research analysis. According to Merriam (2002), critical research "has its roots in several traditions" (p. 327). The root traditions of qualitative research apparent to some extent in the Burbules (2002) study are ethnography, grounded theory, and case study. The Burbules (2002) study was "Tootle: A Parable of Schooling and Destiny".

Merriam (2002) provides two frameworks within which to compare and contrast qualitative research studies - Assessing the "Quality" of Qualitative Research and Strategies for Promoting Validity and Reliability. The two studies are compared and contrasted within these two frameworks in the discussions that follow.

The framework for Assessing the "Quality" of Qualitative Research has four dimensions - Problem, Methods, Findings, and Discussion. With respect to Problem, both studies investigate problems that are appropriate for qualitative inquiry. Each study met each of the constructs of the Problem dimension,

With respect to Methods, Worthen and McNeill (2002) clearly identified their research design as being withi

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ion to good effect. Similarly, the grounded theory tradition was best suited for the Burbules (2002) inquiry. In a study without subjects, it is difficult to envision the application of another qualitative tradition. References Burbules, N. C. (2002). Tootle: A parable of schooling and destiny. In Merriam, S. B., & Associates. Qualitative research in practice. New York: Jossey-Bass/John Wiley & Sons, Inc., pp. 330-347. Merriam, S. B., & Associates. Qualitative research in practice. New York: Jossey-Bass/John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Worthen, V. E., & McNeill, B. W. (2002). A phenomenological investigation of "good" supervision events. In Merriam, S. B., & Associates. Qualitative research in practice. New York: Jossey-Bass/John Wiley & Sons, Inc., pp. 120-138. DISCUSSION DOCUMENT: RESEARCH QUESTION This document develops a problem statement for an investigation of the effectiveness of cooperative learning strategies on the academic achievement of learning-disabled children in grades six, seven, and eight (middle school). Research questions are formulated for the investigation. Learning Disabled children confront enormous challenges related to academic achievement. Researchers confront substantial challenges in assessing th
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