Qualitative Method Centers

A Rescue for the Curricular Teaching of Methods?

Abstract

Qualitative method centres are academic organisational units that are situated at the intersection of study programmes and curricular courses. Both in German-speaking countries and internationally, they are established places of qualitative methodological consultation (Cabrera and McDougall 2002; Kalkstein and Mey 2021). Their areas of responsibility are manifold, from teaching within methodological curricula to organising workshops and various summer, spring and winter schools. Increasingly, they are also active in relevant committees, such as ethics advisory boards. In this article, I explore the question of which transformations of teaching and learning can be derived from the necessity of establishing such methodological centres. In addition, I trace the role that the work of the method centres can play in anchoring qualitative research at universities.