UNDERSTANDING AND USING QUALITATIVE METHODS IN PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT

Abstract

Qualitative methods are used in research that is designed to provide an in-depth description of a specific programme, practice, or setting. Three of the possible reasons for choosing qualitative methods are explored in this article: (a) the researcher's view of the world, (b) the nature of the research questions, and (c) practical reasons associated with the nature of qualitative methods. Different types of qualitative research methods are practiced in educational and psychological research out of which, the paper showcases seven strategies Ethnographic research, Case study, Phenomenological research, Grounded theory, Participative inquiry, Clinical research and Focus groups. Qualitative evaluation methods are an essential part of the range of tools that evaluators call upon in their practice. Since the 1970s, when qualitative evaluation methodswerefirstintroducedas alternativetotheexperimental/quasi-experimental paradigms, the philosophical underpinnings and methodological requirements for sound qualitative evaluation have transformed the evaluation profession. Debates continue about the relative merits of positivistic and constructivist approaches to evaluation, but many evaluators have come to the view that pragmatically, it is desirable to mix qualitative and quantitative methods. More specifically the present paper examines the need for understanding and using qualitative methods in performance measurement.