Case Study Approach in Qualitative Research
(Methodological patterns and application challenges in Arab research environments)
Abstract
This theoretical paper examines the case study method in qualitative research as a methodological approach capable of interpreting complex educational and social phenomena within their natural contexts. It reviews the concept of the case, its characteristics, boundaries, and types, and highlights central challenges such as ambiguity in defining the case, weak control over its boundaries, and overlap between units of analysis. It also addresses limited methodological awareness among some researchers and the dominance of quantitative orientations in the Arab context, accompanied by training, bureaucratic, and ethical constraints that restrict the efficient use of this approach in educational research. The paper analytically advances the implicit main hypothesis that a conscious and rigorous use of the case study method, based on selecting the type of case appropriate to the research objectives and following strict procedures in data collection, analysis, and validation of credibility and reliability, can deepen theoretical understanding and generate rich interpretive insights into educational reality. It assumes that providing a supportive research environment and developing researchers’ competencies can reduce common shortcomings in current practice. The paper concludes that the case study method represents a significant opportunity to enhance the quality of qualitative research in Arab educational sciences if it is properly employed within clear ethical and methodological frameworks, with sustained investment in training and research culture-building to ensure the trustworthiness of findings and their usability in improving Arab educational and policy practices.
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