ISSUES AND TRENDS IN QUALITATIVE RESEARCH - POTENTIAL FOR DEVELOPING-COUNTRIES

This article builds upon previous work carried out by the authors in t he field of comparative and international education, with special refe rence to the implications of globalisation and contemporary methodolog ical trends for educational research in developing countries. Distinct ions are drawn between methodology and methods in exploring the potent ial and limitations of qualitative strategies for researchers, policy- makers and development assistance agencies. A review of contemporary t rends and developments draws attention to a related volume of new work , the value of case studies of educational practice, the importance of context and the dangers of uncritical international transfer. The art icle also examines linkages between post-modernism and the interpretiv ist paradigm, issues of data analysis and validation, and the possible benefits to be gained from practitioner research and evaluation in th e process of research capacity building in developing countries. Copyr ight (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd