What Teachers in the Field Learned and Didn’t Learn in a Qualitative Research Book Club: A Case Study Using a Focus Group Interview

• Published in: Journal of Science Education in Japan Vol. 48; no. 4; pp. 463 - 474
• Main Authors: WATANABE, Masafumi, MORIKAWA, Daichi, GOTO, Akihiko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japan Society for Science Education 2024; 一般社団法人 日本科学教育学会
• Subjects: focus group interview; life story; qualitative research; teachers in the field
• ISSN: 0386-4553; 2188-5338
• DOI: 10.14935/jssej.48.463

In this study, we use case studies to clarify what teachers in the field learned and did not learn in a qualitative research book club. The subjects were four people who had given presentations at a qualitative research book club. Focus group interviews were used to elicit their experiences in a qualitative research book club. What the teachers in the field said was considered a life story and analyzed. As a result, the subjects learned to relate qualitative research to the field of education. Specifically, they related qualitative research to their observations of learners. They also learned that qualitative research allows for subjective interpretation. The qualitative research book club became a place for the subjects to reconfirm and reconstruct their practice and previous ideas. On the other hand, the subjects did not acquire theoretical knowledge. The reason is that theoretical knowledge is difficult. They also did not acquire knowledge that they could not immediately apply. This case study is a useful resource for teachers in the field to learn qualitative research.