Research on Case Studies

What the Research Says about Case Studies

Note: References mentioned here are also listed below by author.

Why Cases?

One of the principles of effective professional development, as listed in Glenn Kleiman's EDC white paper Meeting the Need for High Quality Teachers: e-Learning Solutions, is that it "builds upon investigations of practice through cases that involve specific problems of practice, questions, analysis, reflection, and substantial professional discourse." The use of case studies in teacher professional development has indeed been increasing steadily, as evidence has accumulated that they can be an effective tool in providing pedagogical and content instruction. As summarized by the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Katherine K. Merseth in her introduction to Windows on Teaching Math:

Cases and case-based instruction stand to help participants develop problem-solving skills;
Cases offer an environment of safe inquiry. Case participants can "try out" ideas and approaches, often building new understanding by listening to the interpretations and suggestions of others in the discussion;
Situations described in each case are specific, often delineating a particular dilemma or tension that demands exploration and resolution;
Through case studies, participants may visit many varied and different classrooms without actually leaving their physical locale.

What are we talking about, specifically?

According to the University of San Francisco's Lanna Andrews, "In teacher education, a case is typically defined as a written, problem-based account of an on-the-job teaching dilemma (Shulman, 1992). Case-based instruction has been defined as an active-learning pedagogy designed for problem analysis and problem-solving, stressing a variety of viewpoints and potential outcomes (Cranston-Gingrass, Raines, Paul, Epanchin, & Roselli, 1996)."

Merseth was a little more descriptive in her 1996 article Cases, Case Methods, and the Professional Development of Educators:

One common definition suggests that a case is a descriptive research document, often presented in narrative form, that is based on a real-life situation or event. It attempts to convey a balanced, multidimensional representation of the context, participants, and reality of the situation. Cases are created explicitly for discussion and seek to include sufficient detail and information to elicit active analysis and interpretation by users with differing perspectives. This definition reaffirms three essential elements of cases: (a) they are real, (b) they rely on careful research and study, and (c) they foster the development of multiple perspectives by users.

In the Windows introduction, Merseth called these materials "teaching cases" and the teaching approach using these cases "the case method of instruction." She classifies the types of cases in her Cases article:

In teacher education, case purpose falls into three categories: (a) cases as exemplars; (b) cases as opportunities to practice analysis, the assimilation of differing perspectives, and contemplation of action; and (c) cases as stimulants to personal reflection (Merseth, 1996).

Why Online?

Although case-based professional development is usually, and effectively, conducted in face-to-face workshops, there are many reasons to elevate it to the Internet.

Building networks among participants.
Teaching is a potentially isolating profession. There are often just 2 or 3 math or science teachers per school, and, in remote areas, sometimes just 1 teacher for all the math & science classes! The "anywhere" aspect of online professional development allows collaboration and community among teachers from varying geographic regions. Teachers expand their awareness of diverse ways of thinking and are afforded a sounding board when looking for new ideas or struggling with ways to present material.
Giving time to reflect.
The "anytime" aspect of online professional development gives participants time to think about their responses, which has the potential of deepening the learning and dialogue and of bringing forth voices that might be quiet in a face-to-face workshop.
Increasing content knowledge.
Not only will teachers gain content knowledge of the subject by participating in the professional development, but they will also learn by sharing experiences and knowledge with their colleagues.
Developing 21st Century Skills.
It is a requirement of No Child Left Behind that students become technology literate the end of eighth grade. Per the National Education Technology Plan 2004: "Some [teachers] have not received sufficient training in the effective use of technology to enhance learning." It goes on to recommend that states and school districts "Enable every teacher to participate in e-learning training." The Partnership for 21st Century Skills states it plainly: "To promote 21st century learning, teachers need to be competent in 21st century skills."
In an interview, Rae Niles, Curriculum Director of Sedwick, Kansas, school district #439, emphasized that "teachers need models. How can they be expected to teach effectively what they don't know and haven't experienced?" Giving teachers the chance to experience a technology-enhanced learning environment themselves will give them more confidence and know-how to broaden their own students' educational horizons.
Enhancing face-to-face workshops.
Face-to-face workshops have many benefits of their own, but when they are over often the knowledge gained is stored neatly in workshop binders and folders and left there. Subsequent online activities can carry forward the knowledge and experiences gained. For instance, teachers can be asked to employ some of the workshop strategies or activites in their classrooms and report back to their group, online, on their successes and on areas in need of improvement. They can then get guidance from the workshop facilitators and fellow participants, and they can learn how others fared in their own classrooms.

The Oregon Mathematics Leadership Institute Partnership, for instance, is in the process of building, as part of their grant, online activities to supplement their summer institutes.

