Trends and patterns in the use of grounded theory in educational research in South Africa
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Authors
Du Plessis, E.C. (Elize)
Van der Westhuizen, G.J. (Gert)
Issue Date
2018-09-01
Type
Article
Language
en
Keywords
Cognitive justice, decolonisation of knowledge, grounded theory, educational research, transformative grounded theory
Alternative Title
Abstract
The calls for the decolonisation of knowledge in South Africa is a challenge that
educational researchers cannot ignore. The problem is, however, that research and
knowledge development traditions in education have not contributed in significant ways
to enhancing cognitive justice in society. The focus of this article is on grounded theory, a
research methodology tradition that is assumed to be relevant and valuable to the
possibilities of transformational changes in education because it allows, by design, for
research that produces theories in ways that are inductive, data based, and bottom-up.
The purpose is to review research in education in South Africa, since 1994, and to identify
trends and patterns in order to understand how grounded theory methods contribute to
the development of new education theories and to transformation. We have reviewed
articles published during the period 1994–2016 and found that they cover different
academic domains. We also found that the majority of studies utilised grounded theory
methodology meticulously and with varied levels of sophistication, leading to around one
third of the studies articulating theories in the comprehensive sense of the word. The
findings are discussed with reference to the role of educational research in the changing
times of decolonisation. Recommendations are made to improve educational research:
to be more relevant and transformative.
Description
Please reference as: Du Plessis, E. & Van der Westhuizen, G. (2018). Trends and Patterns in the Use
of Grounded Theory in Educational Research in South Africa. Educational Research for Social
Change, 7(2), 1-21. http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2221-4070/2018/v7i2a1
Citation
http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2221-4070/2018/v7i2a1
Publisher
Educational Research for Social Change (ERSC)
License
Journal
Volume
Issue
PubMed ID
DOI
ISSN
2221-4070