ABSTRACT
Over the same period of time newer forms of enquiry on class teaching were being developed which led to theoretical and methodological innovation required in order to access qualitative aspects of learning and teaching. This has been characterized by Doyle (1990) as a shift in emphasis towards an understanding of context and situation, the focus being on domain-specific knowledge with explanation of events and actions being made within the context of purposes and meanings of teachers and pupils themselves. The new forms of enquiry, concerned with codifying and systematizing processes in natural settings, required a new paradigm which, in tum, influenced the way classroom practice was conceptualized and structured. This inductive process rendered traditional concepts of experimental approaches inadequate as noted by, for instance, Guba (1978; 1981) and later by Lincoln and Guba (1985).
