forward rather than an approach based on a 'scientific paradigm'. Cohen and
Manion (1995: 123) list some of the advantages of case studies. They are said
to be strong in reality and down to earth, they recognise the complexity of
educational processes and they provide data which allow for further
interpretation or for the pursuit of different purposes. The insights gained from
case studies are deemed to be more accessible and able to serve multiple
audiences.
There is currently no standardised pattern of provision for foreign languages at
key stage 2, for example in the form of a National Curriculum, and consequently
no standardised form of teacher education and training. Each and every
primary school is free to offer a foreign language to its children in any form it
sees fit. It is up to individual schools to decide who should teach what, when
and how and, as a consequence, aims, syllabuses, methods and materials are
not commonly shared amongst schools and teachers. Inevitably, each and
every primary school represents a unique teaching and learning environment
with a number of variables at play. Given this complexity of the educational
contexts, creating a theoretical framework that could be 'tested by
experimentation, replication and refinement' (Cohen & Manion 1995: 106) was
deemed neither feasible nor desirable. Barrow queries how in an educational
context 'unique events' could possibly be controlled and replicated:
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