Challenges in an Online Environment:

The main challenge for facilitators in an online environment is knowing who is "out there" and how they are faring. This is evidenced in an article by Judith Zorfass, Arlene Remz, and Denise Ethier about their first online experience:

In a face-to-face workshop, an instructor relies on cues such as nods, puzzled looks, body language, or raised hands to assess if directions have been understood. In contrast, in an online environment, the facilitator has to substitute accuracy and appropriateness of delayed written messages for the immediacy of body language to know if everyone is on the right track.

Another, normally gregarious teacher, talked about suddenly "being shy" in front of his keyboard. The lack of physical presence is something that strikes most novice online facilitators and participants. However, with an open mind, experience, research into some of the bulk of literature about online facilitating, and training if at all possible, the online world will begin to develop its own cues.

Resources:

Preparing General Education Pre-Service Teachers for Inclusion: Web-Enhanced Case-Based Instruction
by Lanna Andrews, 2002
Journal of Special Education Technology, Volume 17, #3
http://jset.unlv.edu/17.3/andrews/first.html
This article presents the results of a collaboration using classroom cases and mentoring on the Internet to prepare elementary and secondary general education student teachers to adapt instruction for students with disabilities.
Video Case Studies: Grounded Dialogue Matters Most
A. Galvis & R. Nemirovsky, 2003
@Concord: The Concord Consortium
http://www.concord.org/newsletter/2003-spring/video-case.html
This article discusses strategies for keeping the discussion around a case centered on the case itself and not on general knowledge and perceptions that teachers brought in with them.
Meeting the Need for High Quality Teachers: e-Learning Solutions
by Glenn Kleiman, 2004
White paper for the 2004 U.S. Department of Education Secretary's No Child Left Behind Leadership Summit
http://www.nclbtechsummits.org/summit2/presentations/Kleiman-MeetingtheNeed.pdf
Cases, Case Methods, and the Professional Development of Educators. ERIC Digest.
By Katherine K. Merseth, 1994-11-00
ERIC Digest. ERIC Identifier: ED401272
ERIC Clearinghouse on Teaching and Teacher Education Washington DC
http://www.ericdigests.org/1997-2/case.htm
This Digest presents definitions of cases and case methods, explores the purposes of using case studies, and suggests avenues for further research into the effectiveness of using case in teacher education.
Windows on Teaching Math: Cases of Middle and Secondary Classrooms
Edited and Introduction by Katherine K. Merseth, 2003
http://www2.edc.org/cope_mspreta/Resources/CaseStudies/windows.htm
Teachers College Press
This book provides a collection of cases that blend mathematics content with the real complexities of school and classroom life.
Opening Windows onto Classrooms: Promises and Challenges in the Design of Video Cases for Professional Development in Mathematics and Science
by Mark St. John & Laura Stokes, July 2003
http://www.inverness-research.org/reports/videocasesconf/VideoCasesConfMonograph.pdf
This report was based on a conference held in February, 2002, to reflect on the potential of video cases to foster teacher develpment.
Learning for the 21st Century: A Report and Mile Guide for 21st Century Skills
Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2002
http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/images/stories/otherdocs/P21_Report.pdf Learning for the 21st Century is the result of an in-depth dialogue, initiated by the Partnership, focused on improving education in the 21st century. The Partnership reached out to hundreds of educators, academics, business leaders and employers to determine a vision for learning in the 21st century, to reach consensus on the definition of 21st century skills, and to develop tools to aid communities in implementing this new model of learning.
The National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century (Archived Information)
Transcript of Presentation by Nanette Seago, Nov. 1999
http://www.ed.gov/inits/Math/glenn/seago.html
Seago leads her audience through a discussion around a video clip of a mathematics classroom, focusing on the relationships involved in teaching, the students and teacher interaction, and learning a concept.
National Education Technology Plan 2004
U.S. Department of Education
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/os/technology/plan/2004/
"Our children can't wait. The future is now. We need to be preparing them for a future that few of us can even visualize." – Dr. Mark Edwards, Former Superintendent, Henrico County, VA Public Schools
This plan builds steps and recommendations for the U.S. to meet this need.
Interview with Rae Niles, Curriculum Director of Sedwick, Kansas, school district #439, March 18, 2005.
For more information about her school, go to:
http://www.apple.com/education/profiles/sedgwick/
Illustrating the Potential of an Online Workshop through a Case Study Example
by Judith Zorfass, Arlene Remz, and Denise Ethier, Feb. 1998
Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) Magazine
http://www.december.com/cmc/mag/1998/feb/zorfas.html

Contact us if you would like to receive assistance from EDC to help you plan your approach, evaluate the technology options, and develop capacity within your project to design and manage online professional development.