Qualitative Study Analysis

Knesting, K.'s "Students at Risk for School Dropout: Supporting Their Persistence" is a piece of sound qualitative research study. Creswell (2008, p. 645) defines qualitative research as "an inquiry approach useful for exploring and understanding a central phenomenon." Within this study, the author focuses on the phenomenon that many high school students who are at risk of dropping out are still attending school. Through the qualitative case study the author carried out in Washington High School, she explores to find out more about the reasons for those students to persist their study in comprehensive high schools and how their experiences affect their decisions to go on stay at school.

The very first aspect of the study shown to readers is its title and abstract. Here, "Students at Risk for School Dropout: Supporting Their Persistence", is an apt title for this study. As Creswell (2008. P. 287) insists, "[t]he purpose of a title is to summarize the major idea of the paper in a concise and clear manner." Indeed, the central phenomenon being studied, the participants, the site and the purpose of this study are all embodied this nine-word title. Through the abstract, readers can have confidence ti answer the question, which was raised by Richardson's (2000), Participatory and Advocacy Criteria: Substantive contribution: Does this piece contribute to our understanding of social life?

Then, at the beginning of the study, by summarizing many past literatures on the "dropping out students" topic, the author points out that "[l]ess is known about why students persist in comprehensive high schools and the school's role in supporting their persistence. " (2008. P. 4). And thus, the author sets this point as her study purpose and states that "I sought to gain a greater understanding of at-risk students' experiences in a comprehensive high school and of how these experiences influenced their decision to persist in school." This purpose is of evident significance to Education and the society.

This piece of study is well organized in structure. The author identifies it into three parts, as shown in bold, Method, Results and Discussion. Firstly, the selection of a site for study is a significant aspect of research design. The researcher is to identify the setting, how that site was selected, and some of its general characteristics (LeCompte & Preissle, 1993. P. 57-59). Here the author chooses Washington High School as the setting of this study due to her "familiarity with its at-risk students, as well as the seeming contradiction in the school's reputation among these students and within the community". (2008. P. 4). Also, the seventeen students she chooses are of apparent variety, as she states that "Seventeen students participated: 10 males and 7 females; 13 White and 4 African American. Participants were one 9th grader, six 10th graders, three 11th graders, and seven 12th graders, ranging from 15 to 19 years of age. Eight of the 17 students had been retained in elementary or middle school. Three of the students had dropped out and then returned to school, 1 spent a year at an alternative school instead of dropping out, and 1 had previously been expelled from school." Moreover, in the process of interview, the author interviews not only those students at-risk, but also "the school principal, vice principal, two deans, four guidance counselors, and the past and present social worker " to gain more knowledge about the context of the school. And the interviews are carried out in natural settings, in school and classrooms. All the above contributes to the "purposeful sampling" (Creswell, 2008. P. 214), since it contains information in a deeper and more thorough way, and thus meets the standard used in choosing participants and sites which is whether they are "information rich" (Patton, 1990, p. 169).

From the narration of Procedure, Observations, Data Analysis and Credibility and Trustworthiness of Data, it is not uneasy to reach the conclusion that the approach of this study is holistic. Specifically, in terms of ethical issues, Bogdan (1983) gave some suggestions on this point, that is, "[t]o use pseudonyms in filed notes as well as in final reports. To strike a clear bargain with the subjects as to what they can expect to get out of the study and to fulfill that obligation. " This can be fully shown in the author's procedures, as "Interviews began with a brief review of the purpose of the research, an assurance of confidentiality, and description of participant rights." At the same time, the author points out that "[a]ll