Case Study Approach

The case study approach is a unique and special approach which because of its flexible nature (Mills, Durepos and Wiebe, 2010:99) can be used for both qualitative and quantitative research depending on the type of data required by the researcher. The fact that the study is an evaluation research focusing on the evaluation of the NCE Programme for English Language teacher education in only two Colleges of Education makes the use of the approach even more appealing and appropriate. As earlier stated the study is a qualitative one and as such limits to a great extent the form or amount of control on the research setting and participants by the researcher.

The reason for this is not far-fetched as most evaluation research is centred on specific or particular contexts and as argued by Yin (2009:19), the case study has carved a niche for itself in evaluation research as it is said to occupy a very distinctive position within the said field of evaluation. The approach is therefore employed here to facilitate the study of research participants in their own natural settings and through observation and other techniques involved in the study. Information gathered is interpreted to enhance an understanding of and present a holistic picture of the situation or phenomenon under investigation (Denzin and Lincoln, 2003:5). The approach reflects the point argued by Mills, Durepos and Wiebe, (2010:486) that it is only when there is a complete or detailed account that human meaning can be completely understood.

Given the purpose of this research, it can be said that the case study approach is well suited for the study as the approach is effectively used to enhance an understanding of the multiple structure-segments in a programme or organisation (Mills, Durepos and Wiebe, 2010:76). This study is not only aimed at critically analysing the objectives of the programme under study, but it equally explores the interpretations given by the lecturers and how this affects the realisation of the objectives through their individual classroom practices. It also aims to identify the teaching needs of the student teachers and how they are reflected in the objectives of the NCE Programme within the Nigerian context.

Promoting an understanding of the Nigerian education context, this research focuses on the study of human activities which relates to the actual teaching and learning experiences of teacher educators and their students in the real

world. To Della Porta and Keatings (2008:227), the case study approach is apt at exploring subjects or phenomena about which very little is known. It is equally used to modify or refine existing knowledge. This is because case studies depict the experiences of specific situations so as to capture the very essence of reality in the research as it involves examining the case in its own context (Robson, 2002:178).

According to Cohen, Manion and Morrison (2007:253), case studies create opportunities for in-depth studies of small parts of a problem or topic. Although the focus of this research is on the objectives of the English Language teacher education programme at the NCE level, which arguably can be said to be a small part of the programme, the research is not necessarily concerned with measuring the success of the programme based on the achievement of these objectives per se. Rather, it seeks to explore the different interpretations these objectives have for different lecturers in the programme and the impact this has on their classroom practices. It also examines the objectives vis-a-vis the teaching needs of the student-teachers which are influenced to a large extent by the present-day challenges encountered in the teaching of English Language in Nigeria.

The researcher is aware that some researchers are less positive about a case study approach in qualitative research design (Denzin and Lincoln, 2003:439) even though it is a “distinctive form of empirical inquiry” (Yin, 2007:1). Some suggest that researchers use the approach when they have an intrinsic interest in a topic (Stake (1995:xi) but with little interest in its contribution to science.

The current study is one in which the researcher has an intrinsic interest as it concerns the teaching and learning of the English Language by teacher educators and student teachers in the Nigerian context. The study also provides an insight into the complex linguistic issues within the Nigerian context and the means or methods devised by student teachers and their lecturers to cope with the challenges of teaching the English Language within the Nigerian context.

From the study, an evaluation model, which can be used for the evaluation of language teacher education programmes in similar contexts, is developed and takes into cognizance the needs of the student teachers, the impact of the interpretation of the programme’s objectives on lecturers’ classroom practices as well as the impact of stated policies on the implementation of the programme under investigation. The case study can thus be said to be a very popular approach which has made and continues to make significant contribution to knowledge in psychology, sociology, political sciences, anthropology, education and even to the medical field (Yin, 2009:4). As summarily stated by Della Porta and Keatings (2008:223), much of the knowledge acquired and still being acquired in the political and social world is gained from case studies.

