The Power and Limitations of Historical Case Study: A Consideration of Postwar African American Educational Experience

Abstract

This essay considers the use of case studies in the history of education. In doing this, it focuses on the recent history of African American education and several prominent studies in particular. The power and limitations of case study research are considered, drawing upon literature in sociology and qualitative research. Focusing on highly acclaimed studies, historical research on African American education is utilized to assess the interpretive frames of leading historical case studies, revealing limitations in purview. Because issues related to educational inequality remain so important today, particularly segregation, the “achievement gap” and problems in urban education, this history remains highly relevant to current policy debates. Implications for historians and other researchers utilizing case study methods are discussed in the conclusion.