Ethnography: A Powerful Methodological Tool for Educational Research

Ethnography is a popularly used qualitative research technique. When it is being used in conjunction with multiple data collection and analysis methods, ethnography can empower researchers with valuable insights and in-depth understandings about the social phenomenon that is being examined. This chapter provides a discussion on the position of ethnography in the qualitative research paradigm. The sample research introduced in this chapter was designed to investigate the perception of ESL (English as a Second Language) pre-service teachers in one Australian teacher education program. It used a wide range of techniques to collect and analyse data. By looking into this particular study as an example, this chapter elaborates ways in which ethnography can be utilised to benefit educational research and exalnines challenges in conducting ethnographic research.