Critiquing Qualitative Research Sample

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In this research study, five single parents will be recruited using purposeful sampling. “The inquirer selects individuals and sites for the study because they can purposefully inform an understanding of the research problem and central phenomenon in the study” (Creswell, 2007,p. 125). Creswell (2007) stated that he “would not include more than four or five case studies in a single study. This number should provide ample opportunity to identify themes of the cases as well as conduct cross-case theme analysis” (Creswell, 2007, p. 128). Prospective single parent participants will be recruited through the Community Action agency in Central, VA. Participants will be selected based on the following selection criteria: divorced, unwed single …show more content…
What obstacles do you think would hinder you from persisting in obtaining your degree?
2. What does it mean to you to persist in your education in spite of obstacles?
3. What helped you sustain your persistence?
4. What do you feel are obstacles would prevent you from obtaining a higher education?
5. How academically involved were you on campus.
6. How socially involved were you on campus?

7. What if any barriers prevented you from being socially involved campus.

Single-Parent Persistence in Pursuit of a Higher Education

The purpose of the questions pertaining to Single-Parent Persistence in Pursuit of Higher Education was to gather information from the participants as to why some were able to finish their degree and why some did not. The main purpose of questions 1-4 is to gather information concerning what a higher education really means to a single-parent student in spite of the obstacles he/she often face in pursuit of a higher education. “For students with families of their own, the economic and academic challenges of college can be overwhelming” (Couch, 2013). Question 5-7 is important to inform the researcher about single parent students academic and social involvement while in college “the more students are academically and socially engaged with faculty, staff, and
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“Open coding is the process of “breaking down, examining, comparing, conceptualizing, and categorizing data” (Strauss & Corbin, 2007, p. 61). Each transcribed interview will be read line by line, circling words and phrases and sentences using three to seven words at a time thereby assigning codes. The third d step will be to reassemble the data that has been coded. This step is known as axial coding. “Axial coding refers to a set of procedures whereby data are put back together in new ways after open coding by making connections between categories” (Strauss & Corbin, 2007, p. 96). At this stage the researcher will begin to put the codes into separate categories based on the common themes that have developed from open coding. In the third stop the researcher will begin reassembling or tying the categories of axial coding together to develop a theme. At the fourth phase the researcher will interpret themes that have been developed through the coding process. Saldana (2011) defines a theme as “a phrase or sentence that identifies what a unit of data is about and/or what it means (emphasis as in original, p. 139). Concluding the fifth phase by creating a point of view concerning the case study concludes the final