UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development ED 531: Case Study Design and Analysis

Summer (A) 2005 Department of Education Leadership

Dr. Kara Finnigan 1-333 Dewey Hall Office Hours: By appointment Email: kfinnigan@its.rochester.edu Office Phone: (585) 275-9942

Class Sessions: Friday May 20, May 27 and June 3, 8:30-12:15 Course Description and Objectives ED 531 introduces students to case study research design. The course will provide students with the skills to analyze articles and books using case study methods, as well as to use case study methods in their own research. Students will become familiar with research design issues, as well as data collection, analysis, and writing strategies. Format The course will be conducted in a seminar format, using readings and in-class activities to guide the discussion. Student Expectations 1. All assignments are due when indicated. No incompletes will be granted. Please be sure to proofread your writing and use appropriate citations throughout your work. 2. Respect for others opinions and points of view is a fundamental ground rule for this class. One aspect of respect is meeting on equal terms; thus thoughtful reading and preparation before class discussion is expected. 3. Students must attend each class. Please notify me in advance at the above number should you have to miss a class. 4. I wish to fully include persons with disabilities in this course. Please let me know if you need any special accommodations in the curriculum, instruction, or assessments of this course to enable you to fully participate.

Course Requirements and Grading Policy All required readings will be distributed to students (additional readings are listed if you are interested in more information on a particular topic.) There is no required text for this course; however, Robert Yins Case Study Research: Design and Methods (Third edition) is highly recommended. The course will be graded on a pass/fail basis.

Course Schedule
May 20 Topics: What is a Case? Types of Case Studies Designing Case Studies Required Reading: Hakim, C. (2000). Case studies. In Research design: Successful designs for social and economic research (2nd edition) (pp. 59-75). London: Routledge. Yin, R. (1998). The abridged version of case study research. In Bickman, L. & Rog, D. (eds.) Handbook of applied social research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. [Read pp. 229-243) Additional Reading: Hamel, J. with Dufour, S., & Fortin, D. (1993). Case study methods. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. Yin, R. (2003). Case study research: Design and methods (Third edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. (chapters 1 and 2). Stake, R. (2000). Case studies. In Denzin, N. & Lincoln, Y. (eds.) The handbook of qualitative research (pp. 435-454). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

May 27 Topics: Conducting Case Studies: Preparing for Data Collection and Collecting the Data Case Study Examples Protocol Development Guest Speaker Nancy Ares (11-12)

May 27 (continued) Required Reading: Yin, R. (1998). The abridged version of case study research. In Bickman, L. & Rog, D. (eds.) Handbook of applied social research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. [Read pp. 243-250) Sanders, M. & Harvey, A. (2002). Beyond the school walls: A case study of principal leadership for school-community collaboration. Teachers College Record, 104 (7), 1345-1368. Ares, N. & Peercy, M. (2003). Constructing literacy: How goals, activity systems, and text shape classroom practice. Journal of Literacy Research, 35 (1), 633-662. Additional Reading: Yin, R. (2003). Case study research: Design and methods (Third edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. (chapters 3 and 4).

June 3 Topics: Data Analysis Reporting/Writing Case Study Examples Assignment: Students present case study examples. Required Reading: Yin, R. (1998). The abridged version of case study research. In Bickman, L. & Rog, D. (eds.) Handbook of applied social research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. [Read pp. 255-258) Yin, R. (2003). Analyzing case study evidence. In Case study research: Design and Methods (Third edition). (pp. 109-140). Girden, E. (2001). Case studies. In Evaluating research articles (second edition) (pp. 23-47). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. Additional Reading: Yin, R. (2003). Case study research: Design and methods (Third edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. (chapter 6).

Assignments Class Participation. My expectation is that students will attend each class and be prepared for discussions by reading all required readings. In addition, I expect that students will participate fully in classes, particularly during sessions with guest speakers and in-class group activities. Identification of Case Study Example and Presentation to Class. In groups of 2-3, students must locate a published case study (single or multiple) and present the case to the class on June 3rd. I will provide additional details during class on May 20th and 27th. Written Critique of Case Study Example. Due: 6/10/05 Each student will be responsible for analyzing a case study and preparing a written critique. The case will be handed out in class on May 27th and additional details will be provided at that time. The final paper should be 7-10 pages. The write-up should include APA-style citation; a summary of the article (including the issue being studied, the conceptual/theoretical framework, the research design and study methods, and the study findings); and a critical analysis of the article based on course readings and discussions. You must also include a short discussion about the strengths and weaknesses of using case study research, in general. The paper is expected to demonstrate coherent organization and reasoning. The purpose of this activity is to enable you to develop the skills necessary to analyze a written example of a case study. This paper involves both a summary and a critique of the case.

The following cites provide APA style guidelines: http://www.wisc.edu/writetest/Handbook/DocAPAFormatting.html http://www.calstatela.edu/library/guides/3apa.htm http://www.psywww.com/resource/apacrib.htm http://www.crk.umn.edu/library/links/apa5th.htm http://www.docstyles.com/apacrib.htm