Chapter 1 Introduction

Statement of Problem

Objectives and Significance of the Study

Defining the Case

Overview of the Research

Chapter 2 Literature Review

Amalgamation and Expansion

Chinese National Quality Assurance Policies

Chapter 3 Methods

Setting

Researcher Positionality

Participants

Data Collection and Analysis

Chapter 4 University People's Experiences and Perceptions of the Amalgamation and Expansion Polices

Experiences with and Resistance to the Amalgamation Policy

Experiences with and Perceptions of the Expansion Policy

Summary

Chapter 5 University People's Experiences and Perceptions of Quality Assurance Mechanisms

Experiences with and Perceptions of the National Undergraduate Teaching Evaluation

The Uinversity's Dudao Team and Faculty Coping Strategies

Research Promotion Criteria and Faculty Coping Strategies

Summary

Chapter 6 Innovative Ideas and Practices at the University of Focus

Five Properties of Local Innovations

Summary

Chapter 7 Conclusions and Implications

Summary of the Previous Chapters

Implications

References

　　《合并、扩招、质量保障政策与创新：一所重点大学的案例研究（英文版）》：

　　Second, in this study, "the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident" （ R. Yin, 2003, p. 13）, in that I have no control over the happenings in the university's environment. Unlike experimental studies that focus on a few variables in a controlled condition, this study examines the university of focus in its natural state, and I deliberately cover the contextual conditions in the belief that they are highly pertinent to the university I am studying. Third, this study pertains to contemporary issues-what is happening, current and ongoing.

　　In short, this study focuses on the university, the "bounded" system as a urut of analysis, and intends to find out the vicarious details, people's mearung interpretations of their lives under contextual conditions, such as national HE reform policies. This is a case study that meets with the characterizations across different literature （Merriam, 1998; Miles & Huberman, 1994; Stake, 1995）.

　　Furthermore, the university of focus is a "typical" and 6'representative" case among many other universities in that it is a key university, a 211 and 985 grants recipient subject to the vagaries of national HE reform policies. Stake （1995） distinguishes in,trirzsic and mstrumental case studies. Intrinsic cases are given to the researcher, for instance, a teacher is obliged to find out what is happening to a problematic student. The researcher is studying the case for its own sake and has no options over what cases to study. In instrumental cases, the cases are the means to some other issues, for instance, the university of focus is a vehicle through understanding national policy implementation or local innovations. The researcher has choices over a number of cases, and through a "typical" and "representative" case the researcher is able to find much more about the issues than through other cases. I will demonstrate in Chapter 3, the Methods section that, being a key university, and the recipient of major national unstipulated or block grants, and having a history of faithfully implementing national policies （such as reconstructing itself as a comprehensive university）, the university of my choice is "typical" or "representative" according to Stake's and Merriam's （1998） standards.

　　There are no standardized protocols towards the data collection or data analysis in case studies, as Merriam （1998） states, "any and all methods of gathering data, from testing to interviewing, can be used in a case study" （p.28, see also R. Yin, 2003）. However, I will argue that some methodological tools are more appropriate than others in case studies, given the research questions. This case pertains to university people's sense making of their experiences of national HE reform policies and of innovative practices at the uruversity of focus. Phenomenological interviews are an ideal tool in tapping the essence and structure of people's experiences. I will use Seidman's （2006） framework in conducting interviews in this casestudy research. Furthermore, although triangulation of methods is recommended by most case-study theorists, or even used as a criterion to judge research validity （ Miles & Huberman, 1994; R, Yin, 2003）, Seidman maintains that phenomenological interviews do not necessarily combine with other methods, especially when the philosophical underpinnings-the assumptions of "what it means to understand the experience of others" （ p. 6）-underlying different methods do not converge. This case-study research uses phenomenological interviews, which "when done with skill, can avoid tensions that sometimes arise when a researcher uses multiple methods" （p.6）. Detailed data collection and analysis process and the philosophical orientations underlying it will be further explained in Chapter 3, the Method section.

　　……