Chapter 14
Grounded Theory Designs
Power Point Slides by Ronald J. Shope in collaboration with John W. Creswell
Key Ideas
• Defining Grounded Theory
• When to use Grounded Theory
• Key characteristics of Grounded Theory
research
• Conducting a grounded theory study
• Evaluating a grounded theory study
Educational Research 2e: Creswell
What is grounded theory
research?
• A grounded theory design is a
systematic, qualitative procedure used
to generate a theory that explains, at a
broad conceptual level, a process, an
action, or interaction about a
substantive topic.
Educational Research 2e: Creswell
When do you use grounded
theory research?
• To generate a theory rather than use
one “off the shelf”
• To explain a process, action, or
interaction
• When you want a step-by-step,
systematic procedure
• When you want to stay close to the data
Educational Research 2e: Creswell
How did grounded theory
develop?
• 1967 Glaser and Strauss book The
Discovery of Grounded Theory
• 1990, 1998 Strauss and Corbin
prescriptive form with predetermined
categories and concerns about reliability
and validity
• 2000 Charmaz introduces
“Constructivist” method
Educational Research 2e: Creswell
Types of grounded theory
designs: The systematic design
• Open Coding: properties and dimensionalized
properties
• Axial Coding: researcher selects one open
coding category and places it at the center as
the Central Phenomenon and then relates all
other categories to it.
• Selective Coding: writing a theory based on
the interrelationship of the categories from
axial coding
Educational Research 2e: Creswell
Open Coding to the Axial
Coding Paradigm
Open Coding Categories
Axial Coding Paradigm
Context
Category
Category
Category
Causal
Conditions
Core
Category or
Phenomenon
Category
Category
Intervening
Conditions
Educational Research 2e: Creswell
Strategies
Consequences
One open coding
category as core
phenomenon
Types of grounded theory
designs: The emerging design
• Grounded theory exists at the most abstract
conceptual level rather than the least abstract
level as found in visual data presentations
such as a coding paradigm
• A theory is grounded in the data and not
forced into categories
• Four essential criteria: fit, work, relevance,
modifiability
Educational Research 2e: Creswell
Types of grounded theory
designs: A constructivist design
• Philosophical position between positivist and
post-modern researchers
• Theorist explains feelings of individuals as they
experience a phenomenon or process
• Study mentions beliefs and values of the
researcher and eschews predetermined
categories
• Narrative is more explanatory, discursive, and
probing the assumptions and meanings for the
individuals in the study.
Educational Research 2e: Creswell
Key characteristics of
grounded theory designs
•
•
•
•
•
•
A process approach
Theoretical sampling
Constant comparative data analysis
A core category
Theory generation
Memos
Educational Research 2e: Creswell
A process and categories within the flow
of research in Grounded Theory
The research problem leads to
A study of a central phenomenon
in grounded theory research questions
That addresses a process
Which contains
- a sequence of activities
- including actions by people
- including interactions by people
Which a grounded theorist
begins to understand by developing
- categories
- relating categories
- developing a theory that explains
Educational Research 2e: Creswell
Zig-zag approach to data
collection and analysis
Data Collection
Data Analysis
Close to Saturated
Categories
Third
Interview
More Refined
Categories
Second
Interview
Refined
Categories
First
Interview
Preliminary
Categories
Educational Research 2e: Creswell
Toward
Saturation of
Categories
Constant comparison
procedures in data analysis
Category II
Category I
Code A
Code B
Code C
Indicators
Raw Data (e.g. transcripts,
field notes, documents)
Educational Research 2e: Creswell
Core category of ethnicity in a theory of
ethnic minority students’ process of
community building
Ethnicity
- Hispanic
-Black
Gender
-male
-female
Background
- Economic Differences
-Diversity
-Adapting to Change
Sense of Self
Strategies
Withdrawal
Passive, low risk
Active
Intervening
Conditions
Peer
Interactions
Causal Condition
Properties
- Nature of Interactions
- Racial Differences
- Quantity of Friends
- Intensity
- Time to Develop
Friends
Educational Research 2e: Creswell
Community
Phenomenon
Properties
- Sense of
Belonging
- Source
- Importance
Memoing
• Memos are notes the researcher writes
throughout the research process to
elaborate on ideas about the data and
the coded categories. In memos, the
researcher explores hunches, ideas,
and thoughts, and then takes them
apart, always searching for the broader
explanations at work in the process.
Educational Research 2e: Creswell
Conducting a grounded theory
study
• Decide if grounded Theory design best
addresses the research problem
• Identify a process to study
• Seek approval and access
• Conduct theoretical sampling
• Code the data
• Use selective coding and develop the theory
• Validate your theory
• Write a grounded theory research report
Educational Research 2e: Creswell
Evaluating a grounded theory
study
• Is there an obvious connection between the
categories and the raw data?
• Is the theory useful as a conceptual
explanation for the process being studied?
• Does the theory provide a relevant
explanation of actual problems and a basic
process?
• Can the theory be modified as conditions
change or further data are gathered?
Educational Research 2e: Creswell
Evaluating a grounded theory
study
• Is a theoretical model developed or generated
that conceptualizes a process, action, or
interaction?
• Is there a central phenomenon (or core category)
specified at the heart of the model?
• Does the model emerge through phases of
coding? (e.g. initial codes to more theoretically
oriented codes or open coding to axial coding to
selective coding)
• Does the researcher attempt to interrelate
categories?
Educational Research 2e: Creswell
Evaluating a grounded theory
study
• Does the researcher gather extensive data so as
to develop a detailed conceptual theory as well
saturated in the data?
• Does the study show how the researcher
validated the evolving theory by comparing it to
the data, examining how the theory supports or
refutes existing theories in the literature, or
checking theory with participants?
Educational Research 2e: Creswell