Exploring Constructivist Grounded Theory Methodology in Educational Research: A Systematic Review from the Perspective of a Novice Researcher in Malaysia

Abstract

This systematic literature review (SLR) aims to provide insights into how Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT) methodology, as a qualitative methodology, is implemented in educational research and how CGT contributes to developing substantive theory to help understand complex social interactions in educational academic settings. Data collected from ProQuest, consisting of three databases: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, Publicly Available Content Database, and Research Library, were used for the synthesis. Using the PRISMA-SWiM protocol as the review method, 24 articles were included in the final synthesis to identify how CGT was being used to understand different social phenomena in the field of education. With flexibility embedded in the Grounded Theory Methodology (GTM), differences are bound to occur, and heterogeneity and homogeneity were documented in tables and compared in charts for each article using narrative analysis. The review highlights that Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT), underpinned by a pragmatic worldview and leveraging both inductive and abductive reasoning, is well-suited to exploring specific social phenomena in Malaysia’s diverse, multiethnic, and multicultural educational landscape, with grounded theorists actively participating in co-constructing the substantive theory.