Zubaidah Awang
Faculty  of  Management and Human Resource Development
Abdul Hafidz Haji Omar
Faculty of Education
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Skudai, Johor

Date: 25 October 2001
Time: 4.00-4.30

Grounded theory is one of the research approaches in qualitative research that enables the researcher to use his intellectuality to make sense of and construct a theory based on finding collected throughout the fieldwork.  Grounded Theory as suggested by Strauss and Corbin 1990) is designed in a very comprehensive manner and involves three level of coding.  These coding systems are parallel to Bloom's Taxonomy where an individual has to first understand the basic knowledge before she is able to proceed further.  In the first stage of Grounded Theory, i.e., 'open coding'; data are grouped according to themes or categories.  This is where the researcher has to have sufficient/ample knowledge and understanding of the phenomenon being studied.  In the second level i.e., axial coding the researcher has to connect the themes and make sense of it.  At this point, the researcher applies his knowledge and analyzes the data.  The data is then synthesized and evaluated through selective coding.  This will develop into the draft of the theory that will be tested against other existing theories to form 'Grounded Theory'.  The ability to develop a good 'Grounded theory’ will represent the researcher's intellectuality.