CASE STUDY AS A TYPE OF RESEARCH

INTRODUCTION

Research studies are designed to obtain pertinent data and precise information concerning the current status of a phenomenon and to draw valid general conclusions from the facts discovered.  In educational field it helps to explain educational phenomenon in terms of the conditions or relationships that exist, opinions that are held by the students, teachers, parents and experts, processes that are going on, effects that are evident, or trends that are developing. These investigations are of immense value in solving problems about children, school organization, supervision and administration, curriculum, teaching methods and evaluation. Researchers in the field of education attempt to trace the relationships between facts by employing a number of research techniques. Case study is one such method that endeavors to discover the phenomena in educational field.

MEANING

Case study is an important type of non-experimental or descriptive research. Case study refers to an in-depth study of one situation or case which may be one subject, group or an individual such as the person’s life history, the history of a group or society. Usually the case is a person.  Case studies study a single individual or single, discrete social unit such as a family, club, or gang.  Case studies provide information about specific persons, existing institutions, or concrete entities. This information must include biographical, physiological, environmental, psychological data. Case studies attempt to describe the subject’s entire range of behaviours and the relationship of these behaviours to the subject’s history and environment. Here the investigator observes the subject’s reaction to naturally occurring events. He attempts to examine an individual or unit in depth. The investigator tries to discover all the variables that are important in the history or development of the subject. The emphasis is on the understanding why the individual does what he or she does and studying behaviour changes as the individual responds to the environment. This requires detailed study for a considerable period of time. The investigator gathers data about the subject’s present state, past experiences, environment, and how these factors elate to one another.

In the field of education case studies generally focus on individuals or schools. The case study goes beyond casual observation or superficial description. It requires detail planning and execution. Haphazard collection of data, careless recording of information or superficial investigation can render a case study worthless as a research device.

Numerous standardized instruments are used for a psychological evaluation such as to determine aptitude level and emotional maturity. The investigator must extend his data collection into the home, the school, and the community. The attitudes of the family and his associates will affect the attitudes of the subject.

TYPES OF CASE STUDY

Case study can be classified into two major types based on the number of individuals:

    Individual case study

    Community case study

    Individual case study: the social unit consists of one individual or person. It emphasizes in-depth study.

    Community case study: Here the social unit is not a person, rather, a family or a social group. It emphasizes on the thorough observation and analysis of a group of people who are living together.

It can also be categorized based on the nature of study. Case study is classified into three types:

1.     Intrinsic case study: The objective is to understand the particular of the case.

2.     Instrumental case study: The objective is to understand something more general than the case.

3.     Collective case study: The objective is to study and compare multiple cases in a single research study.

METHODS USED IN CASE STUDY

Multiple methods of data collection are used in the case study. These include:

¨     Observation

¨     Interviews

¨     Questionnaires

¨     Opinionnaires

¨     Tests (psychological and educational)

¨     Inventories

¨     Recorded data in the form of documents.

STEPS OF CASE STUDY

    Present status: The first step is to determine the present status of the individual or the social unit under investigation through direct observation or measurements.

    Formulation of hypothesis: the next step is to determine the most probable antecedents of the case and to formulate a fruitful hypothesis or a set of hypothesis through knowledge of similar cases.

    Verification of hypothesis: to test a hypothesis the researcher may have to depend on personal documents, such as diaries and letters and various physiological or sociological measurements , data from teachers, friends, parents, brothers, sisters and other family members.

    Validation of diagnosis: In the next step is directed towards validation of diagnosis some remedial measures in the light of the causes found are suggested.

    Follow up: the last step in case study is the follow up of the case. The case is re-examined to ascertain whether any changes have been produced by the treatments introduced. If the change is positive and significant, the diagnosis is taken to be correct.

TECHNIQUES USED IN CASE STUDY

 Observation: Observation of behaviour, characteristics and social qualities of the case.

   Tools of research: Use of questionnaires, Opinionnaires, inventories, checklist or psychological tests.

   Recorded Data: Analysis of recorded data from newspapers, schools, clinics or similar cases.

   Interview: Interviewing the subjects, their friends and relatives.

ADVANTAGES OF CASE STUDY

    In-depth study: The greatest advantage of case study is the possibility of in-depth study; it attempts to understand the whole child or the whole adult in the totality of that individual’s environment. The individual’s present actions, his or her past, environment, emotions, and thoughts are probed. The researcher attempts to determine why an individual behaves as he or she does and not merely to record behaviour.

    Development of insight: Case studies often provide an opportunity for an individual to develop insight into basic aspects of human behaviour. The intensive probing characteristics of this technique may lead to the discovery of previously unsuspected relationships.

    Interpret results: The case study helps the researcher to observe events both within and outside the educational settings in their totality. It helps him to interpret results in terms of relationships and interdependence.

    Formulate hypothesis: A case study may provide insights that will help a researcher to formulate fruitful hypotheses.

    Comparison: It provides sufficient fact for making a comparison between two similar units.

LIMITATIONS OF CASE STUDY

   Exceptional cases: The dynamics of one individual or social unit may bear little relationships to the dynamics of others. In practice most case studies provide information on exceptional cases rather than representative individual.

   Subjectivity or prejudice: The opportunity for subjectivity or prejudice is high in case study. The preconceptions of an investigator can determine which behaviours are observed and which are ignored as well as the way in which the observations are interpreted.  The elements of objectivity enter into the report, when judgments are made about the subject’s character and motives. The researcher’s personal biases and standards may influence his interpretations.

   Impossible to confirm results: It is impossible to either confirm or refute through empirical study the findings and results of a particular case study.

   Team of experts: A worthwhile case study requires a team of experts which include psychologists, physicians, social workers, teachers, parents and the researcher. It cannot be completed by a single individual.

   Costly method: It is a costly method in terms of money and time. Since each case has to be independently analysed, it not only consumes time but also consumes a great deal of money of the research fund.

CASE STUDY IN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

In the educational contexts, case studies may be used to study:

    Typical individuals (like drug addicts, juvenile delinquents, school dropouts, slow learners, gifted children)

    Institutions (school showing poor performances, colleges leading in promoting national integration and leadership qualities among students, sick industries etc.)

    Communities (a tribe showing high literacy percentage among girls, characteristics of a migratory labour group forcing their children to drop out from the schools etc.)

CONCLUSION

Case studies are employed to diagnose a particular problem or condition in educational field and for recommending remedial measures. The case is re-examined to ascertain whether any changes have been produced by the treatments introduced. If the change is positive and significant, the diagnosis is taken to be correct. Even though the scope of generalization is narrower in case study it is more informative than a survey.

REFERENCE

•         Koul, Logesh (1994). Methodology of Educational Research. Vikas Publication PVT LTD, New Delhi.