Case studies

Book chapter, 2024

Case studies are a research methodology with a rich tradition in the social sciences and education, and the popularity of this approach testifies to its flexibility and its potential in capturing human experiences in context. In this chapter, the authors clarify the principles upon which case studies rest, overview how this approach has been used in genre pedagogy research, especially with multilingual learners, and provide the reader with questions and tools to apply this methodology to their research goals. The authors also review six articles that have used case studies with different aims and within different genre pedagogy frameworks, and they also highlight their qualities and their limitations and focus on one exemplary case, notable for its original contribution and its methodological approach. Finally, the authors conclude with ideas and suggestions for further research using case studies, in the genre classroom, for teacher training, and for methodological advancement.