The role of qualitative approaches to research in CALL contexts - Closing in on the learner’s experience

Oct 15, 2026

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This article examines qualitative research methods in CALL by presenting a sequence of examples tied to specific CALL research objectives. It argues that qualitative approaches add particular value, especially when combined with other methods in mixed-method research designs. Electronic dictionary use is used to illustrate how everyday, frequently occurring activities can motivate qualitative inquiry and show the relative strengths and limits of qualitative versus quantitative orientations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Qualitative approaches and the learner’s experience

CALL contexts and technology-enabled language learning

Qualitative methods through example case studies

calico journal (online) issn 2056–9017 Article The role of qualitative approaches to research in CALL contexts: Closing in on the learner’s experience Mike Levy Abstract The article considers the role of qualitative research methods in CALL through describing a series of examples. These examples are used to highlight the importance and value of qualitative data in relation to a specific research objective in CALL. The use of qualitative methods in conjunction with other approaches as in mixed method research designs are a particular focus. It is argued that qualitative methods are especially effective when used in this way. The discussion also aims to elaborate upon the role of qualitative approaches within CALL specifically, as a domain for research study with particular attributes that require a qualitative orientation. Here the use of electronic dictionaries is considered. Dictionary use is suited to such a discussion because it occurs frequently in everyday life, suggesting a qualitative approach, as well as in research studies that are strictly controlled, as in a quantitative approach. The contrast is instructive and helps demonstrate the respective strengths and limitations of each method. Also central to the discussion is the language learner. A number of the studies described emphasize the importance of listening to the students’ voice in the qualitative component (e.g., Conole, 2008; Jones, 2003). It is in the unpacking of what students actually do moment-by-moment in CALL tasks and activities that best illustrate the strengths of qualitative methods in enhancing our understanding of mediated learning and thereby driving productive research agendas. Keywords: CALL; mixed methods; qualitative research; research design Affiliation The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. [email: m.levy@uq.edu.au](email: m.levy@uq.edu.au) calico journal vol 32.3 2015 554–568 doi : 10.1558/cj.v32i3.26620 ©2015, equinox publishing Mike Levy 555 Introduction New technologies in language education are being employed in many different settings around the world, each with its own particular context. Currently, for example, I have three doctoral students who are each positioning their research in entirely different educational settings, in Vietnam, Saudi Arabia and Japan. There are numerous constraints as well as many opportunities for using technologies to support and enhance language learning in these very different contexts of use. In each case, the doctoral student is carefully examining how contextual parameters help shape the practice of CALL in that particular setting. In Vietnam, recently implemented technology standards for language teachers are exerting a profound impact, especially under the direction of the National Foreign Language 2020 Project. A new organization, VietCALL, was established in 2014 with the plan of playing a major role in implementing the standards. In Saudi Arabia, at a private university with a superb technological infrastructure, student motivation is a priority as learners work within a predetermined curriculum within which technology use has to fit. In Japan, the flipped classroom is being implemented in the primary school classroom and the viability of such an approach in such a setting constitutes a focus. Work within the school setting and within the home in the cultural setting of Japan is of special interest. Each setting has its own history that has led to current understandings and initiatives. This in turn leads to particular goals, priorities and agendas both in research and practice. Curricula goals, pedagogical methods, examination requirements, and student needs all exert an influence on how technology might be employed and used. For the qualitative researcher, for any given setting, we wish to understand more fully the learner’s experience. As Heigham and Croker (2009) observe,‘As qualitative researchers … [the] research focus is on the participants –

FAQs

Why does the article discuss electronic dictionary use in particular?

It uses dictionary use as an instructive example because it occurs frequently in everyday life and can be examined through a qualitative orientation, enabling comparison with more controlled quantitative approaches.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Fans