method have varied perspectives on the purposes of case study research, they all agree that data collection in a case study should include multiple sources (Baxter & Jack, 2008; Stake, 1995 & 2009; Yin, 2009). For instance, Yin (2009) requires researchers to provide “multiple sources of evidence” and states that, “In fact various sources are highly
complementary, and a good case study will therefore want to use as many sources as possible” (p. 101). Yin (2009) also describes “many sources” such as documentation, interviews, direct observations, participant observations, and physical artifacts. I was able to explore my research questions through semi-structured interviews and school
observation. Again, the school observation took place in the pilot study phase of my research.
Observations. One of the data collection processes in my research was direct (non-participant) observation, which is one of the basic data collection methods in qualitative research. Observations in qualitative research “rely on narrative of words to describe the settings, behaviors, and interactions. The goal is to understand complex interactions in natural settings” (Ary, Jacobs, & Sorensen, 2010; p. 431). Observations were made in an Islamic school in New Mexico in order to explore the school
atmosphere, classroom settings, and multicultural dimensions of U.S. Islamic schools. As mentioned in Malhall (2003), unstructured observations carry specific importance for a constructivist approach in the process of knowledge construction between the researcher and “researched”. The role of the researcher carries importance in observation. Ary, Jacobs, and Sorensen (2010) categorize observations according to the role of the researcher: participant as observer, observer as participant, complete observer,
naturalistic observer, or collaborative partner. The observational method that I used in
my research was “observer as participant”—where the researcher is known by those under study and is not actively involved in behaviors and activities. Since teachers in this study were not working in Islamic schools in the U.S. when I interviewed them, having observations in my participants’ classrooms were not possible. However, during my pilot study, I had the opportunity to observe a full day in an Islamic school setting, and this experience primarily guided my interviews. What I have observed, and how these observations impacted my research will be discussed in the data analysis chapter. This
part in this chapter focuses on the general characteristics of the Islamic school I observed in my pilot study.
Future Scholars Islamic School. I observed in this school while we were having a
family holiday. My husband had professional meetings for a week in New Mexico, and I realized that there was an Islamic school just a couple of miles away from the hotel where we stayed. Before going to New Mexico, I sent several emails to school board members and the principal of the school. Fortunately, I received their permission to observe the school before going to New Mexico. It was a great opportunity to strengthen my research.
I went to the school to observe in December 2013. The school operated in two parts: the first part was a one-story building for early elementary grades, owned by the school. Another part was the entrance of the next building, which the school rented. In other words, the school was sharing a space with others. When I entered the first part of the school, I met with the school secretary. She was very welcoming, and followed me to the principal’s office. She left me in the office for awhile as the principal had not arrived yet. The office of the principal was much smaller than the most offices I had seen before. Since the space was very small, there were lots of books, folders, and instructional materials piled up. Then the school principal arrived. I introduced myself and provided some of my background. He also informed me briefly about himself. He was an
American convert Muslim, and a PhD student in education. Before becoming Muslim, he had international experience in Muslim countries such as Iran, Turkey, Egypt, and
Palestine. According to the information I received from the principal during my observation, school enrollment was 80 students. The school provided education for K through 8th grade, and the school board was planning to include high school grades at the
time of observation, December 2013. The school’s student population was diverse in terms of culture, nationality, language, and socio-economic status. Similarly to the diverse student population, the teachers working in this school were also from diverse backgrounds. Teachers’ profiles in this school included Arab immigrants, second
generation Americans, Latinos, white Americans, African Americans, non-Muslims, and convert Muslims teachers and administrators. The school’s educational purpose
specifically emphasized American identity, American citizenship education, and quality education in both secular and religious fields.
The issues related to funding Islamic schools mentioned in the literature review also came up during my observation. Due to lack of funding and a limited budget, the school had limited educational facilities. For example, the teacher lounge and library had been combined due to the lack of space. Some teachers did not have their own classrooms and had to share classrooms with other teachers. Classrooms had limited technology and supplies. The school did not include a gym, science laboratory, or conference room. The principal highlighted his focus on improving ESL education in the school. During the observation, he showed me ESL classroom materials and mentioned that the school organized workshops for parents and teachers on teaching English as a second language. The school had a dress code for students, but not for teachers. However, suitable attire and manners were outlined in teachers’ contracts. Hijab was not required for female teachers but dressing in modest clothes was mandatory. All classes were mixed, and there was no obligation for female students to be taught only by female teachers. The school building was not attached to a masjid (mosque); the school principal mentioned that the
weekly sermon for all students. I observed the school for two days. During the
observation I experienced firsthand some of the context of this Islamic school in the U.S., which prepared me to conduct more effective interviews.
Interviews. As Seidman (2006) states, in-depth interviewing seeks to understand the lived experiences of participants and their interpretations. In light of this, I used in- depth interviewing as a way of accessing the multicultural teaching perceptions of Islamic school teachers. The interviews in my research brought light to the educational background of teachers, ways in which their classrooms show diversity, how each teacher planned instruction to meet the needs of this diversity, and how each teacher
conceptualized multicultural education and/or religious multicultural education in the context of an Islamic school.
One interview was conducted with each participant. The interview questions were open-ended and framed by the research questions (Creswell, 2007; Seidman, 2006). Each interview was audio recorded using a digital recorder and transcribed by myself. I
interviewed with four participants in person, but I had to interview with other two participants via Skype because they were not living in the U.S. at the time of the
interview. The shortest interview took 65 minutes, and the longest took about 90 minutes. Once I had collected all my data from the participants, I transcribed the interviews and notes. I also wrote interview memos in my research journal after the first and second round of interviews, in order to remember gestures, pauses, and reactions to dialogues and questions that were helpful in re-establishing the interview context during my in- depth data analysis.