Preparing Our Educators

Patton College Hosts Qualitative Research Workshop

Attendies learned and completed various excercises during Dr. Charmaz's "And Introduction to Constructivist Grounded Theory."

ATHENS, Ohio (April 28, 2011) – Ohio University’s Patton College of Education and Human Services hosted a workshop on April 22, “An Introduction to Constructivist Grounded Theory,” led by Dr. Kathy Charmaz. Charmaz is a Professor of Sociology and Director of the Faculty Writing Program at Sonoma State University in California. She has extensive experience in grounded theory, which brought her to Ohio University to share her knowledge with The Patton College. Professors and instructors participated in the free workshop, eager to learn more about grounded theory.

Grounded theory is one qualitative research approach. “Grounded theory was the first approach that emphasized engaging in simultaneous data collection and analysis,” Charmaz told the participants.

During the morning session Charmaz gave guidelines for coding, which is the process of analyzing qualitative data and spoke about how to combine social justice and grounded theory.

“One of the things about grounded theory, it keeps you involved,” Charmaz said.

Charmaz worked with the attending doctoral students and professors on qualitative research and coding. Charmaz gave the attendees guidelines for initial coding, then asked them to ask what the data suggests and pronounces. After explaining guidelines for coding with grounded theory, the participants were given the opportunity to code their own data or the data that Charmaz provided.

“Try to remain as open as possible” she advised. “Try to move quickly through the data; move as quickly as you can.”

Charmaz also told attendees to try to code with gerunds and action terms. After coding the given data, participants then shared their observations.

“I try to find out also how people think about their experience, how they feel about it in their descriptions,” Charmas said regarding the research. “So I’m always looking for feeling and meaning.”

Charmaz used examples on suffering and sickness, but also mentioned research in school as well as the study of gangs. She told the class that empathizing and sympathizing with people who are suffering with illness is much easier than with gangs, and that the students should try to understand the mindsets of the families and gang members.

“Try to take multiple perspectives of various actors in the setting,” Charmaz said. “I try to see the world from the perspective of the people I’m studying.”

Charmaz holds the B.A. in Occupational Therapy from University of Kansas, the M.A. in Sociology from San Francisco State College and the Ph.D. in Sociology from University of California.

Story by Leah Stoltzfus