Interactions among knowledge, beliefs, and goals in framing a qualitative study in statistics education

In the recent past, qualitative research methods have become more prevalent in the field of statistics education. This paper offers thoughts on the process of framing a qualitative study by means of an illustrative example. The decisions that influenced the framing of a study of preservice teachers‟ understanding of the concept of statistical sample are explained by describing the goals, knowledge, and beliefs brought to the research project. Each framing decision is portrayed as a function of these three overarching cognitions. It is suggested that mapping one‟s goals, knowledge, and beliefs while framing and carrying out a qualitative study can be useful for maintaining the quality of the study.