By using the approach, an in-depth and overall holistic picture of the NCE Programme under investigation is given as data for the study is gathered as events/activities occur naturally in the classrooms of the Colleges of Education and the primary schools. With the research instruments employed in the study, the insiders’ perspectives as well as that of the “outsider” are accounted for, thereby providing a comprehensive account and producing a complete picture

of the actual programme. The researcher also acquires a major understanding as well as skill which otherwise may not have been possible with other methodologies (Mills, Durepos and Wieber, 2010:76).

The current research is hinged on interpretivism and it utilises naturalistic inquiry and the case study approach. The major criticisms for the approach have been in relation to discussions on the theoretical frameworks and the inability to relate or generalise its findings to other settings. According to Denzin and Lincoln (2003:439), “in intrinsic case studies, researchers do not avoid generalisations, they cannot.” Contrary to the stance held by Denzin and Lincoln (2003), however, this research, which holds intrinsic interest for the researcher, can be generalised in a number of ways.

To begin with, because of the number of research participants and the fact that the research is a case study utilising two Colleges of Education as the research setting, the research aims at analytical and not statistical generalisations (Cohen, Manion and Morrison, 2007:253). As argued by Yin (2009:14), the case study, like experimental studies, can be generalised to theoretical prepositions thus leading to analytical generalisation.

Generalisations will be made from the research findings through the research process and an evaluation model which evolves from the literature reviewed, the researcher’s own epistemology and knowledge of the research context. This is apparently in line with the view held by Mayring (2007:4) that the procedures leading to the research findings can be generalised. Generalisation

is also made through a rigorous review of related literature of similar studies already done in this area of investigation, paying particular attention to the methods and findings of such research (Yin, 2009:3) as can be seen in Section 2.5 of this thesis.

By using the naturalistic approach in this work, a thick and vivid description is given of events and activities as they happen naturally in the research setting enabling readers to go through the same experiences as those of the researcher, leading them to make their own in-the-head-generalisation or naturalistic generalisation (Stake and Trumbull, 1982:3).

It can be argued that the case study represents only a limited population within a given research setting because of the sample size or number of research participants. The majority and minority language issue with regards to the choice of national language have also been taken into consideration in the selection of the Colleges of Education for this research. The Colleges chosen are strategically located, with one in the minority language spoken area and the other situated in an area where a dialect of one of the major languages is spoken. In doing this, the researcher aims to understand the peculiarity of the case under study (Stake, 1995:8).

For a case study to be a valid form of educational research, Bassey (1999:12- 13) argues that the research has to be conducted systematically and critically, be aimed at improving education, be relatable and should expand the frontiers of knowledge. In line with these outlined conditions, the researcher has created

and utilised a research design which can be said to be both systematic and critical to enhance the collection of data that allows for the programme under study to be viewed from different perspective in order to get a complete and accurate interpretation of events and occurrences in the programme. The frontiers of knowledge are also expanded with the development of an evaluation model which can be used for the evaluation of similar language programmes in other contexts.

In-spite of the fact that the use of case study as an approach in the qualitative research design is heavily criticised for its subjective nature, the researcher, however, agrees with Denzin and Lincoln (2003:192) that entering the subjective consciousness to appreciate the intent of research participants is an important way or step to understanding human behaviour in qualitative research. The research design used for this work is such that allows for all voices involved in the research to be heard. Despite the fact that the researcher is the sole collector of data as well as apparent interpreter of it, the research does not portray only the perspective of the researcher. By using observations and interviews simultaneously, the researcher not only questions information gained from documents examined, but also clarifies areas of confusion on things seen and is able to get an idea of the thoughts (which in this case can be said to be the sub-consciousness) of research participants to understand their views. Although the research process is well documented, giving a thick description of it provides a vicarious experience; and readers ultimately are able to give their own interpretations and consequently make or arrive at their own generalisations as well.

The issue of bias and subjectiveness should not be seen as solely associated with the case study method as all researchers come into the research setting with their own values and beliefs irrespective of their chosen methods of research (Bennett, 2003:13). Nevertheless, to tackle issues which may arise as a result of such selective or personal bias and theoretical pre-disposition (Patton, 2002:51), certain measures (which are discussed under the heading “Triangulation” in the next section of this chapter) have been taken into consideration in planning this research design and during the research process as a whole.