Factors involved with qualitative syntheses: A new focus for research in science education

This article describes the nature of qualitative syntheses and reports such efforts as a new focus for research in science education. It uses Project Synthesis as conceived by Norris Harms as an example of a Qualitative Synthesis. It identifies four features for such research efforts: (1) They involve research teams structured to provide a variety of perspectives and viewpoints. (2) They involve a wide variety of data sources, including massive sets of data from a variety of sources and perspectives. Much of these data are qualitative and often gathered initially for a variety of purposes. (3) They include at least one conceptual scheme for accomplishing a synthesis. Most include a set of goals as one organizer and a set of critical incidents as another. Studies involving more than two such dimensions provide even more meaningful and useful synthesis. (4) They conclude with an analysis of meaning, a formulation of an overarching scheme, and a new model to be used for further thinking, research, and analysis. Such synthesis efforts also end with a set of recommendations for action and/or hypotheses to be tested.