Bruce, Toni2012-03-272012-03-272010Bruce, T. (2010). Using theory to escape the descriptive impasse. Waikato Journal of Education, 15(2), 7-19.1173-6135https://hdl.handle.net/10289/6154In this article, I focus on the importance of theory for undertaking and making sense of research. In particular, I consider one of the most common challenges for postgraduate students, which is how to shift from describing findings (what I found) to theorising about them (why my findings turned out this way). Using a case study approach, I describe my engagement with a particular set of data and demonstrate how different theories led me to focus on different elements and draw different conclusions. I conclude that explicitly shifting my theoretical approach ended up guiding me towards a much stronger interpretation of my descriptive findings.application/pdfen© 2010 Waikato Journal of Education. It is posted here by permission for personal use.theorygendernationalismmediawomen’s sportJournal Article