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51 Alta. L. Rev. 925 (2013-2014)
Qualitative Research on Legal Education: Studying Outstanding Law Teachers

handle is hein.journals/alblr51 and id is 979 raw text is: QUALITATIVE RESEARCH ON LEGAL EDUCATION 925 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH ON LEGAL EDUCATION: STUDYING OUTSTANDING LAw TEACHERS GERALD F. HESS This article advocates that law schools and law teachers should use high quality, rigorous, qualitative research to help them make thoughtful changes in response to current challenges facing legal education. Regardless of the type of study, qualitative research involves a five stage process: (1) study design and ethics; (2) sampling; (3) data collection; (4) data analysis; and (5) the research report. This article illustrates each stage ofthe qualitative research process through a study of outstanding law teachers that was reported in the recent book, What the Best Law Teachers Do. This book is based on a study that was designed to identify the characteristics andpractices ofextraordinary law teachers who have significant, positive, long-term effects on their students. Cet article preconise que les dcoles et les professeurs de droit doivent utiliser une recherche qualitative, rigoureuse et de grande qualit pour les aider i apporter des changementsjudicieux en rdponse aux defis actuels auxquels la formation en droitfait face. Peu importe le genre d'etude, la recherche qualitative comporte les cinqprocessus suivants, c 'est- a-dire 1) un modele d'dtude et l'ethique; 2) l'dchantillonnage; 3) la collecte de donnees; 4) l'analyse des donn&s et 5) le rapport de la recherche. Cet article illustre chaque etape du processus de la recherche qualitative au moyen de ' tude d'excellents professeurs de droit signalee dans le rdeent ouvrage intitul en anglais, What the Best Law Teachers Do (Ce que les meilleurs professeurs de droit font). Ce livre est base sur une tude conque pour identifier les caractdristiques et les pratiques d'excellents professeurs de droit qui ont un effet important, positif et a long terme sur leurs etudiants. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. INTRODUCTION ... .......................................... NATURE AND TYPES OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH .................. STUDY DESIGN AND ETHICS ................................... SAMPLING ................................................ DATA COLLECTION ......................................... A. INTERVIEWS ........................................... B. OBSERVATIONS ........................................ C. FOCUS GROUPS ........................................ D. DOCUMENTS .......................................... DATA ANALYSIS ........................................... RESEARCH REPORT ......................................... CONCLUSION .............................................. 925 926 928 930 932 932 932 933 934 934 937 939 I. INTRODUCTION In the second decade of the 21st century, legal education in Canada and the United States faces significant challenges. Many students graduate deeply in debt and struggle to find appropriate employment. Yet large segments of the population do not have access to affordable legal services. Law schools are under pressure to provide students with effective Professor of Law, Gonzaga University, School of Law. Professor Hess is a co-author of a number of books on teaching and learning in law school, including the book examined in this article. The author thanks Gonzaga University for its support and Professors Sophie Sparrow and Eric Adams for their helpful comments. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH ON LEGAL EDUCATION 925

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