DISCUSSION MATERIALS FOR PBI 3 & 4

Discussion 4

CASE STUDY

DEFINING OF CASE STUDY

A case study is what you call a case, a term case study is defined in various ways, and it is probably easier to say what a case study is not rather than what it is. A case study should not be equated with observational studies as this would rule out historical case studies, that case studies are not simply pre-experimental, and that case study is not a term for a standard methodological package. Adelmen, Jenskins, and Kemmis (1976).

Although case studies have often been used to sensitized researchers to significant variables subsequently manipulated or controlled in experimental design that is note their only role. To understanding generated by case study are significant in their own right. It is tempting to argue the accumulation of the case studies allow theory building via tentative hypothesis culled from the accumulation of single instances. But the generalization of produced in the case study are no less legitimate when about the instance, rather than the class from which the instance is draw. (Adelman,1976: 140).

A typology of the case study are; Neo-ethnographic: The in-depth investigation of a single case by a participant observer; Evaluative: An investigation carried out in order to evaluate policy or practice; Multi-site : A study carried out by several researchers on more than one site; Action : An investigation carried out by a classroom practitioner in his or her professional context.

There are six principal advantages of adopting the case study as a method of research, Contrast with other research methods, who will be identify with the issues and concerns raised; Claim that one can generalize from a case, either about an instance or from an instance to class; Strength of the case study is that it can represent a multiplicity points of view and can offer support to alternative interpretations; Case studies can also provide a database of materials which may be reinterpreted by future researchers; The insight yielded by case studies can be put to immediate use for a variety of purposes, including staff development, within institution feedback, formative evaluation and  policy making; Case study data are usually more accessible than conventional research report, and therefore capable of serving multiple audiences.

Adelman et al, suggest that case study research may be initiated in one of two says. The first of these, an issues or hypothesis is proposed, an instance draw from the class is selected a studied and the second, a case in selected a studied in its own right (rather than as exemplar of a class).

RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF CASE STUDY RESEARCH

Validity is the precision when measuring that is measured. Validity refers to how well the test measures what should be measured. There are many types of validity and some of them are face validity, construct validity, criterion related validity and content validity.

Reliability is the stability and consistency of repeated measurement results over time. Reliability is often referred to as “steady-state power” and reliability. The types of reliability include : test-retest reliability, inter-rater or inter-observer reliability and internal consistency reliability.

Yin (1984) Reliability and validity are just as important for case study research. He suggested that four critical tests confront the case study researcher. These are: Construct validity (establishing correct operational measures for the concepts being studied); Internal validity (establishing a causal relationship, whereby certain conditions are shown to lead to other conditions, as distinguished from spurious relationship); External validity (establishing the domain or population to which a study’s findings can be generalized); Reliability (demonstrating that the study can be replicated with similar results).

There are two points of view on the issues of validity are One the one hand, there are researchers who feel that, while internal validity is important, external validity may be irrelevant; One the other hand, other researchers take a different view, arguing that tests of validity should be as stringently applied to the case study as to any other type of research.

SINGLE CASE RESEARCH

Single case research represents a special type of case study. Single case research is similar to experimental researcher in that some type of intervention usually occurs, that is the researcher generally does something to the subject being investigated, and measures what happens as a result.

Single case research is similar to experimental research in that some something to the subject being investigated, and measures what happens as a result, the difference lies in the subject where in a single case research involving one individual or group. In a single case research, the behavior of the subject or subject is measured at two or more time points. One method of embodiment of a behavioral approach, which prioritizes to change the behavior is single case design. Single case design is a research design to evaluate the effect of an intervention on a single case in which the subject under study is used as its own control. A single case design is required and should be done a baseline measurement of some aspects of the subject's behavior for some time before treatment. Baseline serves as a benchmark for assessing the effectiveness of a treatment. In Indonesia the use of single case design is often used in the field of psychology and education as the embodiment of the behavioral approach of the subject. In education, studies have been carried out to alter the classroom behavior of children who are disruptive or who have specific learning or attitudinal problems.

Questions:

What is your own explanation about the research of case study? Explain the function of its research and give an example about the research of case study!