Grounded Theory Approaches Used in Educational Research Journals

Abstract

Grounded theory has become one of the most commonly used qualitative research approaches. Since its first introduction, grounded theory methodology has taken on different iterations and evolved a number of variants. This review examined highly-ranked educational journals to determine grounded theory methodologies used most frequently by educational researchers. A total of 210 studies from 15 education journals were analyzed across 18 years of publication. A coding scheme was developed and used to categorize studies by type of methodological approach and inclusion of common grounded theory elements. Increasing variability in the types of grounded theory approaches was found in educational research over the last two decades. While educational researchers appear to prefer Straussian approaches to the design and analysis of grounded theory studies, Charmaz’s constructivist approach has increased in popularity over the last decade. In addition, most educational researchers used grounded theory as a data analysis technique rather than as a complete methodological approach. Only a small proportion of the 210 studies (29.5%) delineated a “grounded theory.” Finally, despite their publication in highly-ranked educational journals, methodological inconsistencies and descriptive cloudiness were evidenced across many of these grounded theory studies.

The Design and Evaluation of Online Interactive Learning in an Undergraduate Nutrition Course

“…Our study adds to the literature on constructivist learning design adapted for online learning. In constructivist theory, there is a focus on learning design that encourages active engagement, or participation, with the content ( 4 , 28 ). As described by Carwile, “the notion that students actively construct their knowledge fits within the framework of online education because students are separated from their teachers and expected to have the autonomy to regulate their learning” ( 29 ).…”

Chilean Early Childhood Teachers’ Discourses on Professional Associations Building Professionalism: Cohesions and Tensions of an Ecosystem

“…In doing so, the process iterated inductive exploration of lived participation in ECEPAs, with deductive verification and saturation of categories explaining the building of professionalism in Chilean ECE. Based on CGT researchers (Charmaz, 2006a; Cooper & White, 2022; Mills et al, 2017; Stough & Lee, 2021), we refined the four-stage abductive process commonly used in CGT holistic design (see explicative pictogram in Figure 1 N°1 at the end of this methodology section).…”

Algorithmic management, preferences for autonomy/security and gig-workers' wellbeing: A matter of fit?

“…In the following, two of the three authors read the excerpts from the data that supported each code, then tried to group them independently in the first-order codes that were generated initially. Independent coding processes were also performed in other grounded theories (e.g., Mace and Ward, 2002;Stough and Lee, 2021). The two coders were free to classify all pieces of evidence under one of the codes or ignore them it they understood that there was no correspondence with any of the codes.…”