This chapter presents the analysis of the qualitative data gathered from teachers through an open-ended questionnaire. This is the first stage in the data collection with teachers and open- ended questions have been used in the questionnaire to identify issues to be included in the next phase of data collection. The next phase will consist of larger sample of teachers using a more structured survey tool based on the findings of this first stage. The chapter starts with the analysis of the questionnaire itself highlighting the key areas for investigation. In the following part, responses for every question are then reviewed to map out the themes emerging from the data. This review of each item separately leads to the identification of overarching themes, which are presented in the concluding part of the chapter.
6.1 Design of the questionnaire
The design of the questionnaire for the first stage of the investigation into the views and experiences of teachers drew from the findings of the investigation of the views and experiences of head teachers as well as the research literature. The findings from the interviews with principals referred to some issues specifically relevant to the implications of the change initiative for teachers. These issues were:
Teacher involvement and participation in the planning and initiation of the change initiative
Teachers’ initial reaction and subsequent adjustment to the change programme and the challenges, demands and benefits for them in the process
Availability of support in the form of training, information, guidance and resource in the initiation and implementation phases of the change for teachers
These issues have been elaborated upon in the light of existing research literature in chapter 5. With reference to these elaborations and literature review on the role of teachers in the management of educational change in chapter 2, the following main themes were identified to be explored through this questionnaire for teachers:
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1 The process of initiation of change and issues relating to processes outside and then within the institutions
2. The role of teachers with regards to their feelings, perceptions, experiences and practices in relation to the change initiative and challenges faced during the implementation process
3. Perceptions and ideas on issues related to students
4. Speculations on future developments and suggestions for improvement
These themes were explored through different questions included in the questionnaire. Although the individual questions focused around a specific theme, the continuity and flow of the enquiry prevented these from being mutually exclusive, so there is some overlap between different questions. The themes of the initiation of change and role of teachers with their experiences, perceptions and opinions are evident in the first seven questions, which were:
1. When did you first hear about this change and what was your first reaction? 2. Did your views alter as the change progressed? In what ways, if any?
3. What steps were taken in your institution to introduce this change in the classrooms?
4. What steps did you take initially to take this change into your classroom? 5. What steps did you take subsequently to take this change further?
6. What kinds of support did you receive from your institution in the process? Do you think this support was enough?
7. Were there any difficulties in adopting this change in your classroom and what was the nature of these?
The role and experiences of teachers, however, cannot be separated from the issues related to students. It was expected that issues related to students would also appear across the questions. In addition, two specific questions were included in the questionnaire regarding the teachers’ perceptions and ideas on issues related to students. These questions were
8. What benefits do you think this change has brought for the students? 9. What are some of the challenges for students in the new system?
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The next two questions were to explore teachers’ views on the possible ways of improvement in this initiative and for any similar future endeavour. The last part of the questionnaire was designed not only to elicit the teachers’ speculations on the future and suggestions for improvement but also to provide an opportunity to let respondents summarize their views. These items were:
10. What can be done now to make this change work in a better way?
11. What do you suggest should be done for the introduction of any change in the institutions in future by the higher authorities?
12. Any other comments relating to this initiative that you would like to add? In the end, participants were given the space to make any comments to extend their views or to add a new point that might have been ignored in the preceding sections. It was an open invitation to add any other comments, which proved a very useful addition. It was used by most of the respondents to end their response either as an emphatic note by extending some previously mentioned issues or by adding some new points they felt had not been covered in the preceding questions.
6.2 Analysis of data: individual items
The issues identified for the first two themes of the questionnaire included the initiation of change and the initial reaction of teachers, the process of their adjustments/acceptance of change, the implications of change for their professional and personal development and above all their experience of implementing the change. Here their personal experiences were explored along with the strategies used by respondents to cope with and take forward the change.